laurenco

Good point! I'm going to get a spirit level on it all now...

Thank you, this is really interesting. I'm going to look at our pack

Hi Simon, Can I ask where it says about MBC guaranteeing a 2mm deflection on the openings and how long this is guaranteed for? MBC did ours. 2019. (Very happy overall). But we're struggling to open the corner bi-folds and the contractor who came out has found the corner has dropped 10mm. Thanks Lauren

If you can, build it as a business expense and claim the VAT through her company, then you don't need to provide evidence of it being a new build to the various labourers (who may or may not accept it as a new build) and most importantly you avoid having to lay out the VAT and wait 6 months for a rebate. We submitted our DIY VAT reclaim in Oct, it was acknowledged within a fortnight, then we chased them this week, and they said they our file probably wouldn't be put on anyone's desk until March or April.

grr.. Thanks for this

Excellent, thanks for the heads up. I'm about to do my vat reclaim, and to know they process 70% quickly is reassuring

Hi Can the VAT refund be emailed in? I've spent ages making a huge pdf of all the invoices in one document but I saw they want original invoices. As pretty much all of these are electronic, they'll all look like I just printed them off my computer —which I have— and so, sorry if this is a stupid question, but what would make them originals? Thanks

ah thanks @ProDave

The planning permission completion certificate or the building regs one? Sometimes this can take the council a whole to do, no?

We keep having to extend our self build insurance as our project runs on and on, and the cost of it is painful. We're only four weeks away from moving in but our building insurance is due to expire imminently (well, today, to be precise). The electrician is inside doing second fix, and block paving is being laid on the driveway, and landscapers are using diggers and dumpers in the back garden. Does this require an extension on the self-build insurance? The Protek quote is £437 inc vat for 3 months. I could get house insurance for the whole year for not much more than that. If, say, the electrician was to electrocute himself whilst on my house, for example, would he not be covered by his own company's insurance anyway?

Thanks @nod - this is really helpful. So large areas of massive tiles are not necessarily easier or cheaper than more intricate bathrooms with smaller tiles.

Hi, I've previously always paid £25/m2 for tiles to be laid. Now I'm getting quotes in at £35/m2. Is this the norm? One fella lays tiles in a room over 2 half days and charges £800. Seems ridiculous. Has anyone ever negotiated daily rates and, or, can anyone recommend a North West based tiler? I'm looking to get 300m2+ of tiling done, so was hoping to do a deal! Thanks Lauren

Nope. Supply only. They put us in touch with 'recommended installers' but Scotframe do not fit.

We nearly went with Scotframe. I loved that they fitted the doorframes and staircases etc. But the VAT layout and reclaim is a massive drawback

Ah brill, thanks for this @Ferdinand