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That sounds wrong to me - we considered their T1 and I thought a specific benefit was no need for slate and a half. We also looked at Klober dry line S but didn't go for that due to (possible unwarranted) concerns whether it might fade or bow in hot sun. In the end we oversailed the slates about 50mm past the mortar pointing to create a thin edge profile (needs slate and a half or large slates if at all exposed) but I suspect that only really works where you've brick rather than fascia board below.

This Passive House Trust article makes the case that:

Have had similar and I'm pretty sure that the caps on each side slide off sideways to reveal a screw below. You'll probably need to insert a thin flat screwdriver or blade to prise the joint open as they click into place when fitting.

What if any surface layer will the drive have? If that will be impermeable anyway (e.g. traditional tarmac) then there's no point changing to a permeable sub base. Can the drive be laid to a slight fall, such that run off is naturally towards a permeable area (soil) on your own property? Looks like 100m2 of drive needs 20m2 of permeable run off area. Otherwise you're into needing to construct some sort of drainage/soakaway. I'd work out how much MOT type 3 you'd need as a replacement sub base to at least see where you are on cost and consider how that compares to any alternative approaches. @Mr Punter you're probably right and no-one may check, but if they do then costs to redo a finished drive later will be a lot higher than cost of redoing just the sub base now.

Welcome and good luck! These comments sound a lot like us, so fair warning that along with excitement you'll have some challenging times ahead, especially managing the gaps between how things are meant to be done and how they're actually done on site. As soon as you're aiming for something better than the average new build quality, you're asking trades to step out of their familiar comfort zone - some will be up for that and others will just do what they always have, regardless of any construction detail you supply. Managing needs a lot of time on site to pick up on any issues before they're too built in to easily or cheaply correct and also includes being responsible for a million small things that fall between the main trades but need to be done, plus a lot of time off site making sure you'll have the materials ready at the right time and sensible cost. So, an exciting journey but be sure you know what level of commitment you're taking on.

Endless amounts of dust 😞 Now you've done the hard part, I wouldn't leave it too long before foam, tape and boarding over - you'll be surprised how quickly the insulation will bow now the foil has been removed from one side. (Too late for you, sorry, but I'd probably have packed out the timbers with say 12mm ply strips and used longer plasterboard screws to avoid having to cut back the board depth)

Are you sure 100% it's all the ceiling not the wardrobe off level? Not sure if this is new build or reno but for a new build that seems quite a lot for the ceiling to be off. I'd probably try and return the coving into the wall (like this) a few cm away from the wardrobe and keep everything flat above the doors, so there's no obvious line to highlight the height difference. Harder to do now as you'd have to cut back what's there at 45 degrees. I appreciate that's not the finish you wanted though. If you really want to run the coving above the wardrobe doors then you could experiment with finishing just the bottom section of coving neatly but further away from the wardrobe and then just carrying the rest over the wardrobe, as it might be a bit less jarring without the bottom end butting up against the wardrobe.

I think anything you add needs to be finer than 10mm. Maybe supplement your builders sand with a small bag or two of sharp sand. If you have any SBR that'll strengthen the mortar and also make a good slurry for buttering the coping.

Occasionally you see this done so cleanly that wall and roof meet seamlessly enough to make the aesthetics worth the risk of issues. Here though it looks like complexity and risk for limited aesthetic value as you've still got a separate fascia at that junction anyway. Personally I'd aim for something like your proposal and try and do it with an off the shelf hidden gutter system. Maybe you can still run the downpipes behind the cladding? From below I'm not sure you'll notice any difference.

I agree with @Russell griffiths that this extra layer is just reducing surface contact with the pipes. Your vapour membrane is enough of a slip layer, allowing the screed and pipes to expand slightly together. An extra layer sounds like it'll do more harm than good, it's not the screed will then slide separately over the top of the pipes, so what can it achieve? How large is the area? You won't even get 0.5m2 per bag at that depth so will have your work cut out mixing quickly enough to ensure it ends up as a contiguous slab. Buy more than you need as you don't want to run out. Have you enquired with liquid screed companies? Some can be poured very thin and will give you a guaranteed result.

Isn't the membrane usually laid below the pipes?

