Dreadnaught

Roger Scruton (misquoted): in Britain everything is permitted unless it is forbidden; in Switzerland everything is forbidden unless it is permitted; in France everything is permitted, even if it is forbidden; and in Russia everything is forbidden, even if it is permitted.

Under pressure, I believe that eBay is tightening requirements for its sellers with regard to VAT. If the seller is UK based, I wonder if approaching eBay might be another avenue.

We have them in my current place (albeit 10-years old models). Audible noise from the motor; prone to dumping cold water on your head after the shower is paused and restarted; all-in-all pointless. But they do have a flashing LED. Of the three we have, one has needed servicing.

@lizzie did. Have the name of her designer if you'd like it. I suspect that she won't mind me sending it on.

Welcome @ianfish!

Welcome @Davidkw. A couple of places to start: https://www.gov.uk/vat-building-new-home , https://www.gov.uk/vat-building-new-home/eligibility, https://www.gov.uk/vat-building-new-home/how-to-claim. We also have a large and well-maintained thread on the forum here about the VAT reclaim process but I believe that you need a few more posts (to be an established member) before you can have access to that. @newhome in particular is very knowledgeable on the subject. And @JSHarris has a sample claim spreadsheet that he has provided to some others here. Some members, including @jack, are following current cases about exactly what triggers the 3-month clock on claiming after the completion of a build. And there are some companies various members have used to assist in the process (for a fee). @joe90 has used one recently for example.

"Build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything". Had to look it up myself.

@new eco home, Touchwood Homes is local to you: https://www.touchwoodhomes.co.uk. MBC (http://mbctimberframe.co.uk) and PYC (https://pycconstruction.co.uk) are two others I have considered for my build. Another is Eden (http://edeninsulation.co.uk) but I have not spoken with them directly.

Oh you might have an exhaust-air heat pump in your MVHR! This one https://www.earthsaveproducts.com/products/mvhr-including-built-in-heat-pump/ecocent-air-mvhr. There is a link to the manual on the web page. Unfortunately, the manual does not seem to mention the word "boost". If that is your model, you might be interested to know that both @Mikey_1980 and @dogman have the same one.

A new (easier?) way of detecting Great Crested Newts in a pond on a building site. Podcast. Costing the Earth: The e-DNA Revolution … "A modern technique is revolutionising how we monitor our living world. Jheni Osman asks how 'environmental DNA' works and discovers the sheer breadth of what it's revealing." Listen to the relevant section here → https://overcast.fm/+IPRWK3mfg/9:04 The BBC site for the podcast → https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0008wpt

How about the full shifty …

Oh interesting. How do you compare using the wood to metal? Which do you prefer using?

Just out of general interest, I wonder did you ever consider using metal studwork, @nod-style? I am tempted.

It is a comprehensive list (from which I stole a few ideas, thank you). One thing I thought was missing was a sense for how long you intend to live in it, which dictates the balance between a design highly tailored for yourselves and one designed for a generalised buyer. I also felt that because of its level of detail, a sense of prioritisation was somewhat lost. Optional or even whimsical ideas were blended amongst requirements. Love the idea of the pipe organ!

One adjacent thought: on the couple of examples of a slab pour with UFH which I have seen, the area where the tails emerged was boxed and filled with sand rather than concreted from the start. I think that this makes it easier to manipulate the tails later on. Others may be able to add more detail. Is that relevant for you?

In my current ongoing experience of my planning application, neighbours wait until the end or even beyond the end of the consultation period. And comments received by the LPA after the deadline are still considered in the normal way. Its not a hard cut off.

Perhaps this one, https://cvcdirect.myshopify.com/products/conus-airvalve-125mm-1, from Jeremy here:

I bet the on-shore Naval radar on the hill north of Portsmouth (Sampson?) does a good job for its section of coast. What's the range of something like that?

Way off topic: can't the Ikea Tradfri items connect to the Philips Hue hub?

Previous discussions (I take notes): https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/5187-shower-heat-recovery/ https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/10061-working-out-a-scheme-for-dhw/?do=findComment&comment=171407 https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/11509-recirculating-shower-system/?do=findComment&comment=193785

Price example … €440 from Austria inc. VAT. Haven't found a UK supplier. https://www.rabmer.at/en/shop/produkt/zypho-izi-the-innovative-recovery-of-shower-heat/

I wonder why none of those trenching guides show drain pipes (either waste or storm water) in the shared trench. Can they go in the same trench?

Beginners question as I prepare for my build, if I may: what are the uses of water during the phases of the build? Which trades really need it? I assume that usage for tea/coffee is only a tiny part. In my case, I have a water supply under the road outside the plot but I haven't thought about when to connect it or whether to have a stand pipe.

To add to the avalanche of (well-meaning) concerns about overheating, I read somewhere (was it the Passive House handbook?) that the lower part of a floor-to-ceiling window contributes very little in terms of view-out or light-levels inside… but adds greatly in terms of heat ingress and overheating in general. For my forthcoming build I decided that my large windows would be from waist-height upwards. The design aesthetic still works (I think) with contrasting exterior cladding for the section beneath the windows that would have been glass if I had stuck with floor--to-ceiling glazing. My other concerns about floor-to-ceiling glazing is that: (i) it puts on-show the clutter of daily living; and (ii) prohibits furniture under the window.

Good idea for full-sized one. In a previous flat, I had a mini counter-top dishwasher on the draining board next to the sink. Worked really well. Talking of which, how about a counter-top dishwasher for pans instead of two full-sized dishwashwers? Perhaps located in a utility room or built-in somewhere? (By the way, I picked up that counter-top dishwasher for peanuts on eBay.)