Bitpipe

I will add, I rarely use the frothy milk options - while they are good, the cleaning etc after is a pain. We bought a Hotel Chocolate Velveitiser (which is awesome) and realised that if you just put cold milk in it, it makes excellent frothy hot milk for cappuccinos, latte etc.. So if I was buying again I'd follow @Susie's lead and prioritise the coffee making.

I have a DeLonghi Prima Donna that I bought back in 2008 after getting a windfall from work also (rest went into the build fund). When we started the build it moved into the site office (too big for the caravan) and was lovingly tended to by one of the Romanian concrete workers who had the same machine at home Moved back into the new house and soldiered on but a couple of years ago started to struggle to make decent coffee. I called DeLonghi, expecting nothing (it was about 11 years old at that point) , but they have an excellent fixed price repair service. Sent a courier to collect it and within a few days identified the work out bits (grinder, pump and a few sensors) and gave a very reasonable quote to fix - less than £200 from memory. Arrived back by courier and has worked flawlessly since. Based on the customer service alone, never mind the very decent coffee, I'd recommend them!

Now you tell me... They did look nice on the planning drawings though.

I used Gaulhofer bought through @craig - they did very neat integrated blinds (Roma) which sit in an invisible pocket built into the frame. I just sent MBC planning drawings as architect was not adding value after planning - given each vendor has their own bespoke system, interested to know how the architect is doing construction drawings to cover all your options?

You do get into a woods / trees mindset. I believe the OP has already said in another thread that the build cost estimate is north of £1M (which they don't have) so that would be another red flag for me - admittedly that was on a very juicy £3500/m2. Maybe take a step back from the detailed design and go back to thumbnail sketches like @ETC has been generously creating. Try a basement config, more vertically stacked. Let someone else be creative with it. If you're spending close to £1m on this (even 2/3 of that) on top of the plot, take a moment to really make sure you're happy with it.

We have two first floor balconies at rear of master and guest bedroom. Both face garden, west. Expensive to construct (balustrade, decking etc). Never use them. Ever. But they do look nice and break up the rear aspect which is probably why the architect included them.

Ok, I'm blushing, just draw the line somewhere Exactly our scenario also - clay on gravel on chalk. Surprisingly massive variations across the 11m2 footprint (something you can only appreciate when standing in the hole itself). I had a friend back in Ireland get to planning with a design their heart was not into - took guts to rip it up and start again but they love what they have now and realise that they would not have got there without going through the v1 plan.

£4k/m2? Maybe if you're excavating under an existing house in Chelsea. Biggest variable is your ground conditions - you can get a feel for these from nearby BGS survey holes (google is your friend). Assuming nothing terrible that would need piling or blasting, you're essentially building a waterproof concrete box to follow your home footprint and replacing the foundation costs. We did not need a separate waterproofing system (membrane), using just waterproof concrete from Sika with an insurance backed warranty and inspected works. In 2016 we spent £120k on the demolishing of existing, excavation, muck away, casting of 120m2 basement - 300mm slab on 300mm EPS, 200mm walls with 200mm EPS, no lid - used steel and joists for ground floor plus backfill with clean stone & re-instatement, drainage etc and all other services (fouls, water, gas & telco duct). So that was £1000/m2 for the unfinished basement but if you deduct the costs for demo, services and general site prep, probably £830/m2. Also there are no other foundation costs so whatever was budgeted for that can be removed also. Fitting out was incremental to the rest of the house - joinery to frame out internal structure (was not expensive), windows & external light wells, electrical first fix (aside from plant we have no wet services there), plaster board to walls & ceiling doors, stairs & decoration. Worst case that brings me back to the £1000/m2 figure. Plantroom was great place to put gas boiler, MVHR and UVC so freed up room in rest of house. Even allowing 30% for inflation, that's still comparable or cheaper than above ground. Note that small basements will be more expensive per m2 as there are mobilisation costs. Key is avoiding 'basement' companies and going to local groundworkers who regularly do underground structures like carparks and the like. Every small block of flats has something like that underpinning them and they are not costing the developer £4k/m2 for sure. We mimicked MBC's passive slab design for the basement and they plopped their frame on top with no issues. Commissioned our own SE to do the design and spec for the basement as architect had no idea and did not want to get involved. Great space for the kids as they get older and want to have friends round for music, drinks, gaming, sleepovers etc. Garden rooms are nice but no-one wants to be in them in December and you'll p off the neighbours if they're noisy late in the evening.

