Temp

It turned out the stone flooring we liked had to be imported from somewhere like Greece as it was out of stock in the UK. UK vendor gave us predicted dates but warned shipments frequently got delayed 4-6 weeks while waiting for space on a ship. They were right. We also imported some light fittings from Belgium and had a failed attempt to import a glass door. Seller returned our deposit after failing to deliver. You can certainly reclaim VAT paid in the EU at the moment but after Brexit the VAT situation on imports makes it complicated.

Bit of googling found.. http://www.bonningtonsurveys.co.uk/assets/samples/TSA%20Client%20Guide%20-%20Topographical%20Surveys_Issue%203_HR.pdf Page 5..

Has the cavity been filled with insulation? Sometimes that can cause damp to bridge across. Another source is a corroded or badly installed intel above the window. It should divert any water on the inside of the outer leaf to the outside, typically through weep holes on a modern house. Sometimes if these are blocked or missing it runs left and right then over the ends and down the side of the window frame into this area. Bit hard to tell what's going on without window out and/or a camera into the cavity. Think I'd look at a damp resistant plaster or perhaps expanding foam and a uPVC cover strip as others have mentioned. If it reappears more investigation needed.

I think "supervisory services" are also standard rated so be careful if the MC lists his own time as "supervisor".

It has to be under 2.5m within 2m of the boundary. Elsewhere the eaves must be 2.5m but the rest can be upto 3m (for a single pitch roof) or 4m (for a dual pitched roof). So it might be possible to slope the roof down from the patio doors towards the boundary depending on layout. Is in the corner of the plot?

I know they are for HMO but they will be based on what the council think is a reasonable minimum. If you need planning permission and the planners think it's too small you could also point to that guidance and say if it's good enough for an HMO then it should be acceptable for a single dwelling.

Got a spare tile? I'd have the loo out and replace it.

Typically they write to you saying they believe your house will be complete on (date) for council tax purposes. I wrote back with the date I believed we would complete and they agreed it.

Many council's have guide for the size of a bedsit (in an HMO for example)... https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/pdf/HMO%20standards%20bedsits%20and%20studios.pdf Work the numbers yourself but it looks like you need.. Bedsit 12-14sqm Kitchen 4-6sqm Bathroom 4sqm? So around 20-25sqm Plus for stairs?

Previous thread..

Shop around and haggle with local solicitors. Point out it's essentially just a remortgage. There might be an online co that specialises in remortgage conveyancing that is cheaper? Just make sure they aren't scammers.

I notice you have a stone lintel above the window on the left. It's possible they plan to insert another above the patio door later. (Eg they didn't have one when they were building that section hence the untidy spacing and gaps). I would question them on this and make sure it gets done. Wouldn't want them to go out of stock so you get one that doesn't match.

Our BCO said walls over 11-12 meters long need an expansion gap so we have one on the back of our house. (Elsewhere I've seen 15m mentioned). Makes sense for it to be more or less down the middle.

Perhaps check with the window company if you have selected on already.. Some only have a limited range of sill projection mouldings. The drip groove on the underside needs to be far enough out.

Not sure I understand about the steps and pillars but... Building up the area to the height of the patio needs to be done correctly or it will settle unevenly. I would expect hardcore used to be laid and compacted in multiple layers not all at once. Eg 2-3 inches laid then compacted with a vibrating plate. Then another 2-3 inches, repeat until the right height.

Perhaps worth a read... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-registry-plans-title-plan/land-registry-plans-title-plan-practice-guide-40-supplement-5#updating-a-title-plan https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/land-registry-plans-title-plan/land-registry-plans-title-plan-practice-guide-40-supplement-5 I believe you need to generate two title plans based on the OS maps and apply to the LR have both title plans updated. The LR should create "vector title plans" if the drawings you send are consistent with the OS maps. If not they may need to do a survey.

On your line drawing (black background) what's that at floor level below the purlins? Are they going to be steel beams? If so it might be possible to support the purlin either side of the stairs on that beam and remove a section of purlin. However it's not quite that simple. The rafters without a purlin may need doubling up for example. You could also consider a dormer or velux in that area which would also require a section of purlin to be removed and possibly a rafter or two. You will need to discuss with an SE if you want to go down any route that cuts or removes the purlin. And as @the_r_sole says the purlin might not be the limiting issue.

Can't really tell from the photo but how deep is the tray? Looks almost flat? There are seals like this one... https://www.theshowerseal.co.uk/shower-seals/shower-seal-h1-4-6mm850.html ...that have a drip/deflector but they really need a barrier/upstand to deflect it over. You might need to run a bead of sealer along the tray just inside the door to form an upstand so the water drips off the deflector on the tray side of the upstand. This won't work on the small part that pivots into the tray.

Presumably once it's installed you can switch supplier? £4000 for a 400m run is just £10 a metre. Not many other utilities would charge so little.

I think for £2k I'd go for it.

+1 Any glass in a door (or 300mm either side of a door) below 1500mm must be "safety glass". Could be toughened or laminated. Elsewhere it's any glass below 800mm. There should be a standards mark on every pane. If you are fitting the glass yourself don't stand panes on a hard surface as tiny scratches or chips can cause toughened glass to shatter. Different rules apply for glass in fire rated doors.

I don't know about that adaptor but I sometimes split things into several parts to be glued together later because it either allows you to avoid printing supports or produces a better print quality.

My kids didn't like playing rugby on artificial turf. Too many carpet burns.

Somewhere I have a book titled Discovering Timber Framed Buildings by Richard Harris. Not quite what you need for your project but worth a look if you really want to get into the history of oak buildings in all their complexity. Perhaps take a look at "Learn to Timber Frame" by Will Beemer on Amazon. I've not read it though. I'm imagining something in green oak with posts around 125-150mm square posts and beams the same by 200mm deep. Perhaps not quite that big. Mortise and tenon pegged joints. Good excuse to buy some new Sorby chisels :-)