howplum

Valid points, but then height when raised might be an issue. Another visit to a showroom might be needed at some point.

Thank you everybody for your responses - there are some excellent ideas to consider. I like that idea, especially with pivot and slide doors. Already on my "wish list", but part of me wonders about the ramifications when/if it goes wrong. Perhaps with the Blum electric motor? Another excellent idea for the list.

Thinking about our new kitchen design, I'm wondering about the best way of accommodating the various appliances and storage vessels that currently have taken up permanent residence on a fair part of the 600mm wide worktop in our current home. They include, but are not limited to, toaster, bread bin, kettle, fruit bowls, rice container and chopping board rack, occasionally joined by a broiler and/or slow cooker and/or food processor. Obviously they limit the amount of convenient working space. To further make the problem relevant my wife has problems lifting things, so storing them in a cupboard is not a viable option. One thought I had was to utilise a wider worktop, say 750mm, but this would then make access to wall cupboards tricky, although in an ideal world I would like to dispense with wall cupboards altogether, but that might be a point for discussion! I also appreciate that a wider worktop would potentially lead to wasted space behind the units, although drawer runners up to 700mm are available, which would mean deeper base units and drawers, which might have to be built to order. Still, it would mean about 40% more storage, and therefore help to compensate for the lack of wall cupboards. I am planning to have all drawers anyway, since it makes life so much easier. Another fanciful, and probably dangerous, idea I had was to have a tall cupboard with pullout shelves on which would sit the various appliances and storage containers. Any alternative ideas or experiences would be appreciated.

So I'll cross that idea off my wish list then!

Wall sockets with built-in WiFi extender, such as: https://www.screwfix.com/p/british-general-2g-13a-sp-switched-wi-fi-extender-socket-white/7706V?tc=KT5&ds_kid=92700038618050646&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1249401&ds_rl=1245250&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjoja5-eU3wIV7pztCh0CWQ4YEAQYAiABEgKbcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or you could consider an electric portable scissor lift, possibly set into a shallow well in the garage floor: https://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-7630-mobile-scissor-lift/

Shadow gap instead of skirting boards and architrave. Well for door mats, especially with low threshold doors. Remote control central locking, although it might stretch the definition of simple! http://www.home-security-action.co.uk/central-locking.html

Yes @KarlisR, the seller of the main plot is pursuing purchase of the side strip and is in contact with the appropriate person at the Government Property Office, but it could be many months before resolution. Still, on the positive side, it gives me an opportunity to more research and to declutter!

Since it's temporary, how about a planed timber batten at the back, painted or stained as required to complement or contrast. At least it would give you a wider choice of suppliers for the 600mm wide laminate.

Thanks @scottishjohn. I'm still pondering on which build system to use, and since I'm building a bungalow I can't really see what advantage a steel frame would have over the timber alternatives, especially SIPs, since I'm hoping to put rooms in the roof space. At the moment it's all about research, including reading this excellent forum!

I've just spotted an advertisement for this company in a magazine, which piqued my interest. They seem a newish venture and offer a shell build service only. The screwpiles seem to be optional. They quote a u-value of 0.16 using SIPs - is that good? Any thoughts?

Something like this might be a possibility, although I can see a potential issue with plugs that include a long moulded grommet: http://floorbox.co.uk/stainless-power-grommet-usb I've noticed that they come with a 2m lead and plug, so are really some type of extension, although perhaps they could be "hard wired" in. The company do a range of products, although some seem less aesthetically pleasing than others.

Every question opens up a whole raft of new terminology and knowledge to a novice, which will all come in very useful when talking to a designer, so that hopefully I don't get blinded by science. I can certainly see there are pros and cons for every system, so food for thought indeed.

Thank you @Peterw, now I understand. I'm guessing the metal web joists could not work too well as the bottom chord of a truss, since I assume they might not be designed to work under tension. A friend of mine suggested what I now know to be celestory windows, but the bungalow will be next to a conservation site, and from the comments on the current PP I suspect that nothing too eyecatching will be allowed. However, the atrium, or light well, is an excellent idea which could illuminate both the ground floor and roof space without using too much space.

Thank you everybody for your comments, information and insights. Having looked at the Kerto beam span tables it would seem there is a balance to be achieved between between span, beam depth and spacing, but a span of 5 - 6 metres would not require overly deep floor beams for the roof space, for instance. Obviously these issues will be addressed properly at the drawing stage, but at the moment I don't want to come up with an "ideal" plan to then find it is not technically viable, at least at a reasonable cost. Another option for the floor joists might be the metal web type, which at least make running services a lot easier. As for the ridge beam, I can see that at least one load bearing support would be needed for a 14 metre length. However, I do have a further novice's question: what is the primary function of a ridge beam?