newhome

Don't get carried away .....

Thank Feck for that!!! Progress, and you haven't peed your pants

Hi Moira, I would refuse to pay the VAT and hand the supplier the document attached in the 3rd post in this post. It’s what @lizzie was told by HMRC to use for ‘difficult’ trades https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/6851-a-guide-to-the-vat-reclaim-process/?do=findComment&comment=115965

Not wanting to add to the list of things you need to go through just now but it is something that you need to look in detail at soon if you haven’t already. You need to double check the VAT position to ensure that you haven’t been overcharged for VAT anywhere although it appears that you are doing most of it on a supply and fit basis that should all be zero rated as long as they are eligible items so that will be a positive and should be a straightforward check. For things you have bought yourself and need to reclaim the VAT, double check the invoices are all in order so that you can go back and address any anomalies now rather than when you are about to send your claim. Full details in this post.

It’s also listed here:

Who can help with the plumbing bits? I’ve no clue other than they will likely be round ?.

Lol, the only one I remember is Just an Illusion. Maybe ZooT has them in his record collection ?.

Here’s one at the back of a wooden worktop. Prevents spills etc getting onto the wall.

Upstand is the bit that goes up the wall behind the worktop. Sometimes called a splashback. Think you had tiles there before? Whatever you need to protect that PB where the worktop joins and above it. Some PVA wouldn’t be a bad idea for now as @Onoff suggested.

@zoothorn have you thought of getting a dehumidifier? I know what you mean about the constant dampness. When I was at school (many moons ago) we went on an ecology trip in deepest Wales. Any clothes that got wet never dried and even the dry ones were damp by the end of the week just from being in that damp old house.

I didn’t do too much practical work during my build apart from holding things like doors while they were fitted and helping lay the UFH pipes etc but I did the majority of the painting and varnishing. I had a ‘professional’ painter in to paint the extension but I wish I hadn’t as I don’t think it was done as carefully as mine as @AliG notes. If I can do it then anyone can and you’ll save some money and get some satisfaction from doing it I’m sure, especially if you view it as a couple of grand off the mortgage.

@PeterW can @zoothorn use that oil as a topcoat on the finished worktop that he has or is that only appropriate if it’s sanded down as you have done?

How does P**s Poor Planning Prevent Poor Performance? Surely if it's P**s Poor Planning then Performance will be P**s Poor too?

@Onoff works just like this . Lots of planning and prep needed and take your time. No point in rushing things and ruining it all after all that work. Remember the 6 Ps - Prior Preparation Prevents P**s Poor Performance

This is supposed to be good for wood worktops. Osmo Top Oil

I would just build it too. We built the garage here before the house was signed off. The busy body community council complained to the main council (as they complained about the 2 houses here constantly for 3 years). It is at the back of the plot and barely visible from the road! ? Anyway the main council told them it was allowed under permitted development and the house most certainly wasn’t signed off at that point!

Have a look on eBay and see if you can get some fitted wardrobes locally. They are the sort of items that don't go for much as people don't want to collect large items generally so you may get a bargain even if it's something temporary until you can afford what you really want.

That looks really good! Wood worktop looks so much better than the old tiled thing, and I wouldn't worry about the tap because it only looks out of place as it's new. It will soon become just part of your kitchen and large taps are pretty usual these days. Hopefully someone else will come along soon and help with the plumbing bits.

Really sorry to hear this but it must be a relief to start discussing the issue with someone even if only on here for now. Hopefully the support you will get here will help you to put everything into perspective and understand how you can tackle the issue going forward. Then when you have everything straight in your head you can sit down with the hubby, explain the problem clearly and have some idea how you can move forward and take back some control. Some good advice above and I can't add much to it other than to say that I think the majority of self builders go through a budget wobble (or 2!) sometime during the build and have to take action to address so you are not alone by any means so don't go beating yourself up over it. The good thing is that you are tackling this before you get in any deeper. As others have said look for areas where you can economise and use this forum to seek advice on where to obtain the best prices for x and y. There are plenty of people on here with experience who will be able to advise how you can cut costs in specific areas without ending up with something not fit for purpose. Also don't rule out scanning the selling sites on Facebook, Gumtree or eBay for materials. You won't be able to claim the VAT back unless they are a VAT registered seller of course but if people have items left over from a project for example it can be much cheaper to source them that way anyway. The most important thing is to try to stay positive and to do what you need to take back control. You will feel much better having done so and it won't help anyone at all if you keep things to yourself and remain stressed to death. Keep talking, it helps x

That’s poor then!

But that should have been evident when the new installer did their quote surely? ie before you had it actually fitted?

I have a similar room connected to the kitchen / family room by double doors. It does get hotter in there than most other rooms due to the additional glazing / solar gain and I open the double doors if I want that heat in the main living space and keep the doors closed if not. So as you describe.

Circa £15 in Poland including VAT ... https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pl&u=https://e-budujemy.pl/produkt/producent-dune/poeme-mozaika-kamienna-29-8x29-8-187394.html&prev=search

Only to you sweetie . You started that tiling yet?

That's ace and is so like something I would have said too . Reminds me of a guy I used to work with. He was married to his second wife by then but still had a ton of affairs. He was clearly a leopard that didn't change his spots because he used to play away during his first marriage too. On one memorable occasion with the first wife he returned home in the early hours of the morning to see strange stuff all over the front garden. His wife had spent the evening chopping all of his clothes into tiny bits and flinging them out the bedroom window!