Have you considered a basement? We built a 120m2 one to match the footprint of the house above and it's added valuable space such as teenager dens (x2) a gym, a plant room and a large general purpose room, currently still filled with boxes External staircase for access to garden for regs and convenience. All rooms are flooded with natural light and are a constant temp year round (20oc) without any heating or cooling. We're in Berkshire and it made good use of the expensive plot plus planners did not bat an eyelid even though it increased the internal space by about 50%. Regarding cost - it was additive but replaced any foundation system and is essentially a big waterproof concrete box in the ground so not that complex to build - especially if you're starting with a cleared plot. Ground conditions will dictate final cost (as they will your foundations) but if you're clear of groundwater then should not need complex waterproofing systems etc. Just a thought ! I will say architect was dead against it but since ate his chapeau and said it's some of the best space in the house.

I had this situation, had a mix of pre commencement conditions and pre occupation conditions. Wrote to them deeming acceptance and they scrambled a response after 12 weeks and refunded my fee.

If you build to a low energy standard then you will likely never use it as it will generate too much heat, especially in SE England. Never mind the govt drive against woodturning in urban areas.

Yes, as the whole DHW feed is driven by the return loop. We have a pressure reducing valve on the way in, 32mm feed from main. Pressure is not an issue. There is a small brass pump that drives the return - water pressure is same whether it is on or off. Pump is silent even when you're next to it. Not wanting to cast aspersions on your designer, but have they any actual real world experience of this?

Yep, topo is just the 'lay of the land' GI is 'what lies beneath'. You can go onto the British gelogocial survey (BGS) and look for nearby boreholes. However a decent SE will always want some kind of report to design foundations. Would not make much sense as it's customised to our build dimensions and now out of date. Best to get a QS to do one - note that cheap online estimators will want to work off detailed drawings which you will not have yet. There are plenty more out there. All will be zero rated for VAT. If a supplier charges you VAT you can't get it back (unless they refund it) aside from materials bought by you. When you get quotes you'll get practiced at asking for zero rating and not taking no for an answer. Your PP will be the proof they need that it's all legit. Just for materials you buy which should be minimal, but yes - you keep all the VAT invoices and do a reclaim once at the end at completion.

The losses are minimal really, the return (and all the DHW) are also well insulated runs. Without a loop, if you were to run a distant tap then you'd still have losses once the tap was closed and the hot water in the leg cooled. The DHW supply goes from UVC to utility above then to kitchen then to front bathrooms and finally to rear ensuite (all in 22mm) before it returns in 15mm to UVC. Hot taps tee off this loop. As I said above, the return loop in 15mm is only about 20% of the run length.

if the tap is not open and on a single leg, how will it 'pull water'? Our return loop goes from the furthest end of the dhw run back to the UVC - it's actually not that far really as the supply plumbing itself is 80% of the 'loop'. Some use a manifold system and have that stay hot so you minimise length of dead legs. For baths and showers, it's of limited value as they are high flow and are usually on for a while. It's just when you need 30s of hot water to wash your hands and don't want to wait 2 mins for it to arrive. WRT the rest of your design, it's belt and braces but a lot feels unnecessary (UFH everywhere etc) but if you have the money to spend then up to you I suppose. We only have UFH on ground floor, rarely comes on outside of dec-feb. Low power electric UFH in first floor bathrooms to avoid chilly tiles in morning plus towel rads for warm towels. That's it.

