Temp

All wood moves with temperature and humidity changes. The wider the boards the more risk there is that solid boards will suffer from cupping or other movement. The problem is quantifying the risk. Each manufacturer has their own recommended maximum width but it's a lot narrower for solid than engineered wood. If you like narrow boards fine but I think wider boards look better. We opted for Engineered wood and have boards that are 200mm wide over UFH. Personally I think they look great and we've had lots of positive comments. People usually assume it's a solid wood floor unless I tell them. I went to several self build and DIY shows and picked up a lot of samples of ready treated engineered oak boards. I discovered many that looked ok at the show looked odd back home in natural light (one or two were positively orange and not like natural oak at all) so I strongly recommend you shop around before you buy.

If the garden room is a separate building then you are right. See para 17 on page 8 of the reclaim form... https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487894/VAT431NB_form_and_notes.pdf If the garden room is attached to the house then it might depend on how each room is labeled on the plans. Labelling it as an annex might be a mistake. Likewise rooms that aren't normally included in a house (such as a workshop) might be refused. If you employ a builder to build the house and garden room then it's very likely the builder will just zero rate the lot. I'm not clear if he should/shouldn't but try VAT notice 708.

So ideally you would want the replacement house to be more than twice the size of the burnt house (footprint of 100sqm vs 42sqm). Hard to know if the planners will be happy with that. It might be worth the risk but make sure the numbers make sense if they only allow a modest increase in size. If the burnt house hadn't been extended they might allow you to replace it with something equivalent to what the existing owner could have added using permitted development. That might be a side extension equal to half the width of the original house. That might get you to another 3*7 or 6*3.5m ... call it another 22sqm on the footprint for a total of 42+22=62sqm footprint or 124sqm floor area (assuming a two storey house).

Can you live with a house that's similar to the surrounding houses in size and style? Would you want bigger?

Perhaps consider hiring a project manager? Sure it will cost you but they might also save you money by bringing the project in earlier and should take a whole bunch of stress off you.

I like Nicks dispenser idea. Had a similar issue with a basin. Ended up using the unwanted tap hole for a plug release button. Perhaps fit a retractable shower head/wand. There are several types..

Just to confirm that page three of the reclaim form says you can't reclaim VAT on "muckaway" or "separate invoices for transport or delivery". However if you could get a quote for a package of work say "Digging out foundations and removal of spoil" then the whole lot should be charged to you at the lowest applicable rate which would be zero (labor is zero rated). There is also a section in VAT 708 that might be useful... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction/vat-notice-708-buildings-and-construction 3.3.4 Work closely connected to the construction of the building Subject to sub-paragraph 3.3.6, your work is closely connected to the construction of the building when it either: (a) allows the construction of the building to take place, such as when you: demolish existing buildings and structures as part of a single project to construct a new building or buildings in their place (please note that the granting of a right to remove materials is not the supply of demolition services and is standard-rated) * provide or improve an access point to a building site to allow deliveries to be made carry out ground works (including the levelling and drainage of land) as part of the process of constructing a new building or buildings in its place provide site clearance or ‘builders’ clean’ services secure the site Or, (b) produces works that allow the building to be used, such as works in connection with: the means of providing water and power to the building (this can extend to the work required to make the connection to the nearest existing supply) the means of providing within the development site access to the building (for example roads, footpaths, parking areas, drives and patios) the means of providing security (such as walls, fences and gates – but note that most electrical appliances are always standard-rated. Further information is in paragraph 13.6.) the provision of soft landscaping within the site of a building (such as the application of top-soil, seeding with grass or laying turf) Please note that the planting of shrubs, trees and flowers would not normally be seen as being ‘closely connected…’ except to the extent that it is detailed on a landscaping scheme approved by a planning authority under the terms of a planning consent condition. This does not include the replacement of trees and shrubs that die, or become damaged or diseased. It is not possible to produce an exhaustive list of services that are closely connected to the construction of the building, and each case not included above must be looked at on its own merits. (My bold)

I think this might be it... UK BT Male Plug - RJ45 Female Socket Adapter http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-BT-Male-Plug-RJ45-Female-Socket-Adapter-431A-ISDN-CAT5e-Converter-UK4507-/381300883033?hash=item58c74dbe59:g:3nkAAOSwFnFWABfU

No gap (ventilated or otherwise) needed under sarking boards as you have a breathable membrane on top. The counter batten raises the tile batten off the felt/boards so that water cannot pool above the tile battens.

Tell them some of the Byron wireless units are/were designed for use with a separate bell push button. I splashed out on a nice brass unit.. https://www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/product/13308/brass-door-bell-with-ceramic-push#3078AB

Check but I think that might be enough to mean the insulation has to be checked and upgraded if necessary. If it's a solid wall house that might mean EWI requiring a planning application.

