Temp

+1 Its quite common to use a small "Garage CU" with an earth rod for outbuildings. This typically has one RCD and two MCB one for lighting (6A) and the other for power (32A). https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-5-module-3-way-populated-garage-consumer-unit/1926G?tc=IB6&ds_kid=92700055281954493&ds_rl=1249401&gclid=Cj0KCQiA3NX_BRDQARIsALA3fILaUGJznmB2qwdtKhJnHkYM3WQbCrPl4GQPowzJH7vT-UIHjQUQwPgaAie8EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Although something different might be needed for a hot tub.

Presumably they have just discovered a reason why they need to apply for retrospective planning permission. It means your identical extension would probably need planning permission as well and could face difficulty due to their windows. However it might be possible to build a smaller extension without needing planning permission using permitted development rights. Typically you can extend back 3m if its a semi but check if PDR has been removed or modified when your house was built. Look for planning conditions in the planning grant. Is their extension right on the boundary? How near is it and does anything overhang like gutters?

Hello, I'm your new neighbour, thanks for the flowers, oh by the way I've just objected to your planning application... thats what I call getting off to a good start ?

Lets start by assuming you extend it in 6mm so the full run is probably 34m = 7+25+2. In which case an online calculator suggests the max power you should draw is about 9.5kW. Thats about 40-41A. I don't know if the regs allow you to extend the 6mm with 10mm but the voltage drop calculation would need to be done manually.

Needs a vent in the door or at least a gap under it or the extract won't work.

In some old houses they have little to prevent damp getting in. Solid walls, floors without DPM etc. These can sometimes rely on draughts to remove water and keep them dry. Seal them up and you increase humidity and risk condensation and damp issues. Don't seal them and you have draughts and expensive heating bills. The only way I can see to solve this is an MHRV system but to be effective you need to do a good job of the sealing.

Are you with BT? BT advertise some sort of wifi guarantee don't they? Think they give you a free widget of some sort if wifi won't reach to all rooms? Otherwise there are loads of WiFi "Access Points" around as other have mentioned. I quite like those from Draytek but they are more expensive. Once connected up you might have to log in and change the wifi channel so its different to the one in your router. The router will probably be on channel 1. I recommend channel 6 for the access port unless the neighbours are already using it.

PS Building Control may have a view on how it must be done.

The best method is probably to build stud walls with an air gap. Make sure its air tight as any water vapour that gets through may condense on the cold brickwork. Bricks aren't waterproof. If you want to fix direct I think the insulation manufacturers recommend fitting a membrane first or standing the insulation off the wall on battens... https://www.kingspan.com/gb/en-gb/products/insulation-boards/insulation-technical-hub/articles-and-advice/how-to-insulate-a-garage-conversion-wall-insulati

They call it rent rather than interest.. https://www.unbiased.co.uk/life/homes-property/what-is-an-islamic-mortgage-and-how-do-they-work "Sharia-compliant mortgages are really ‘mortgage alternatives’ and function as no-interest home purchase plans. Though there are several variations across the market, all work in the same basic way: the bank buys the property on your behalf and becomes the legal owner. Your monthly payments function more like rent, with a portion going towards buying out the property owner’s stake. At the end of the term you should either have bought the property back, or have an outstanding sum left to settle before you become the legal owner." Continues..

The risk is they don't resume providing policies. Would the alternative £2931 also be increased by 100% to £5862?

Is there an obvious telephone pole nearby and what do neighbours get? If there is a pole near your boundary you could do what we did and run your own cable to the bottom of the pole and leave enough to reach the top. The engineers that eventually come to do the connection are usually happy to connect it up as it saves them some work. If Openreach refer you to a broadband company I recommend using BT or Plusnet (which is owned by BT). Then later switch to whoever to want to. That's because BT and Openreach are still essentially the same group of companies. The 4g route is worth looking at if 4g coverage is good in your area.

+1 A so called "cold loft" has the insulation at joist level. A "warm loft" has insulation at or above rafter level. A cold loft is meant to be well ventilated so that any water vapour (from the warm part of the house) that gets into the loft is removed by ventilation. There should be vents at the eaves that allow air to flow in one side, across the floor of the loft above the insulation and out the other side. That's the ideal set up anyway. This means that the boards you refer to at rafter level are not for insulation. I'm inclined to agree with this.. Your loft insulation doesn't look very thick. You might consider investigating grants for additional insulation although I suspect your existing insulation might need to be less than 2" possibly 4" and you might need to be on benefits. If you do add more insulation you should preserve the air flow at the eaves. If you block that airflow you risk condensation forming in the loft. There are special "tunnels" you can buy that allow you to stuff insulation down into the eaves without blocking air flow. The roof is also a trussed roof which means pretty much every bit of wood has been designed to be only just strong enough. You probably already know you shouldn't go removing anything without advice and avoid storing massive amounts of heavy stuff up there. You can certainly use it for storage (of anything not damaged by cold) but regular access should be avoided. Try and keep the loft hatch closed as much as possible to keep water vapour out or it might just condense out on whatever you are storing.

There are some ceramic tiles that look like wood. Is the floor rigid enough for tiles?

As long as it doesnt get too hot.. https://www.karndean.com/en-gb/floors/guides-and-resources/guides/underfloor-heating-guide#:~:text=Karndean Designflooring is suitable for,C (80°F). "Karndean Designflooring is suitable for installing over underfloor heating systems, providing they have been insulated so that the surface temperature does not exceed 27°C (80°F)." Think they mean "installed" not "insulated".

Thanks, The FT confirms what you said. Adds that the government could have left the rules for the EU the same as other countries but realised they wouldn't have the capacity to police it. Financial Times: UK VAT changes for foreign mail-order sellers create ‘chaos’. https://www.ft.com/content/bae02f57-a648-45fd-a774-6b341aa59caf

Google suggests quite a few people have had issues running washing machines from generators and/or batteries. One possibility is that the microprocessor in them doesn't like the electrically noisy supply these can produce (expensive to diagnose). Another is that washing machines have quite a high initial surge current every time the motor starts. If the supply can't cope the voltage might dip fooling the micro into thinking there is a fault. If it works when running from the batteries and inverter can you use the generator to charge the batteries at the same time? This depends how you have it all connected.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55530721

Some builders merchants may also be prepared to give you an off the record comment on your builder.

If you want/need to help with his cash flow the best thing to do is buy materials like the concrete in your name for delivery to your site. We did this for some windows. Make sure he is happy with the price you are paying before ordering because you're going to deduct that from the next stage payment.

You might consider linking some to sign off by Building Control. Groundworks - Foundations and drains completed and approved by Building Control. Walls - Completed to roof level and approved by Building Control Roof - Structure complete and tiled and approved by Building Control. Completion etc

Laying a few courses of engineering bricks isnt too difficult. Just set up some strings on posts as guides for the top edge of the brick. I'd never done it before I did mine.

If you really hate this aspect of building you could pay a Quantity Surveyor to take over the task. You could ask him to visit each month to value the work done and tell you how much to pay the builder that month or some similar schedule. He would ensure your payments went getting too far ahead or behind. The down side is they aren't cheap. Might add 10% to the build cost.

+1 and put some DPC on top. If its a windy location you can put some bolts (head down) between the bricks or in the slab to bolt the frame down to later. Just be careful not to fall on the bolts during construction. My outbuilding is clad with boards on vertical battens. I ran the battens down the outside of the bricks stopping 1" above the slab so you can't really see the bricks after cladding.

Avoid Anhydrite screeds if you are planning on tiling. They can form a Laitance on the top which is hard to bond to. Avoid aerated screed for obvious reasons.