Benpointer

Not heard of Kress before. They look very good but pricey, though I would much prefer to buy something made in Europe rather than China... for emotional rather than logical reasons. (Edit: though I see they have a factory in China too!)

Thanks for all the replies so far. Mammotion looks like a lot of kit for the money but the support concerns would put me off. I would like a local dealer I can speak to face to face, so limiting myself to Segway, Stiga or Husqvarna currently. We probably will want a GPS guided system rather than old-style buried wire, although I need to get my head around the whether there is an ongoing cost for Network RTK (Real-Time Kinematic positioning).

Hi all, Looking for robot mower recommendations. We have a relatively flat and open 1/2 acre (2000m2) grass paddock into which Mrs P. has dotted 15 or so trees. I can't be doing with a ride-on mower - had one in the last house and it just becomes a chore. So we are looking to buy a decent robot mower. Currently I'm thinking an appropriately sized model from Segway, Stiga or Husqvarna. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad? There are plenty of YouTube reviews but I don't feel I can trust them as most seem to be funded by the manufacturers. Ideally, I could do with a garden / landscaping site as geeky as this one, but I can't find RobotMowerHub.org.uk. Again, if anyone knows a good site? First World problem I know but... Thanks as ever. PS here's a couple of shots of our paddock, from last autumn.

Doesn't the VAT reclaim depend on BC sign-off?

Good grief, I reckon even I could lay blocks better than that!

The camera has now been claimed by @TDK so no longer available. Thanks all!

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Hi there, does any self-builder want a solar powered, 4G camera? Free to a good home (or plot!), 'buyer' collects from near Shaftesbury, Dorset or I could package and post at your cost and risk. We used it to provide site protection, remote management, and progress photos for our self-build and now we have moved in have POE CCTV installed we no longer need it. It worked really well for us - we only had a couple of days during this past winter when it ran low on power and temporarily switched itself off - we never bothered charging it, it came back to life the next day each time. Through the Reolink app you can move the camera around remotely too. I sound like a Reolink salesman now but this camera is free! You'll need to get a pay as you go data sim (cost us c. £4 per month) though. PM me if you are interested. Some photos of the camera and an example of the picture it takes:

It's a surprisingly difficult question to answer simply, for a number of reasons, mainly what's included in the build cost? What I can say is that we have done it for the amount we sold a similar-sized but less well-equipped house in the same area. That's taking account of the old house sale and new plot purchase costs, 18 months' house rental, planning, architects fees, utilities, the build itself, kitchen, bathrooms, solar PV and batteries, decorating, and landscaping. Then again, had we not moved we'd have been needing new kitchen, bathrooms, ASHP, and other expenses in our old house before long. Our per m2 figure is about £3,900, £3,200 excluding landscaping. We could have done it for a lot less but we consciously chose to spend what we had and made some expensive choices: bespoke single-storey design, zinc roof, upmarket kitchen, 3G windows, high levels of insulation, 15kW PV, 27 kWh batteries, oak joinery, etc. etc. We were lucky enough to be able to indulge ourselves, but that does mean our costs may not be a reliable guide, sorry.

We're really pleased with ours! People talk about MVHR payback but no one ever asks what the payback on a sofa is, and both are about comfort imo.

Loving those duct pipes. Brings back happy* memories. Well done! *Happy once they are in, not while they are going in. Huge amount of 3d visual imagining required in our experience. Worth it though.

Thanks Simon. The lights are Orluna Cloud Butterfly spots from Amos Lighting in Topsham https://amoslighting.co.uk. Liz at Amos Lighting was very helpful. The spots are indeed a quality item - they have a lovely look and feel to them. It's almost a pity they are high on the ceiling and will hardly ever, if ever, get moved!

Thanks Craig, and your help with our slam shut door lock challenge* is much appreciated - I will let you know once I have had chance to speak to our chippie to see whether we can use your suggestion. Thanks for coming out of you way to see us.

They are mural shower panels from Showerscape: https://www.showerscape.co.uk

No, that's a wardrobe and dressing area. Wardrobe yet to be fitted out of course 😂 Behind the dressing area is the master ensuite (separate room).