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+1 Materials you buy yourself you can reclaim the VAT using form VAT431NB. Must file claim within 3 months of completion. There are some restrictions on things not normally included in houses and things that are removable like freestanding wardrobes. VAT on Trees can only be reclaimed if mentioned on a landscaping plan as part of your planning permission. Any labour for fitting those materials should be zero rated to you. Eg if you buy paving slabs yourself you can reclaim the VAT back but the builder should not charge vat on labour to lay the slabs.

There is a big difference between a warranty and an architects certificate. An architect certificate only lasts for a period of 6 years and only covers you against defects in design not workmanship or materials. However it's not clear all warranties cover workmanship either. I recall someone had an issue with their drains blocking regularly and the warranty claimed they worked fine when unblocked so weren't covered.

HMRC forum... https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/vat

If they have been used for domestic storage for 20 years it's too late for the planners to take enforcement action so a certificate of lawfulness should be granted. The problem you might have is proving that. Would the buildings be suitable for conversion to houses? If so they might qualify for planning permission under Class Q permitted development. In the right place they could be quite valuable. However Class Q requires them to have been in agricultural use for 10 years. Might be worth taking advice from a planning consultant to maximise the development potential before you approach the planners. Sorry if you know this stuff already.

HMRC VAT forum here.. https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/vat

I bought a house with tiled garage floor. Sort of tiles you would put in a utility room. Previous owner had gone in with wet tyres one day and slid into the end wall.

https://www.harveywatersofteners.co.uk/blog/health-effects-drinking-softened-water/ When we install a water softener: We will ensure your water will not exceed 200 mg/l when softened. A separate unsoftened drinking water tap will be fitted if the sodium limit does exceed 200 mg/l or if you would prefer a hard water supply. This should preferably be at the kitchen / utility sink. Advice from the (WRAS)* is: Drinking water must comply with regulations, these state that the maximum limit of sodium is 200 mg/l (milligrams per litre). This sodium limit will be exceeded where the water is extremely hard, for example above 425 ppm. This is assuming that the sodium level in the public water supply is zero. Your demonstrator will test your water for hardness.

Our bathrooms are on their own ufh zone and we have towel rads. Not had the towel rads on last few winters and nobody complained. We have mvhr so towels dry fairly quick

When given a price at trade counters my dad always said "where's my one hundred percent discount?" and quite often was give a more reasonable price.

I'd look at using Powerlan to connect extra WiFi AP to your router. I think others here favour mesh AP.

The ten year rule is in vat 708. In section 5. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buildings-and-construction-vat-notice-708#section5 It looks like I'm wrong on how the 10 year zero rate is implemented. This suggests you pay 5% and reclaim it in the same way as a barn conversation https://community.hmrc.gov.uk/customerforums/vat/d1f18778-57bb-ec11-bea1-00155d974ab6

As the cottage has been unoccupied for more than 10 years it's renovation should be zero rated to you. A barn conversion would normally be 5% rated to you but you can reclaim itnat the end. Because you have a combination I'm not sure what the rate should be. I would ask on the HMRC VAT forum. Im away from my PC at the moment so don't have the link handy but I have posted it before. Important you get this sorted now because if HMRC decide it should all be zero rated you may not be able to reclaim any paid in error to the builder from HMRC. They may refer you to the builder. I think it likely the whole lot should be zero rated to you.

I have a relative who is an Acoustical Engineer or will be when he qualifies. Currently he's on his year in industry sound testing offices and similar buildings. He says just about every building tested fails due to poor construction. A builder called out a colleague to do some testing recently and he found walls only half built and doors missing between the two rooms they wanted testing.

I have a flat for sale and had a buyer lined up until recently. Nobody has mentioned this form. Its a leasehold flat and recently had a lot of upgrades to meet fire regs, things like new seals on flat doors. All paid for though the (expensive) annual maintenance charge.

If this is a new build they shouldn't charge VAT on a supply and fit on one order.

+1 I built one from Architectual Foam board. You can get it in different thicknesses to match wall thickness roughly. It's easy to cut with a sharp knife and glue with PVA in similar. This stuff.. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cathedral-A3-Foam-Board-White/dp/B00BYT1KS2/ref=asc_df_B00BYT1KS2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=218064744885&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10478447782417066573&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1007037&hvtargid=pla-419758783142&psc=1 Glueca floor plan to a sheet of mdf and build model on top.

Interesting installation. No idea if you can get the metal channel in UK..

We have option 1 and similar to 3. My first job when the weather is nice will be to repair the edge where option 1 has failed just due to foot and wheelie bin traffic. Surprised but its happened. Got about 6-8 meters to fix. Elsewhere we have something like option 3 but with the vertical slab higher up forming a kerb separating gravel drive from flower bed. That's held up well despite being driven over a few times.

Perhaps just put it in the kitchen? Possibly one wall in the living room if you plan to hang a TV. Possibly the bathroom if you think you might have a cabinet? Perhaps not bother in other rooms.

One thing to watch is the roof pitch. Sometimes a thick roof means the pitch has to be too low to get the top end and it's flashing under the first floor windows.

I was shown pictures of reclaimed bricks when considering them for our build. Looked great but when I got samples they were incredibly heavy, cold and waxy. They felt like death, really gave me the shivers. Very very strange.

One option would be to employ a Quantity Surveyor to review the quote. They prefer bring involved throughout the whole project but that could cost another 10% like the Architect. I'd see what they charge just to cost up the plans. Don't show him the quote until he has done that. The more detailed plans you can give them the more accurate his estimate. One option might be to replace the roof with one built using attic trusses but not actually convert the loft. Leave that until later. Might not save much though. Main thing is to get the basic work costed then see if you can afford the loft conversion and extension.

It's obviously quite a lot more than just a renovation. Looks like the roof structure is being replaced, loft converted and an extension involving possibly big opening in rear wall? I wouldn't go for Cork insulation. Look at insulated plasterboard or seperate PIR insulation and plasterboard. If you want ASHP you need much more than 40mm insulation. I would suggest double and triple glazing. ASHP are effective in well insulated airtight houses but can be a disaster if not correctly sized for the house. To lower risk consider mains gas feeding UFH which leaves open the option of ASHP in the future. Perhaps also ditch the living roof?

42mm is massive. Not a hotel is it 🙂 We have some 28mm copper from a thermal store to a manifold between two bathrooms. From there we have 22mm plastic to high flow rate showers. Works well. Everything else is 15mm plastic. Even the pipes to UFH manifolds are only 22mm copper. If you have any very long runs consider a secondary loop. However this needs to go right close to the tap. Even a 6ft branch from the loop to the tap can negate the value of having a loop. Loop must be well insulated.

You need a structural wall each end of the steel beam. Normally the beam sits on padstone in the wall under each end to spread the load sideways and prevent a "cheese wire effect" if the walls are lightweight blocks. Eg In most cases there is nothing visible in the room below the beam. There wouldn't normally need to be a pier under the ends of the beam unless the loads above are particularly high. Even then changing to denser blocks might eliminate the need. The only reason for a buttress like pier would be if one of the supporting walls needs it as per your original post. Then it might serve two purposes.