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I'm not sure what "retractable" refers to but.. In my experience Electricians are generally nervous about putting anything mains powered in a bathroom. Sometimes they are reluctant to do so even when the regulations allow. Typically they prefer wall mounted light switches to be outside but accept pull switches for things like lights and fans inside. As far as I can tell you can put a mains powered switch, appliance or thermostat in a bathroom provided.. a) It's in the right "zone" and b) It's installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions. The latter is frequently the problem - many switches, appliances and thermostats are not approved by the manufacturer for use in humid locations so you are precluded from installing them in a bathroom. In short - if you can find an MHRV boost switch that the maker says can be installed in a humid location then it should be ok.

I don't normally do plugs or reviews for companies so if the moderators are unhappy with this please delete.. A short while ago I needed to hire a tall scaffolding tower. These things are quite expensive to hire from the big companies like HSS even if you haggle so I was looking for best price when I found this company... https://www.lakeside-hire.co.uk/ They are a long way from me but they claimed to deliver nationwide so I gave them a go. I think what they actually do is subcontract the hire to a more local company if you are some distance away, but the price charged was much better than I've been able to find locally. Obviously the actual service you get may depend on the local company they use but I was happy. I know list prices are negotiable but for comparison.. A 6 meter (platform height) Boss tower 1.5 * 1.8m hired for 7 days is currently £148 via Lakeside and £332 from HSS , both inc VAT and delivery. If nothing else you might be able to use a Lakeside quote to beat down your local suppliers.

It can be quite hard to make a profit building houses. Hope you have a good handle on the likely costs. I purchased a plot from a builder. When I asked him why he was selling he told me that he didn't think he could make any more money by actually building the house. We got permission for a different/better house for us to live in. I reckon we broke even at best and probably made a loss. The builder was right. Clearly we overpaid for the plot but it was/is a pretty special plot and there was a lot of competition from other self builders. Pretty sure you will also have to register for VAT and submit quarterly returns as the self build VAT reclaim scheme isn't available to you. Do not be tempted to rent out the houses if you can't sell them as that may mean the VAT has to be repaid.

While looking for something else I stumbled on this MS Word document... https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwjo_LnZkd3RAhXBBsAKHW3_AT8QFggdMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.taxation.co.uk%2Fsystem%2Ffiles%2Farticle_files%2FTIPsconstruction5711.doc&usg=AFQjCNGhrS3m27K8AsZKohWFMAZuBL-pHQ&sig2=87TByx5YjVpRhiMxLvXsWA It appears to be internal HMRC guidance on taxation within the construction industry. Of note is the number of sections redacted with the words... I noticed there are TWO of those in the section on self build and one is in the section headed "Useful websites". So best be careful what you post on forums eh?.

Is he talking about this... https://www.gov.uk/what-is-the-construction-industry-scheme I don't believe a self builder is considered to be a contractor. So no need to collect money from sub contractors. See also.. http://www.property-tax-portal.co.uk/taxarticle54.shtml It refers to property developers being contractors but I don't think self builders count as property developers. So remind us what you are building?

Google Earth may have historic aerial views. Fire it up, navigate to location, select view -> historic views. Adjust slider at the top to some earlier date, wait for screen to refresh. Perhaps you can show no change since 2008? I haven't worked out exactly where the site is on the link you posted earlier.

I think Part 4 of the GPDO is also what allows builders to live on site so I don't think he is in breech of planning just by living there. The planners would have to prove he's not carrying out operations (eg not building). That might seem difficult but suppose he claimed progress was very slow because he had a bad heart or other health problems - then that might be good evidence he can't be a building. Children can't be site workers either so presumably he's not got any kids living there with him? If he's been there since 2008 it won't be long before he's been there 10 years. However I think he has to be in breech of planning for 10 years before the council loose the power to take enforcement action. If they consider that he has been a legit site worker all this time then the 10 years hasn't started yet :-)

In which case I would make sure you choose a stove that doesn't tar up it's glass. We have two wood burners, one is a Clearview stove and the other is a European made fire insert. Both burn the same wood which is usually a well seasoned mix of oak and ash. The Clearview is great but the fire insert manages to obscure it's glass rapidly. If used all day it would need cleaning at least every other day. Some say you just rub it with newspaper, well no way would that work for me. It's not dry soot, its more like the sticky tar you sometimes find on a beach. We have to use something like HG stove glass cleaner to get it off and it's a very messy job requiring plenty of protection for you, the floor and the fire surround. There is also a nice stainless steel gasket with sharp edges to be cleaned.

