newhome

Yep, when it’s done by real professionals they are amazing. Most people are crap at it. Definitely something that those building a new house should add to their list.

Looks like you’ve already used the grey round the shower wall. Less in your face as the white so probably more forgiving.

The thicker stuff has a better pile (generally more dense) and backing and is much heavier meaning that it will move less. Liken that to putting a heavy rug down in a room that stays put vs a cheap, lightweight rug that will move and ruck up. The really thin stuff need even better prep in a way as it will have a tendency to move more and any contours in the ground will be much more noticeable. That said I don't suppose you will be walking all over it constantly. Personally I wouldn't just shove the cheap stuff down without at least putting a weed membrane on top and levelling out the ground. Weed membrane is really cheap. It definitely needs to be fixed at the edges properly. Will water run down to that part of the garden? If so you could end up with puddles if that area doesn't drain well. For the difference in price for a relatively small area I wouldn't buy the very cheapest stuff. You might pick up a small amount on Gumtree or similar. A few pics here of poorly laid astro. https://www.goartificialgrass.co.uk/top-10-artificial-grass-problems-i96

That would probably work. You still have to prepare the base though. Remove vegetation, compacted sharp sand, weed membrane then astro, tension and pin. We used a wooden frame round the edge to pin ours to when we laid it in the garden down south.

That looks like my attempts! Did you use the whole tube? Or did you use shaving foam by accident ...?

My hat goes off to you painting those vaulted ceilings. I did loads of the painting here but I couldn’t have done that sort of height. Didn’t do the stairs here either for the same reason.

I only have mine coming on once a day in the evening. I have the large room downstairs switching on cira 3 hours before I am due to get home and the other, smaller rooms 2 hours before. I did have everything coming on 2 hours before but I found that the largest room needed to come on earlier or it wasn't at the desired temperature when I got home. Everything switches off a couple of hours before I go to bed and the temperature hasn't dropped at all in that time. I don't bother with heating in the morning mainly because it only drops a degree or so overnight, the TS still contains enough hot water to use the shower, and I'm generally rushing around getting ready for work and don't need extra heat. I don't have an ASHP but that method works for me to keep electric bills manageable. My set temperature is also set at 16C but I've never know the temperature drop below that during the day so it just switches on again as normal in the evening. At weekends I have different times set and do have it on in the morning.

Think that’s the great north / south divide though as that grant only seems to be available in the north of Scotland and looks like @NWGEAR is in the SW.

Eek! Care to start a new post containing the details of that quote to see if the good Buildhubbers can suggest ways of getting the price down?

It’s all looking lovely @vivienz. When do you think it will be finished?

Fantastic news, well done! Looks like a lovely spot. Always surprises me when there are objections by planning to single houses that are clearly right next to other houses (2 can be seen in your photo) but then suddenly a developer gets permission to build an estate full of houses further outside the boundary. Has happened on many occasions IME.

Given how close you are to actually using the shower, I saw this on offer today and thought of you ?. @Construction Channel can give you some tips on usage ?. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078J5ZVP2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DtuxCbH8X5MC7

Surprised @pocster isn’t here checking out the Ann Summers discounts

Did you p*ss yourself laughing though!?

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You could buy the materials for the garage before you put the reclaim in, or if it’s supply and fit, or labour only just show them the PP if asked and get it zero rated. They won’t know that it has been signed off.

Yes it’s up to the contractor. It’s in VAT Notice 708. There is no reclaim scheme for ‘unoccupied for 2 years’ properties so they can only get the reduced rate directly from a contractor. 8.3 Has the premises been lived in recently? 8.3.1 How does the two year rule work? You can only reduced-rate the renovation or alteration if, in the 2 years immediately before renovation works start, the qualifying residential premises has not been lived in. If the premises is a building (or part of a building) which, when last lived in, was 1 of a number of buildings on the same site used together as a unit for a relevant residential purpose, then none of the buildings making up the original unit must have been lived in during the 2 years immediately before your work starts. So you cannot, for example, reduced-rate the renovation or alteration of a dormant building within the grounds of an operational home or institution. 8.3.2 How do I know if the premises has been unoccupied for two years? If you reduced-rated your supply, you may be required to show that the building has not been lived in during the 2 years immediately before you start your work. Proof of such can be obtained from Electoral Roll and Council Tax records, utilities companies, Empty Property Officers in local authorities, or any other source that can be considered reliable. If you hold a letter from an Empty Property Officer certifying that the property has not been lived in for two years, you do not need any other evidence. If an Empty Property Officer is unsure about when a property was last lived in he should write with his best estimate. We may then call for other supporting evidence.

