Boris

If you had 2 carpenters working on pre made door liners (just screw the parts together). Cutting out MDF for window boards (no routing out to shape yet) what would you expect the 2 carpenters to do in one day ? If you paid by the job rather than the hour, again what would you expect to pay ? TIA

Hi we have seen doors we like by LPD and XL. XL have a bespoke service, which would be great for our French Doors. OH has seen some very poor reviews on them. Has anybody any experience of either company ?

Can you turn internal doors into French doors ? I have seen a LPD door I like, but in the range there are no matching French doors

Any advice on how to protect the windows and doors so that the scaffolders do not cause any damage when they take this down. TIA.

Hi, before I turn into Victor Meldrew, could people advise how they meet the 125l a day rule and have toilets that flush on the first go and have a luxurious bath that means all parts of the body are submerged, with no bits sticking out. We have for 25 years or more received a discount on our water use (metered), yet this is not good enough. We either fit toilets that will need 2/3 flushes - very water saving that or fit a temporary bath until it is signed off. TIA

We are caught up in this too. I feel really sorry for our Inspector, he has been so helpful and hasn't been paid for a month. We are thinking about going to local government building control, but they want to start at beginning again and this will slow everything down.

Thanks it says it is unavailable but who knows what they may find at the bottom of the spares box

I always find that the hinges discolour if any toilet cleaner gets on them. Currently I can replace the whole toilet seat when this happens. If I buy an unusual shaped/or toilet with an ultra slim seat, can I buy replacement hinges?

I always find that the hinges discolour if any toilet cleaner gets on them. Currently I can replace the whole toilet seat when this happens. If I buy an unusual shaped/or toilet with an ultra slim seat, can I buy replacement hinges?

Is this truly self clean or do you still need to wipe everything dry with a towel ?

Here are some pics of the clip.

Hi All Can anybody advise about the security clip spanner for Heras Fencing. I am convinced our spanner will go missing, but the firm who we bought it all from has been asked 4x to supply another and no joy. TIA

I have noticed that even in 600k new build houses in a cheap part of this country, the big builders do not use coving. In our current house built by George Wimpey 14 years ago, downstairs where coving is fitted it hides a multiple of sins (uneven walls and ceilings). Upstairs where there was none fitted, the tapes periodically need re gluing and repainting. What did you all do ? I like coving but is it now unfashionable or are the big builders just cutting costs ?

Thanks All. We are definitely going to get to water tight shell, windows doors etc all 50% paid for (we secured a top notch product no more expensive than lower grade ones). OH is very good at DIY so we will proceed slowly. House price is effected by several local villages being badly hit by HS2, embankments being built next to them, 600 lorries going through daily etc, so some corrupt politician can get to London 20 mins faster. These houses appear cheaper than ours, but our village won't be affected by HS2.

We both retired early last year. Rather stupidly we underestimated the Brexit Effect and assumed our house would sell. With hindsight I wish we had remortgaged whilst both working. The problem we have is whilst we have a lot of equity in our home, our private pensions are quite low until we can add the State pension. We have enough savings to get to 1st Fix, but then we run out. Remortgaging on our pensions would only release 30k to continue the build. Some solutions I have thought of are:- Sit on the water tight shell for a year or so. I believe the plot to be pretty secure. Change our mortgage to Interest Only and use the 'spare cash' from our existing mortgage to take a loan. Any ideas of yours would be greatly appreciated.

Ha ha ! Let nature do it, like it !

I am a very indulgent mum to 2 dogs. Where we currently live, in the winter we take them to a doggy swimming pool. Where we are going to build our new house there is nothing like this. I am wondering whether anyone has built a garden pool that their dogs use and if so what materials they used.

I want to think about the design of the garden before my brain gets decisioned out. Can anyone recommend some software that is easy to use. I don't mind paying. TIA.

Russell Griffiths we have opted for bricks not slips. I'm a bit of a dinosaur so the thought of glue sticking and holding what will still be be a very heavy mass was a bit radical for me.

Triassic, it has changed, the ridge height is now a little higher and there is a 4th bedroom over the garage.

Tennantslarger,you are in my favourite place in the UK. We were up there 2 weeks ago. We used an architectural technician for the initial design, but the timber frame company have changed it a little, to suit their system. I'll find a pic, I would have wanted something more contemporary but I guess it has to be 'in sync' with the other 8 self builds.

Hi All, a little bit of tick infested Shropshire is now ours after waiting one year for the purchase to go through. We are doing a brick clad timber framed house on a serviced plot.