Mr Punter

How deep are the rafters? The insulation between them can be about 50mm less than the rafter depth.

That is one for your solicitor. I don't think the lender will agree and they may get spooked by the essential work. Even if it was doable you would be paying a fair bit more SDLT than you would otherwise.

Don't try to negotiate until the probate has been agreed and everyone is in a position to exchange. Just before exchange, briefly explain the issue with subsidence and request that the contract price is reduced to X on the basis that you will exchange contracts the following day / end of the week.

Porcelain tiles are very hard wearing and they do wood type planks.

Maybe you could change to a torch-on felt and there may be more contractors able to quote for this. The modern ones have a guarantee of 25 years and should last a lot longer.

But it does illuminate the crumbs on the floor rather artistically.

I would walk away. Redevelopment and remodelling is a pain at the best of times but the uncertainty of the existing structure tips the balance against it. You may do better getting somewhere smaller if you want to knock down and rebuild.

These things are fashion led. For example with kitchens it used to be oak cathedral doors and tiled worktops, then limed oak, then hand painted and granite, then high gloss slab doors, then handleless and quartz. We all know avocado or brown bathrooms with gold and onyx taps, now wall hung everything, frameless glass and concealed. Windows were chintz curtains, pelmets, swags and tails now plantation shutters and automatic blinds. It tends to be that these first get fitted in expensive houses, then they become ubiquitous, then they fall out of favour.

Fingers crossed he is not a one armed bandit. //gets coat

French drains work really well at directing water elsewhere although they can clog on clay soil. I just think that if the area is naturally prone to waterlogging and it is not affecting the house you may do better to have it as a wetland and maybe encourage some wildlife as well as it could be a valuable habitat.

Could you make a shallow water feature in that area? If it has soggy grass and moss it may be more suited as a semi wetland with planting to suit.

If it is only for 2 years get some second hand units. Often free. Otherwise it is a waste of materials.

You can get all sorts of airtightness tapes where you stick between the window or door frame and the substrate - in your case the blockwork. I would not try to use the cavity closer as part of the airtight layer. You will do this after the windows are fitted and before you dry line.

Often the crate manufacturer will give you the design, based on your plan, drained area and permeability. That should satisfy building regs / warrant.

The only time I have used 5a sockets is for bedside lights that I want to switch from the lighting circuit. Once the furniture is all in the switches are normally in slightly the wrong place anyway.

Hello and welcome. Will it be brick and block @Vpip2high? Lots the Scottish projects on here are timber frame and rendered blockwork.

Right to Light differs from planning law although daylighting is one of the considerations for the planners. If your proposal looks like it will block significant light from any neighbours house or garden, the planners will not give you consent. You can build a fairly big single storey extension without needing planning consent.

As per @PeterW the door or window frame and sealant around them keep the water out. Cavity closer helps stop water and cold air tracking across.

But a right pain if you want to run another cable for instance.

I would have thought DIY kitchens could supply some doors and drawers unpainted MDF. You can reuse the hinges, runners and drawer boxes when the flash ones finally arrive.

An extra layer of polythene is cheap and won't hurt but if you have taped carefully you should be fine but you are relying in the longevity of the tape.

Is this the dimpled stuff to allow water to flow under? How do you fix the studwork to it?

Type C waterproofing can be a pain. Do the screed in 50mm concrete or sharp sand / cement and leave it exposed. If it can't stand getting wet it won't do well on the wet side of the waterproofing system, where they will flood test it upon commissioning. Are you actually building the structural studwork on top of the drainage membrane?

You can often connect to the sewer pipe via a saddle on the top, subject to the pipe size. You do not have to connect via a manhole. So much better than a treatment plant. You should be able to get an asset plan from the water co and it will probably include the pipe material and diameter.

You may want to work out where the thinner stuff is going and build a 10mm step around the perimeter with levelling compound. Make sure it works with the sheet sizes. Bear in mind the beams tend to have an upward camber. Blocks are often only 95mm.