twice round the block

Your money, you can buy what you like. I've only been a mechanic for the last 48 year's. I know jack $hit.

The first thing I would do is replace your 90 ° bend with a 90° T and put a roding point on it where your old gully is laying. As dropping waste from height may not clear the bend.

I brought this little 1.5T machine for sorting out the plot initially. As we now have planning Im looking at buying a JCB 3X or similar as they are much more practical as the build moves forward for shifting materials. This is speaking from my past experience of self building. At the end of the build I will of course need another small 360 for the final landscape bit's, that I will buy in again. It's a cheaper way of doing it than hiring in. I'm not sure how spending more capital on a more expensive digger alleviates you from the risk of repairs. All things mechanical go on the blink when they feel like it.

The rates for ground workers with machine's has plummeted as the the world and his dog now own them. They've got the kit on fiance and are struggling to make it all pay. Our local plant hire companies buy in new machine's run them into the ground until the warranty expires and then sell them off. Repeat. Try machinerytrader.co.uk the dealer's on there are ligit.

Lower your bucket to the finished height your trying to achieve, then track backwards with the machine or lower the blade to finished height, swivel the cab round by 90° so your looking directly down on the blade, then track forwards or buy or make a grading beam

Plotfinder.net have a few plots in Bucks on their books. That will give you an idea of costings.

If you submit a detailed landscape plan along with house planning application you can claim the vat back on the landscaping materials

There just opening up the sites between MK South and Newton Longville. The sites heading from the A5 towards Soulbury are vast .

machinerylocator.co.uk Mainly farming but has diggers and telehandlers

Why have you got coving in the garage?

Concrete posts and gravel boards can be a pain at the best of times. Personally I'd do as the contractor said... bark and top soil to fill in the gaps. If you start digging out to drop the gravel boards you could end up with a fence top that is out of line in-between bays. Did your delightful neighbour share the cost?????🤩

Before you go any further. I'd get a plasterer in for some advice and a price, as you maybe removing too much old plaster.

You'll have excavate the existing footings to see how deep they are, and whether they would meet current building regs and satisfy the architect

We've got trade accounts at 3 builders merchants. I do a bulk list of items required for each stage and present it to the B.M's and see who comes out cheapest. The only items that stay constant is red building sand and the brand of cement so the muck is the same colour throughout the build.

Well done. Heading towards better weather are you ready to start straightaway?