Was pretty much ruled out. If you're A and bid 60 on Monday and Tuesday but look over at C being paid 200, how much are you going to bid on Wednesday?

Are you leaving them fully open? I usually open a valve like this and then back it off maybe half a turn.

I recently changed my view on this - I used to argue you might as well wait, because the cost to buy the battery was coming down fast enough to balance out the usage savings. Right now though the balance has tipped with battery prices look more uncertain and export tariffs making it more cost effective to use your own stored energy. An ancillary benefit of installing now is that it should improve your as built SAP rating by a couple of points.

I agree you need to protect against this financial risk and I wonder if it's a sign the seller really means subject to a scheme they like being approved. The biggest benefit of buying both plots is only realised if you're going to develop at the same time - sharing costs for prelims, groundworks, services, having same trades on both at similar times, less material waste etc so I'd focus on just getting the most out of the plot that works best for you.

From that diagram my guess is there's a gasket that slots vertically down each side - any chance you threw it away when unpacking? I can't believe you're expected to plaster into that. Hopefully Eclisse can point you in the right direction!

Regardless of their merits it's also worth considering 1/ how mortgageable they are, as they may count as non standard construction (affects both you and any future buyer) and 2/ how easily you can find experienced contractors, or will your builders learn on the job at your expense and maybe have issues

I'd guess brick slips, based on other photos where the ceiling joists meet the brickwork at heights that don't match the coursing. Have you tried asking the architects? They'd probably just tell you. I wouldn't want to run cables in the cavity.

We used a non hydraulic lime with fibres (from Ty Mawr) that adhered very well to woodfibre boards and was easy to work the mesh into. It's premixed and was good value compared to dry bagged products, has the advantage of much longer working time, but the disadvantage that you have to manage the drying out period over a few days, giving the occasional damp spray. We removed any gypsum plaster but didn't have much anyway and I can understand you not wanting that extra work. If you've lots of layers of modern paints though they'll probably add risk.

Balcony solar is a great idea and countries like Germany have proved it can work, but there will have to be much stricter policing of imports than we've seen for eBikes and scooters or any decent size apartment building is bound to end up with some panels that don't meet regulations.

Worth mentioning that leaving any protective film on kitchen cabinets for too long should be avoided too. After over a year we had a few areas that were quite sticky (worse on bits we'd peeled off slightly). Luckily warm soapy water was enough in our case.

Cottingham vs Attey Bower & Jones is one reason conveyancers usually push for indemnity policies (as the conveyancer was held liable for £40,000 of damages) Well a quick search throws up this enforcement action in respect of a loft conversion after 12 years, again with costs in the region of £40k, so I'll stick with my description of 'low risk' rather than 'no risk'. There's simply no good reason not to seek cover from the vendor. Of course, none of this internet point scoring should distract that in the big picture, lack of building regs approval is more likely to highlight a risk of work done poorly than a risk of legal action.

@Roger440 I think we've both made the points that 1/ the risk is low, 2/ the cover is cheap and 3/ that it doesn't cover defective work. Isn't the only point of difference that one of us would ask for the cheap policy and the other wouldn't bother?

So the inspection chamber and pipe were both in place before the neighbour bought the property? As the chamber is unadopted I'd start by having a conversation with the neighbour, outlining this was put in by the builder ready for connecting to your property and letting them know you want to apply to connect to it. Be clear that after adoption the water company will be responsible for any problem with the chamber or the sewer, and that while you don't expect any work on their property is needed, you'd reinstate/compensate if it is. Hopefully the neighbour will be reasonable. One thing I've bumped into is that adoption may limit what cover is allowed - our water company wouldn't adopt unless we swapped ours from a recessed one you could lay blocks into for a flat cover that's not so aesthetically pleasing. Water company may well want you to install a storm attenuation tank even if they do allow rainwater into the sewer

Typically it's mortgage lenders who care, which may or may not apply in @WhiskyInTheJar's case, but may apply when they in turn need to sell. Lenders need to cover the small but tangible risk of enforcement action requiring works that devalue the property (and it's worth buyers asking for the same) The risks are low ( especially this example) but say next door make a large subsidence claim and it turns out your uninspected extension foundations undermined them then enforcement action would likely follow.