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Even with the best intentions I'd think really carefully before going down this route (bluntly I just wouldn't go this way) as it's very likely to complicate your dealings with HMRC, who will look at the arrangement between connected parties and, in addition to the paperwork @JohnMo listed, may ask you to show that the relationship is truly commercial - for example, if they believe the company may have charged its director below market rate etc, undercharging and offsetting that against other sales, suggest you owe tax and NI on any discount they assign. "Dear HMRC, I'd like to use my limited company to avoid personally paying reclaimable VAT on my self build at the point in time it would normally become due. Is that okay?" - does that sound like a good starting point, or a discussion you want to get into later with 10Ks - 100Ks at stake?

If fixing to the underside of the soffit can't you use a simpler cover, just a plain grill or a bull nose? It sounds harder to run the ducting to the soffit versus out of the gable end right next it.

Yeah, enough to rule out Velfac sliders even though we're using their windows elsewhere. Not really, as others said, it's a sales lead opportunity for exhibitors

We found one of the majors expos at the NEC (Homebuilding & Renovating) helpful in a couple of ways: 1/ it was a great opportunity to look at and get hands on with quite a few window and door manufacturers at the same time. 2/ it helped inject a bit of enthusiasm and energy after set backs and delays There's also a chance you'll encounter new or different materials and products that you might want to use, overall worth a day trip if the travel isn't too far Free expo tickets but around £15 parking.

Given you need to move the WC to make the open plan work at all, then I'd definitely go for something like option 1 - in the scheme of things, moving the WC that bit further isn't going to make that much difference and may even be easier - it looks like you have side access (there's a side window) so fairly easy to connect to the existing drains. Option 2 really compromises the open plan feel. I agree with @ProDave that you'd benefit from a door between hall and kitchen.

The long house? Think they budgeted around that but finished closer to 750. That episode was a difficult watch and really put any setbacks with our own project into perspective.

Uw varies by window size so I think there's a very good chance that Velux chart is based on a standard window size (1.2 X 1.4m) much larger than the average Velux and the Uw of smaller Velux windows will be worse, because a much higher percentage of the window will be frame

With a timber packer bolted into the web of your steel you could face nail joist hangers onto the packer. The hangers then also prevent any rotation and easily nail at different heights. Given you'll need SE calcs for this anyway, honestly I'd leave the design to them. The bolted on shims sound like quite a lot of work and will need additional specification by the SE.

That looks rough to me. Have you seen other examples of their work? Is it possible your render will be finished with a scraped coat?

I don't think there are that many people with the plant, materials and experience to safely build a double garage size compost heap and a ready supply of half a m3 of compostables per week to feed it, presumably needing a digger to load efficiently, but I guess it points to being able to heat a garden room from something more manageably sized. It'll produce most of its heat when you need it the least though (summer) and during the winter if you draw off too much heat from the compost won't you risk the whole system stalling?

Aeromix website doesn't work, aeromix limited active application to strike off at companies house, no BBA approval, can't see a whole lot of advantages tbh

There is an exception if adding the insulation would reduce the floor area by 5% or more, so it's worth calculating the before and after areas. You might also be able to argue the condensation risk is too high. Pretty sure the BCO is plain wrong about insulating a solid party wall in a renovation, maybe confused with a new build.

If you'd started a basic builders/trades etc thread instead I think you'd see a similar mix of views, coloured by individual good and bad experiences rather than anything intended to offend contributors.

Looks like your architect has your counter battens fixed to the joists on the left and suspended in mid air on the right. Ask your architect what's filling the gap between the joist and roof membrane to the right of Z? And why the square section is needed at all?

I think that's pretty reductive and unkind. What you're describing, especially on this forum, is the inexperience of people who are heavily vested in a once in a lifetime self build and often juggling a limited budget across all areas. Any self help forum also tends to focus on fixing issues rather than praising successful outcomes too. People tend to get swayed by opinions of their builders because they're often more approachable and available. Some architects need to explain better to such inexperienced clients what they do and how that's reflected in charges, and also how that may help clients save money and have their project run more smoothly down the line. RIBA's 8 stages can seem more reflective of much larger works and at concept design some architects are guilty of prioritising design over budget prepared at earlier stages. Concept design is also a stage where self builders in particular are likely to have strong ideas about what they want and have their good ideas incorporated while their less workable ideas are improved by the architect. We've had a good experience with the architect we chose, found a good balance of input, oversight and charges that reflected what both they as architect and we as clients and also as main contractors could contribute. It's easy to see though that a different architect could have brought plenty of creative and technical design and oversight to the project but fail to respect the client's own constraints and hopes for a project they've been dreaming of for years. There's a mix of real experiences on the forum of people who've paid little and had a poor experience alongside others who have paid a great deal and felt let down.