Mr Punter

Perfect for guiding hapless visitors to the desired target.

Well done that sounds promising. Decent references count for a lot.

Be very wary of products that are other than non-combustible. Trespa is such a product and I would steer clear as it may be an issue with insurance, mortgage and warranty.

It is a sellers market at the moment. Trades may have a bit of loyalty to people they get lots of work from, but mostly they want to earn as much as they can for as little hassle. Day work is OK when they are quiet, which is not now. Nobody seems to want less than £1000 a week and some will want double.

Is there any way you could hold a retention or pay a bonus for when the work is complete?

910mm is quite tall to the top of the base units. 890mm is more common. If you want it lower you will need to wind down the legs a bit and yes, you will need to take off any panels that go down to the floor and cut them down. It would be unusual if they were glued but not impossible. Don't rule out getting thin worktops. Some go down to 12mm. Make sure any external corners are radiused.

If you have paid them and they have done a runner I think you will have almost no chance of getting your money back. There will be a long list of creditors who have preference, like HMRC and employees. The likelihood of it being treated as fraud is also very remote as they can easily claim they were just running a business and ran out of cash. I know it is beyond annoying. Concentrate your efforts on getting the project finished.

It is often the middle to end of the month following invoice date, so all April invoices payable by xx May etc. The convenience is often not in the credit period offered but in just making a single payment. For contractors they will invoice the client so they get paid before the merchant.

Plenty of single track lanes about. If visibility is OK should not be an issue. You don't want to be getting a little way along then having to reverse.

I got a decent quote from Build-Zone but that was as a developer, not a self builder.

The Ring ones are popular and seem reliable.

For kitchen appliances I like them plugged into a socket, either on a flex under plinth void or in an adjacent cupboard. No way would I have them on a grid switch. Easily accessible switches are useful for stuff that needs turning on and off other than just for servicing, such as those that use power on standby.

It makes little difference that the contract was not signed. If it can be shown that the intention of the parties was to be bound by the terms then you have a contract. Regarding subbies arriving and removing materials, this is illegal as the materials are fixed in place. You need to issue a notice to the builder that the contract is determined. I suggest that you get a professional quantity surveyor with expert contract management skills to draft this, as the wording is important. They can also advise you on how best to proceed with the project. Agree their fees in advance for, say, 2 hours work.

Bloody hell @AliG we try not to stereotype Scots for being tight but your mum is not helping!

Unless this is a planning condition that you cannot alter it is worth avoiding timber frame with timber clad as it will lower the value, may put off future purchasers and insurance and finance will be difficult.

The cooling unit will collect the condensation from the warm incoming air. I doubt the ducting will be cold enough to cause condensation on the outside, but contact the supplier to clarify.

In a single dwelling you don't need airtightness between the floors, just between inside and outside. Air will travel up the stairs. Keeping the doors closed will help.

It looks to me like an existing driveway. Would be different if you were forming a new entrance.

They will need planning consent as there are no PD extension rights for flats. You can object to the planning but if you don't have a valid planning reason (such as overshadowing, overlooking etc) it will still be consented and will sour relations between you and the applicant. As long as there is nothing in the lease preventing the ground floor leaseholder extending their property and assuming the land is within their lease, I doubt the share of freehold will prevent it happening either.

I read it as not wanting a scruffy scumbag garage operation to litter the nearby agricultural field with scrap motors. I am not sure how that reads in planning terms. Impact on character?

No enough space. They are nogged and will have resilient bar under.

OK I suppose they may need the tension property. I am not sure why though. We always have chipboard in timber frame stuff. Does brick and block need something more special?

Yes I did not even think of that. So more joists and more material costs. Or thicker ply?

Can't you just leave them until you have screeded?

The engineer has specified 18mm ply for upper floors for this brick / block building. I asked to change for 22mm Egger Protect chipboard. They came back saying ply was needed for the overall stability strategy. I like the Egger stuff because it stays in decent shape after exposure to the elements and it is a fair bit cheaper. Are they correct or should I go back to them again?