+1 In most cases they will allow a house that has recently burnt down to be replaced. However nothing is certain when dealing with the planners. A house a few miles from us has been derelict for some time and the planners have stated that they are very unlikely to allow it to be replaced as it's in the countryside and "wouldn't be allowed now". Would the plot you are interested in be a candidate for an infill plot if there hadn't been a house on it before? Does the village look over developed (too many infill plots granted)? The planners are very unlikely to give you an opinion over the phone, let alone in writing, but you can try asking. Nothing they say can be considered binding.

We put in loads of network and coax cable but I still managed to miss a few... I forget to put in a length of coax from the loft to the distribution amp for the TV aerial! Fortunately all the upstairs bedrooms had two coax so I was able to pull one up into the loft. I also forgot to put a wire in for the front door bell. A wireless system sorted that but it's a pain replacing the batteries. I might also be tempted to run a network cable to the front door bell area? Our alarm system is wireless (works well) but the external bell box also needed a wire that I forgot about. We eventually installed a security camera system that used networked cameras - so if building again I would add the necessary weather proof cable for that at the outset. I used Ubiquiti "TOUGHCable" and matching connectors.

So the overflow stopped on it's own sometime later or is it still overflowing today?

The danger with a large fall is that the water can get sucked out of the trap. I think I'd still use a top access trap unless you want to have to go under the floor to clean it out. Perhaps test installation somehow before laying the floor etc?

Not the official site but... https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/maximise-your-vat-reclaim/ The HMRC has no "discretion" and I've seen reports that they are imposing tougher penalties on even minor errors in VAT reclaims.

If the CWS tank is filling with hot water then one of the pipes that is meant to send cold out will be warm, indicating the source of the problem. Failing that turn off or block them all until the overflowing stops. If the tank isn't very deep you can reach in and put a thumb over each in turn or perhaps even feel where the hot water is coming from. As ProDave said... It's very common for corrosion in hot water tanks to cause a hole allowing water to flow from one side to the other. Ditto the shower mixer problem.

Sorry if you all know this but... My father taught me to use a rubber faced block of wood (he called it a "blat") to level tiles. First use a serrated spreader to spread the adhesive - the ridges allow the height of the tile to be adjusted - then use the blatter to level it with the surrounding tiles. Its hard to describe the technique but you hold the blat so that one end is in the middle of an existing tile and lift and tap the other end against the new tile. A combination of pressing and tapping with the blat levels the tiles. This works very well on small tiles. Blat also known as tile beating block.. http://www.rubi.com/products/en-UK/tools-for-fixing-tiles-and-finishings/mallets-and-beaters/tile-beating-block.php

He needs to be careful. I've heard of cases where a BCO decided a barn was in such poor condition that it was no longer capable of being converted and large parts would have to be demolished. He tipped off the planners who effectively revoked the planning permission for a conversion on the grounds that it could no longer be implemented. The owners would have to reapply for a demolition and new build. It's important he get the barns surveyed to check that a conversion is (still) viable. There was a long series of articles over two or three years Planning Law blog that covered the planning pitfalls of a barn conversion. Here is just a flavour... http://planninglawblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/more-development-in-wonderland.html http://planninglawblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/barn-conversions-again-part-6.html The wording of the planning consent might be critical to defining the scope of what must be retained/can be replaced.

Now that your appeal has been rejected the locals will be wondering what you plan to do with the land. There are plenty of travellers looking for plots of land going cheap. Would the neighbours prefer that to Rev A?

Ah there is a Lumber futures market.. http://www.nasdaq.com/markets/lumber.aspx?timeframe=1y That's UP about 13% on a year ago.

The nearest I can find are two Exchange Traded Funds... WOOD and CUT. http://www.etf.com/WOOD and http://www.etf.com/CUT These track a basket of companies that own forests, process or distribute timber etc. They are global so I suspect they tend to correlate with US house building as that uses a lot of wood. They dipped around the time of the Brexit vote but have recovered since.

T&E from the CU to the first alarm. 3&E between the alarms. It's not a ring. Just a radial. About a month after moving in our alarms started beeping in the middle of the night indicating low battery. I replaced the batteries and a month later they started beeping again at 4am. It turned out our electrician had used 3&E between the alarms and managed to get two wires crossed over between the floors. For two months the alarms on one floor had effectively been running on the internal 9V batteries not mains. Lucky they hadn't been damaged. One day someone will invent an alarm that tests it's batteries at mid day rather than waiting for the voltage to fall when they get cold which usually happens around 4am.

Went to my local BnQ yesterday and found they had cleared most of the LED downlight bulbs from their shelves and put them in "clearance bins" near the tills. They still had some on the shelves but they were narrow beam types. Looks like they are changing supplier or something. Anyway the clearance bins had Dial and Philips GU10 and MR16 LEDs in at marked down prices. Typically around £2 each. I know you can get cheaper on the web but I've found the Dial ones OK so far.

If possible make sure all parts are more than 1m from the boundary to keep Building Regs happy.