Temp

Make sure you understand the rules. Labor should be zero rated to you not charged and reclaimed. Supply and fit should also all be zero rated to you (both labor and materials). Only the VAT on materials you purchase can be reclaimed. If you get quotes (for example for plastering) that includes VAT its best to ask them to revise the quote before you accept it. Any problems refer to the VAT notice.

Saw a YouTube vid yesterday that said Morrisons had a brushless motor drill for under £25. No idea if any good. Had a metal chuck.

+1 The distance between the two pipes isn't a standard either. Different pans have slightly different gaps.

Think long term. If it's going to be paved or concrete it will need a hardcore base. You could just lay and compact hardcore and walk on that until you can afford to finish it. Just avoid dusty crushed limestone as it can get a bit slick when wet. Perhaps go for MOT 3 which is free draining?

This is what I used. It foams up a bit so had to take care not to use too much that it came out of the joint.

I replaced some paving/capping last year using foaming polyurethane adhesive. Worked great. Soudial or something like that it was called.

We are on clay. Lot depends on how much garden you have. I would be tempted to use an excavator to break up the top 12 inches, remove any junk, and mix in a huge quantity of organic matter. Perhaps a 50:50 mix. We only did this on the beds but wish I had done something similar for the lawn. We have a land drain across it but its too wet in winter and we get a lot of moss. I was warned off sand because apparently it can turn the clay into cement. Not sure if that's true for all clay.

Hard to find very recent guidance from good sources but I did find this.. https://www.onlineinsulation-sales.com/blog/pir-insulation-complete-guide/ 19 December 2025 PIR Insulation: The Complete Guide for UK Trade Professionals Solid Walls (External Insulation) "PIR boards can form part of external wall insulation (EWI) systems, though phenolic boards are sometimes preferred for EWI due to thinner required thickness. PIR boards fix to the external wall surface, then render or cladding finishes over the insulation."

I've put 12mm travertine onto cement boards on timber stud walls. I think most blocks will be ok. Unless you're using something much thicker. See what others say.

No idea if this helps but ChatGPT suggests.. Key insurers offering unlimited rebuild cover.. 1. Aviva – “Aviva Signature” Offers unlimited buildings sum insured on qualifying homes You don’t need to estimate rebuild cost yourself Typically available for: Standard construction homes Up to ~5 bedrooms (criteria apply) Often accessed directly or via brokers / partners (e.g. banks) This is one of the most mainstream UK options. � Aviva 2. Victor Miles – Unlimited home insurance Provides unlimited buildings cover (subject to eligibility caps) Conditions include: Rebuild cost below certain thresholds Property value limits Aimed at mid-market homes rather than high-net-worth This is a more specialist direct insurer offering structured “unlimited” policies. victormiles.co.uk 3. Howden Insurance (broker route) Can place policies with unlimited rebuild guarantees Typically via: Private client / high-value insurers Tailored underwriting Important context: truly unlimited policies are becoming less common in standard markets, so brokers are often needed. Howden Insurance 4. High-value / “private client” insurers (via brokers) Examples (usually not direct-to-consumer): NFU Mutual Chubb AIG

I asked ChatGPT about this.... Highlights...

Do the thermostats reduce power or just switch on and off (PWM)? I thought it was the latter but if it's the former I agree.

Long time ago I had a custom sign from someone on Amazon. Just check delivery times in case they are coming all the way from china.

I dare you tell my wife at Christmas she can only have 4 out of 6 rings on 😟

In an ideal world you wouldnt have joists to conduct noise through the floor, you would have a separate floor and ceiling or false ceiling. In short wool insulation and double plasterboard is probably the best way to go. That will reduce transmission of things like music or TV but might not reduce impact noise/foot fall as much as you would like.

It should be fine as long as the concrete isn't too shallow anywhere.

I'm on a fibre to the the cabinet then long copper. Originally got 64mb but over time it's degraded to 16mb with periods as low as 2mb. Think Starlink looks like a good deal now.

How important is the amount of sky you can see? Do wet trees cause an issue like they do for satilite TV?

Tiling over any kind of joint between slabs can be problematic. My bet would be there is some movement going on causing the tiles to crack. Wax in the cracks may make it difficult to get anything else to stick now. Not sure what to recommend short of relaying the lot with some sort of isolation underlay. I think even replacing the tiles might only be a temporary solution.

Definitely a job to for a structural engineer to go look at. Perhaps not a full report just a visit and his thoughts on feasibility of removing it? Go back for a design report if he's optimistic?

If you are selling off part of your garden with planning permission its important that the sale qualifies for Private Residence Relief (PRR). My understanding is you shouldn't clear the land and fence it off. It should still look like part of your garden. ChatGPT says..

+1 We have two of these and the work well.

I gave it a good thrashing with the cerium oxide on a slow angle grinder/fast mop going over it about a dozen times in different directions... worked up a good sweat.. and it's only reduced it slightly. Oh well.it will have to do.

I put receipts into plastic sleeves in ring binders as they arrive. Each sleeve was numbered. Entered the data in a spreadsheet with an extra column for the sleeve numbers. Most stressful part was worrying it might get lost in the post. Make sure you understand the rules..eg ... Labor must be zero rated to you not paid and reclaimed. Supply and fit ditto including the materials supplied. Vat paperwork needs to have your name and address or you have to explain why not. It's always best to get a new quote before work starts if vat is mentioned in error.