Yup - you don't need to spend a fortune initially but any SE who is designing your foundation (whether as part of the TF package or standalone) will want to see some kind of ground report. You can always take a punt and have the groundworkers start digging but very risky should it not go well. That's not a bad position to be in. We discharged our own planning conditions (not hard) and did our own liaison with a private building inspector firm who were great. Saved a bunch on architect fees (£15k). Aside from the TF detailed drawings, we never had a set of drawings for the build but no one ever seemed interested in them anyway, once the shell is up that is what your trades will be coming to look at and quote against. A QS spreadsheet is useful though as they will calculate areas and volumes etc which speeds up getting quotes and gives you a baseline to compare against. No, they are not all the same. They vary greatly in what they provide as standard and extra. Some are more experienced than others in delivering a low energy airtight shell. Start by googling timber frame suppliers and look here for some recommendations. We used MBC and were very happy, but they are far from the cheapest - you do get a complete package though, including passive slab foundation. You may be able to augment a simpler, cheaper quote with local joinery services (internal stud walls etc) but that can mean more local labour and supply of materials. Also look out for expectations to provide your own cranage, safety systems etc etc. I had a spreadsheet of what was in and out and what the equivalent costs were. My rule in our build was to do supply and fit as much as possible as it was all zero rated at source and maximised cash flow. We directly bought some items like velux windows, internal doors, MVHR system (self install) and sanitary wear when we could get a good deal or were wanting a specific look. Anything you source directly you can claim VAT back on at the end of the build, but just once so best not to tie up too much cash in that if you can help it. Good plan, similar to us.

Talk to MBC, and some others - if you keep getting the same feedback then you'll need to tweak your design but to be honest it does not look that radical, we have a 6m wide 3m deep cantilevered box sticking out of the front of our house and MBC did not blink.

Well you're on a very sensible path already it would seem. I, and some others here, used MBC to do the superstructure as they deliver a comprehensive package and build to passive standards - they typically also do the passive slab foundation but you are responsible for your own groundwork. Others are available but you need to be comprehensive in comparing like for like with TF quotes, especially in relation to external things like craneage, safety equipment etc. Some don't include internal floor decks or non structural walls, some do everything and even include temp stairs for your trades to use. As a complete novice PM, it removed a lot of the complexity of the job and made proceeding with the other contractors straight forward as other weather /watertight components (doors & windows) were ordered off plan and arrived just after the frame was erected and then the external follow on trades were scheduled just after that. Once you have your airtight shell (and MBC included all internal floors, & wall framing) it was straight onto first fix and beyond. I'd suggest that anything that will sit on site for 6 months or more is best bought and then sold after. Caravans (for your accommodation or worker welfare) cabins, containers etc. PHPP can be a little as £500, some frame companies will include it as part of the package. Helps build confidence in your space heating strategy (likely UFH in your slab and not much else) but can flag up other issues. Plan for overheating and have a strategy to minimise - winter heating will not be your issue. We used external blinds to reduce east/south morning solar gain and have recently added internal blinds to reduce evening gain from west aspect. These can be part of your glazing package or sourced independently.

To be blunt, you have three choices. 1) find the gap in your £1M budget and keep your shoes clean. 2) exit your comfort zone and get involved in the build 3) quit your project. We ticked all the same boxes as you - zero experience, zero DIY talent, and we also had busy jobs and small kids. In Berkshire so same neck of woods cost wise. We were also looking at unaffordable costs for our 400m2 home but managed to get it in for £1500/m2 back in 2016. Appreciate that there has been a lot of inflation since but £2k-2.5k/m2 should still be very doable. £3500 /m2 is a very premium price - no doubt you could spend that but it feels very top end. Using a single main contractor is always the most expensive route as they will price contingency and management overhead into their costs. However as a self builder, you don't need to get your hands dirty, you just need to organise trades, contracts and occasionally materials and preferably live on site (which will save you £££ on rent especially in the SE). A laptop and phone plus a tape measure will be your main tools. When you get planning, the decision on what to build your house from is still an open question. Planners only care about the external appearance. So, assuming you're successful, you now need to spend some time evaluating different build methods. Get budgetary quotes from builders assuming brick & block. Shop your planning drawings around timber frame companies to get frame costs. Talk to ICF firms for their perspective. You don't need detailed drawings to do this (indeed, having such drawings assumes you've already made that decision). Everything aside from the frame will be the same - roofing, windows, exterior cladding, internal fix & finish, landscaping etc. Timber frames lend themselves to self project managing as many of the structural issues are addressed in the one package - sometimes even foundation systems. We went that route (getting a separate contractor to demolish the existing and build a basement). From there on it was straightforward to source trades to complete each stage and get ahead of the next few steps. Once we'd made the TF decision, we got a QS to do a detailed estimate (still no drawings at this stage, in fact we never bothered with more drawings from architect post planning as the TF firm did all we needed). We used this estimate to sense check quotes and look for savings. N.B. You've not mentioned whether your plot is greenfield and needs services, access etc or if you're doing a demolition.

