NSS

Depends what you mean by 'amateur'. I'm an amateur but am comfortable using my tools even though it's a long time since I used them for a living (35 years). Cedral Click is, IMHO, a great system and we're delighted with the look/finish. It's definitely not a single-handed job erecting it though, and takes a bit of time to work out a 'routine'. Other down sides are; A) it's a bugger to cut. Don't be fooled into thinking you can use any of the guillotine type cutting tools that are out there, it has to be cut with diamond tipped circ/chop saw blades and you'll need good extraction on the saw (lots of dust!). B) if you want the smooth finish like ours (rather than the wood effect planks), they only sell it in full pallets (144 planks from memory) so you need to carefully plan the areas to ensure you don't end up needing a few planks more than full pallet loads. If you're in South Oxon then we're not a million miles away so feel free to pay us a visit if you want to take a look and pick my brain. I'll dig out the invoices for the materials and get back to you with a cost. Labour wise my time came free and mates helped me for a few beers, but I hate to think what it would have cost to have it done 'professionally' even if you could find anyone who has any experience fitting it.

Feel sorry for them but the council are, IMHO, right to refuse retrospective approval. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-stoke-staffordshire-44068562

@Ferdinand @jack forgive me for butting in but @lizzie will not want to be opening windows for the same reason that we don't, air quality. Ours is not an MBC build but some would say our multifoil insulation (due to relatively poor decrement delay) would more likely overheat in a spell such as that we've had for the last week (hardly seen a cloud before this afternoon), but we've actually managed quite well. The Sageglass has been busy managing the solar gain while the MVHR (once I realised the summer bypass had been set not to open until the extract temperature exceeded 24.5C) has been doing the rest. No windows have been opened and we haven't felt the need to put the heat pump into cooling mode. It's been interesting looking at all the houses around us, including the equally new (but developer built) two virtually next to ours, opening all their windows in an effort to keep cool at night, while we've been very comfortable.

Hang in there @lizzie and keep your eye on the prize. It will be worth it.

@Russell griffithswhatever solution you go with, and whatever it costs, it'll be worth it for that view. Stunning location ?

Windows that darken, and you don't even have to press a button (though you can do that too)

Worth planning fitted wardrobes far enough in advance that walls can be placed to suit the optimum configuration of the system you intend to fit. We based ours on the IKEA pax so have a 2255mm deep walk-in wardrobe that uses 3 x 750mm wide units on either side, and another wardrobe run in a 2555mm alcove allowing 5 x 500 wide doors on 2 x 1000 and 1 x 500 units. By the way, don't be put off of using the extra tall pax units just because IKEA say you need so much (100mm from memory) clearance above in order to be able to stand them up after putting them together. We built them in situ without any difficulty so they go pretty much right to the ceiling (which we also planned for).

They are indeed, in fact the ex-US Ranger bomb disposal guy who is driving much of it (started by printing new limbs for himself) is the best buddy of one of my very good friends.

@lizzie, if you know who did the 'as designed' SAP calcs then they should also be able to do the 'as built' and EPC, and if nothing has changed it should be very easy for them to do so.

Great stuff Dave, though I'd rather hoped the 'news' was going to be that you'd sold the old house.

I suspect the 'could I make living doing this' question will have passed (however briefly) through the minds of many of us - it certainly has through mine. If I was 20 years younger I'd possibly have had the energy, but I'd also have had a young family (and all the commitments that went therewith), and none of the financial security required to take the risk. Now that both my financial need and my parental responsibilities have diminished (in parallel with my energy levels), a part-time, low/modest income role that helped to keep me active (in mind as much as body) would be attractive. If that was assisting others who aspire to build better homes, be that for themselves or others, I'd jump at the chance. Customer Advisor at B&Q anyone?

Hi Dave, I suspect the recent (significant) rise in the RHI rate for ASHPs may have changed that dynamic somewhat.

It's a 9kw Panasonic Aquarea ASHP. Our EPC is 96 and our predicted heat demand is; Space Heating - 3,415kWh/annum DHW - 2,290kWh/annum

Submitted it online last Wednesday and had an email within minutes to confirm it had been received and another one last Friday to say my application had been successful and I'll receive my first payment on 28th May.

Okay, I'll admit it, I used a MCS approved installer and have just completed the RHI registration. I'll receive ₤111 per quarter (index linked) for the next 7 years, so something circa ₤3,300 in total. Was it worth it for the additional install cost? For me, I think it probably was, but the scheme does seem somewhat arse about face in that the more energy efficient the home, the lower the RHI payment received as it's calculated from your predicted energy usage on the EPC. Surely it would encourage the build of more energy efficient homes if the reverse were the case?

@PeterW not sure about integral garage but our plant room is within the footprint of the house but only accessible from the attached (but not integral) garage and she agreed, as it could you not be accessed from the main accommodation, that it could not be included in the calcs for banding.

Supplied as part of the kit @lizzie

Much like ours @lizzie except that our grey polystyrene inlet and exhaust are also wrapped with armaflex.

She already had the full plans, but presumably 'miscalculated' the area. I pointed out that larger adjacent 4 and 5-bed detached houses were only banded as E and that I would have no hesitation in appealing should she maintain the F banding for ours. That's over ₤300 per annum difference for us.

Quick update, finally spoke to the valuation officer this morning and asked her to justify the band F classification. Within about 30 seconds she'd quoted a total habitable floor area of almost 40m2 more than I knew our house to be. This afternoon, after taking another look at the plans, I receive an email correcting the size and reducing the banding to E. Result!

Well it seemed to be a bit of a race to bottom so I just went straight there

Had to ignite a couple of farts this week but more to avoid opening a window than for the heat input

LOL, I initially read the thread title as 'Smug Passivhaus dwellers', and then re-read it and realised my error

I thought @ryder72 had submitted his review for clearance by moderators before it was posted? Hope this isn't about to turn into another meltdown like ebuild.

@Stones very useful, cheers