NSS

Fair play. Interestingly, I had a conversation with our PV and ASHP installers yesterday (we purchased all the kit ourselves but had them install/commission it) and they said that PV installs have (surprisingly) actually picked up considerably since the FiT scheme ceased. They also said that Tesla have turned the taps on for Powerwall supplies into the UK, but that there's still no economic case for installing them, only an ecological one, and that prices have actually risen significantly (partly due to exchange rates) rather than showing any sign of falling.

But also reducing the amount you export to the grid. I'm not knocking it Jeremy, merely pointing out that even in a home as well insulated as yours, with all the technology you've incorporated, with your own borehole water supply, and 6.25kW of solar panels (imsmc) on the roof, it would be virtually impossible to achieve a net minus energy cost if starting again today.

Okay, but even if that were to happen, and to my knowledge it hasn't yet, assuming you generate circa 6.2MW per annum, the 50% export at 4.5p/kWh would only earn you about £140 rather than £1,000.

That's still almost 4 times what we get for ours, and anyone building exactly the same house as yours now would of course get nothing.

Out of interest, how much do you get from FiT payments?

We bought our plot with OPP and designs for a bungalow. In fact we bought it with OPP for the bungalow, a chalet bungalow and a pair of semis (four plots in all) and all had drawings. We did a deal with a local small developer for three of the plots, kept the best one and then applied for detailed planning to build a chalet bungalow rather than the bungalow design for which the OPP had been granted.

Just caught up with last week's episode. The older couple (albeit younger than me) reminded me so much of what we set out to do and why. Like them, there simply wasn't a house we could buy that adequately ticked the boxes we needed to tick. Okay, they went about it a different way (SIPS as opposed to TF, a lift rather than a ground floor bedroom suite, coated rather than SageGlass and he was far less 'hands on' than I was) but hopefully they've achieved a similar outcome in terms of meeting the needs of her health conditions.

Yes, but how often do you see the architect of a 'client' with a budget of 'x' design a home with a likely cost of 'y'.

It's this one... https://www.simplylogcabins.co.uk/norland-newark-1-log-cabin-p573

The bearers are 70 x 45mm (doubled up at front and rear edges) spaced at circa 470mm centres.

Not really as the bearers are set low so as to minimise the threshold height to make wheelchair access as easy as possible.

Except that would make the floor higher than the door threshold ?

There'll be no danger of rats or the like getting under it, and the bricks on which the bearers sit provide a convenient 'lip' to sit the boards on so no need for supporting battens/wire either. It will get damp under there though so main concern is for something that won't absorb moisture and then 'droop'.

Thanks, but need to do it this week so offcuts are probably not an option, and not sure I want all sorts of insects nesting in rockwool or the like.

Building a 'log cabin' in the garden and, having laid the bearers today I'm debating whether to add some under floor insulation. Should be a doddle to fit between the bearers as they're raised on brick padstones (see pic). Question is what (Celotex/Ecotherm/etc) and where to buy cheaply? Only need 3 off 2400 x 1200 x 70mm sheets.

So pleased to hear you're at last starting to feel the benefit @lizzie, you must have begun to wonder whether my accounts of how it's helped Mrs NSS were fairy tales! Yes, if anything she's benefitting more since she was medically retired last year (the osteoarthritis finally did for her efforts to keep working part time) as she spends more time in the 'bubble'.

A little anecdotal addition to this thread (on the original topic rather than kimchi!). My wife had a group of old friends round on Thursday evening, one of whom is an asthmatic. As she arrived she was clearly wheezing and said she was currently on steroids as her asthma was particularly bad at present. Four hours later she left, reluctantly, having not needed to take her inhaler once whilst in our house. As she left, she said to Mrs NSS, I didn't think it possible, but I now see why this place has been so helpful to you.

Just bear in mind that there are times of the year when Solar Gain is good to have. Blocking 70% all year round may reduce the chance of overheating but also means you may need to have heating on when it wouldn't otherwise be necessary.

I'll have pint of whatever you're drinking ?

Howzat!

So long as the insured (rebuild) value is correct they couldn't give a damn, and I could argue that as we never open a window (and hence cannot leave one open accidentally) our house is more secure than many.

It's not cheap, but it is very effective, and has the added bonus that you can still see out of the windows even when fully tinted. As mentioned, not a privacy solution at night when lights are on inside, but we have a fair bit of south-facing glazing and SageGlass does a fantastic job of controlling solar gain. Not sure of current pricing but budget for circa £1k per square metre (excluding frames) and a bit more if any of your glass is (like ours) irregular shapes.

The couple had obviously watched that many episodes of Grand Designs that they thought such a staircase was mandatory in new builds ?

Pretty much the same as we experienced. When I questioned the "Completion" answer to the same question after our timber frame was up, he said, "you're building this for yourself aren't you? So, you're not going to cut any corners then are you." We insisted he came back once we'd insulated, and again when first fix had been done but he really wasn't too interested.

Finally got around to watching episode 1 this evening. Got to admire them for having the balls, never mind the energy, but if that was supposed to encourage/inspire others to self-build then I can only think many of those Graven Hill plots will remain vacant for some time to come!