Mr Punter

The gaps should be fine. Good to see that you have a stagger at the door heads which should reduce the risk of cracking. What render are you using?

Does it have building regs and a structural warranty? If so, reasonable cost to complete plus 25%, if not 100k.

You could use timber to support the steel but I doubt you could justify combining timber and masonry, as even if the timber shrinks by 1mm, the masonry will be carrying all the load.

STILLWATER KILLEARN FISHERY KILLEARN G63 9QW Sold 2013-05-30 Price £1100000 Sale type & deed codes DW 11

It is recommended that you have a breather membrane to protect the Celotex.

Pointing gun and let it go off a bit before tooling.

I would not pay up front unless it was for goods that he has to order and pay for in advance. Most builders have accounts with merchants. Have you looked at their work and spoken to customers? Lots of builders have cashflow issues but there is no reason that you should act as their lender.

I am not a fan of handleless - just a gimmick and really impractical. I have recently bought from DIY Kitchen - Innova - made in England and good quality rigid construction,, good value and range of cabinet sizes. They do rounded cupboards and soft close. Kitchen units = row of chipboard boxes. There is little difference in quality. Most decent ones use the same chipboard, construction, hinges, drawer runners, wirework etc. Think through what will work for you and do not be too much of a slave to fashion.

Yes but I was interested in @Ferdinand 's comment that the Empire State was 16 month start to finish.

Good call @ryder72. Yes the schoolboy error was easy to spot. Hardly fatal though.

I am really looking forward to seeing how this progresses and hope that this forum provides lots of useful help and guidance.

Consider filling the void with LECA expanded clay beads and top with 150mm concrete.

Use 50mm pir and perhaps insulated plasterboard?

Maybe they also look at joist hangers, holding down straps, truss clips soleplate anchors and fire stopping. Never electrics though! Our warranty people have decided to carry out a structural review on our foundation design including SE calcs, pile design pack, pile integrity test results, pile logs and concrete cube tests over a year after we completed these works. Quite how anything could be done if they are not satisfied I am not sure.

Mostly inspections focus on foundations, a quick look at the superstructure, then after first fix, to make sure you sparky and plumber have not caused potential structural damage and insulation is in place. I have never had electrics looked at. As you say it is covered by Part P.

I have had the same issue with new turf. Caught about 10 in the end. Tried gas as well, but the mole traps did the job more effectively. Apparently they are mostly solitary, but they certainly were for from it in our case.

10 out of 10 for the lawn prep and timber cladding detailing around windows. Very crisp.

I think that handleless kitchens are on their way out. Handles are practical and proven. A decent size single sink is often more practical than a 1 1/2 bowl. I am not keen on people leaving dregs of tea. On some of the plots in our current development we have the motor for the extracts in a plant room above the kitchen to reduce noise. Also I always specify low noise dishwashers. Whatever kitchen unit manufacturer you choose, you will end up with a row of chipboard boxes nailed to the wall.

http://www.discount-electrical.co.uk do these for £21.99 plus VAT.

I have never used gas ducting, as I understand that the pipe can get stuck. If you can get SGN or whoever to lay the pipe straight into the trench I would do that.

Don't sweat on the water usage as it is a paper exercise. You could change a shower head and pass / fail. Quite why they consider the capacity of a bath to overflow level is baffling. As long as it passes, nobody has an interest in checking.

Petrol cut off saw to reduce the concrete level. Get proper ear defenders, gloves and goggles and get yourself into a comfortable position to work. Attach a hose to eliminate dust. Mark and cut slots 40mm apart and a bit deeper than you need to go. Chisel out between slots with an SDS as per @jamiehamy. Pack / fill under windows with grout if needed. See how you get on after an hour. I think less than half day work.

I have a double Godmorgen sink unit. The waste system is only used by IKEA. The double units can glug a bit. One of the waste fittings broke recently and although under guarantee they demand the original receipt which, of course, I don't have.

The tapered insulation costs a fortune. Use firings (tilt fillets) will be much cheaper. Is there some sort of deck above the insulation? What insulation type? How is it to be fixed down?

I think eight to ten days. If you do floating click system you could do it in 2 or 3, but I prefer stick down.