Perhaps not the best wood. It burns a bit fast and can produce a lot of tar.

Google found this.. https://www.pitchup.com/how-start-campsite-caravan-park/ and then. Elsewhere it suggests the rules for camping in tents is more restrictive than for caravans.

Now that you mention it, it does look a bit like one of those devices used to collect a sample from a horse.

You can indeed but don't forget the substantial fees. Near us a farmer leased some land to a man who said he wanted it to store machinery. Short while later the man applied for planning permission to put a caravan on the site and live in it! Section 24 of the planning application forms requires you to either a) declare you are the owner or b) that you have notified the land owner. Interestingly its the owner on a date 21 days before the application that matters.

Looks like they have a thing like a plastic bag inside that forms the one way valve? Seems like an ideal place for stuff to get bunged up.

Have an "open day"?

Those recycled plastic posts look interesting. If possible avoid using standard 75mm/3" wooden fence posts, the bigger 100mm/4" posts last a lot longer. When I put in 40m of post and rail on my own I hired one of these to do the holes.. http://i0.wp.com/www.tvtoolhire.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Hydraulic-post-hole-borer.jpg?zoom=1.5&resize=242%2C242 The standard way to do it to use the bucket on a digger to push them in.

Martin Goodall has referenced the case.. http://planninglawblog.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/basement-excavation-may-not-be.html The court referenced an earlier decision involving a farmers reservoir. That also decided the excavations were a separate activity (perhaps because he sold the sand and gravel dug out to make the reservoir). On the other hand a case involving an excavation to form a hardstanding for a driveway was not considered a separate activity.

This court case (Regina (Eatherley) v Camden LBC - 2nd December 2016) may have implications for extensions that require "engineering work" such as excavations... According to the Law Report in todays Times (19/1/2017) new basements under existing houses aren't always Permitted Development. The case concerns someone who built a basement then applied for a certificate of lawful development which was granted. Then a neighbour took the council to court. Court ruled that council was wrong to issue the cert because the engineering aspect of the work wasn't covered by Permitted Development. The court decided that there were several aspects to constructing a basement: The enlargement of the dwelling aspect, the alteration of the dwelling aspect, and an engineering aspect. The latter included excavating a space and supporting the house and it's neighbours. The court ruled that Class A of the GPDO allowed the first two aspects under Permitted Development but not the engineering aspect.The council "should not have asked itself if the engineering works were part and parcel of making a basement but whether they constituted a separate activity of substance" for which planning permission was required. It sounds like the court considered the excavation to be a separate activity, one that is necessary to make space for the basement, but not part of the process of constructing the basement itself. I think that could have implications for people who need to dig into a hill or just level some ground in order to make a space for an extension?

Perhaps take it down more like 5-6mm to give some clearance. Perhaps add a brush strip so any small stones are swept out of the way when door opened?

or perhaps pay someone to do it for you?.. http://nationwidediamondgroup.co.uk/concrete-grinding/ There are probably videos on youtube.

Never used one but seems you can rent a concrete grinder.. http://www.jewson.co.uk/tool-hire/concrete-cutting-equipment/floor-preparation/products/2045/floor-grinder-110v/ "For floor preparation and refurbishment work i.e. line removal, concrete level reduction, paint removal"

8% per year tail loaded.. https://www.codeinvesting.com/investment-opportunity/?cbid=HABLand

When we compared the cost 10 years ago the break even point occurred when trench foundations would have to be 2.5-3m deep. Ended up with a mix of strip foundations under our house and piles under the garage. The latter being needed to protect a tree.

Recirculating types don't usually extract the steam/water vapour where as those that vent outside will get rid of it.

Perhaps I'm wrong but 8% sounds high for a property backed loan. Couldn't he borrow at lower rates from a bank?

Could be worse - he might have insisted on piled foundations.