If you take the approach that the policy is necessary for future lending against the property for the 10 years from completion and potentially for any sale then you'll be fine. The policies are very carefully worded to give very narrow exposure to the insurer and minimal benefit to the policy holder. Most have a general 2 year exclusion at the start which states that any fault arising or first noticed in this period (even if a related more serious issue is not apparent until later) is for the relevant contractor to fix - unless they have ceased trading within that two year period. If the contractor does not want to fix it then you need to sue them, the insurance is not relevant. If they go bust after the two years, tough luck. Post 2 years, the scope of what is covered is narrow and I expect will be just as tricky to claim on and you may need to spend your own funds to prove that it's a genuine latent defect.

Beautiful house and well done on getting PP. Now, we all want to know what standard you're building to (basic building regs / SAP rating / low energy / passive) and how we can help get you there! How involved are you in the build? Just a client using a main contractor or taking more of the reins with project management and selecting sub trades etc.

First of all if you use a general contractor (aka builder) for the whole house construction then they will already have priced in 10-20% for management of the job and overseeing the sub trades, materials etc. This is probably the most expensive way to build but does have the advantage of having a single point of contact to work with. Even then, as the client you need to need to be regular engaged with the contractor to ensure you're getting what you want, when you want it and at the price agreed. Left to their own devices, even the most competent builder will just get on with it and if you're not around to answer questions on how something should be done then there will either be a delay until you confirm or they will do it how they usually do it and you may be disappointed at the result. Popping into the build at weekends only means that anything that needs remediation will take longer, especially if a decision was taken on Monday that is now much harder to address. What many of us have done here (and in my case with no relevant experience) is to directly contract with contractors or subs to do specific parts of the build such as the groundworks, the structure (TF is usually easier in that respect), roofing, windows, exterior finish, electrics, plumbing, joinery, boarding & plastering, decoration & second fix (inc. kitchen). Sounds daunting but it's not as hard as it sounds, if you are organised and can shop around to save money on high cost items. Being on site to 'open and close' is usually all that is needed. Problems spotted early are usually quick to fix. Mostly it's a question of asking the trade - what do you have planned for today / this week, do you have what you need and let me know if problems or I'll pop in to see how it's going. A non confrontational approach is usually best, if people are making you cry then they are not the right people! It can even be fun (Ok, I use that advisedly)! Seriously though, if you have a tight budget then you need to get involved in what ever capacity you can otherwise you will need to find more money to pay someone to take that responsibility.

Latent defect policies are difficult to claim against anyway (I know from bitter experience) so I would only view them as a means to get a mortgage and/or sell on the house during the 10 year duration. Home insurance usually only covers damage due to an unforeseen event such as fire, flood etc or (if covered) accidental damage.

You know enough and can learn the rest here. Otherwise wave good bye to another 10-20% of your build budget!

If the source is only your phone then you need to be able to connect to the speakers (or the amp) with bluetooth. If you really mean streaming services (Apple Music / Spotify / Amazon music etc) then your amp / streamer can connect to these services and broadcast to the speakers. You can have wireless speakers at a premium or wired for cheaper. To be honest, Alexa / echo dots are not a bad starting point as the speakers are surprisingly loud for their size and are voice controlled plus can work with any streaming service. We have a few around the house, do what we want which is usually a bit of background music when not watching TV.