Yes and I get why some don’t want to be bothered with reduced or no VAT jobs as they do have to pay the VAT upfront before it’s recovered. It’s the heating trades you should feel sorry for. Many of their installations will be at 5% VAT even for existing houses but they will have to pay standard VAT upfront. I think the moral of the story is to ensure that both the customer and trade are very aware of expectations in relation to VAT. Putting it in writing would help, even just sending a confirmation email. I found that some trades didn’t want to be bothered by zero rating so I didn’t use them or supplied the materials myself. The difficulty for those doing an ‘empty for 2 years’ renovation is that there is no reclaim scheme (as opposed to ‘empty for 10 years’ properties that are eligible for a reclaim) so unless the trade supplies materials at 5% they have to pay standard VAT. The other way to approach it is to ask the trade to provide 2 invoices; one that is for the materials as supply only, then another one as fit only. That’s an easy solution for someone building a new house as the fit invoice will be zero rated and won’t go to HMRC but it might be tricky for those doing renovations as both invoices will go to HMRC as part of the reclaim. I guess the answer is that you decided to buy the tiles first and only engaged the tiler to fit them later. But tenuous though and not really in the rules.

I got a play button on the laptop and iPhone. I’ve now watched your bog flush on 2 devices. Please tell me its number 1 use has been fulfilled too!

I didn’t take that from that thread. It sounded like a few accountants arguing about the tax treatment strategy without a definitive answer. Professional advice is definitely needed.

Just ensure that your surname is on there I reckon.

Surely you just adjust it on your VAT return? And a private individual asking you to knock the vat off is against the rules whereas anyone with a self build or eligible renovation is actually following HRMC’s rules so you can legitimately invoice them with no or reduced vat and declare that to HMRC.

That seems ok but ensure that your name is on the invoice. The address they invoice doesn’t matter to a degree (I had 3 addresses during the build). Showing the VAT separately is easier to deal with on the claim form in section D but if it’s not there are separate sections for standard rated (E) and reduced (F). You just have to work the figure out. Most invoices you receive will likely show the vat separately. I only had a handful where it wasn’t separated out.

My PP covers 2 houses and when I put my VAT reclaim in HMRC contacted me and asked what my plans were for the other plot. As it happens I didn’t own the other plot as the original plot owner built one house, sold it, split the title and sold me the other plot. I did however ring HMRC to explain (and also to explain something else they queried). The lady was very clear to say that they had to understand intent and implied that serial self builders may be viewed as avoiding tax. If you don’t build the other house straightaway you could perhaps say that currently your plans at present were to sell off the second plot at some point to offset some of the cost of the self build. You could have sold the plot at the start surely anyway. You would need to take advice clearly and probably would not want to build the second house immediately afterwards. You may get challenged if the second house was identical for example. They do seem to be tightening up. Maybe you should consider whether to sell the second plot as a plot rather than building a house to sell? That could maybe work out better financially.

This is from VAT Notice 708 that the builders should be more familiar with: 11.2 Goods ‘incorporated’ by a builder If you are a builder, the rate of VAT you charge for your work normally determines the rate of VAT you charge on any goods you ‘incorporate’ in the building (or its site) - see paragraph 13.3 - whilst carrying out that work. So, if your work is zero-rated or reduced-rated, then so are the goods. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction#reduced-rating-the-renovation-or-alteration-of-empty-residential-premises