Jilly

Ps I doubt you could get a restriction removed which says don't pollute, as the others have said, just make sure your system works and get insurance if you can.

Bear in mind that self building sends you a little crazy if you have any tendencies towards overthinking... You may find each part of the whole thing sends you into a bit of a sleepless tizzy til you have got you head round the subject and the risk it presents. In the end you'll have to make the best decision you can with the evidence available. Ask me how I know. My builder reminds me each time that onr worry is soon replaced with a new one...

Mad suggestion perhaps, but my pet subject: there are compost loos which will pass Building Control, some with a small incinerator. That will just leave you with grey water to get rid of.

Hello! You'll find plenty of good advice here, people save a lot of money by asking questions. I've done a stable conversion in a Conservation Area, so I know exactly what you mean about 'hardmode'. I'm doing the extension now and its miles easier as my brain is processing the decisions for the second time.

We have gone with the old regs and a cavity wall containing 100mm rock wool. However, we have to clad externally with feather boarding so have room for external wall insulation (EWI), and could fit about 70mm PIR. I'm thinking this is a good thing. Are there any reasons not to do this? Is it likely to cause interstitial condensation, or is that more likely with internal wall insulation (IWI) ?

It's fantastic and the views are amazing, I can see why you didn't want to move. Well done.

I would also be inclined (excuse the pun) to do away with the planters and steps and have 2 parking spaces, even if I didn't use them both. Would slatted blinds help conceal the cars?

It does appear steep and shiny...

Am I being dim, but can the piles be reused, if you are building on the same footprint?

Ahem, lone voice here. I feel the need to defend my sex, or even my gender...I can do hill starts, reverse parallel park and reverse a trailer. Does that make me an honorary man...? Would chucking a bit of sand on the drive help to remove the coating?

Maybe discuss it with your Building Control Officer? I've just done a stable conversion and airtightness was never mentioned (altho it is important, of course) and discuss what things you have to comply with and which bits are exempt for a conversion. For example, I was surprised to find I didn't have to comply with part M, but do double check. Don't go too airtight unless you are putting in MHRV, is my understanding. My builder hadn't had much experience of that and we didn't tape everything up Also check which bits of the old building need to breathe. Is external wall insulation an option? Can you not fill the cavity? I think my builder relied on foil backed insulation to act as a VCL, which some on here may tell me isn't good enough...

Glad you are on the mend, all the best.

Cant help, but I've bought a cheap endoscope from Amazon for this type of situation and its quite fun to use.

Hello and welcome! It's an amazing thing to build your own house, I hope you get the chance when you have finished your studies.

Welcome! Don't spend too much until you have completed. There is a retrofitted certified Passive House in Cheshire, similar to yours and I believe they hold open days occasionally: https://passivehouseplus.ie/magazine/upgrade/cheshire-semi-gets-passive-retrofit-for-60k I know on this house the gas boiler was retained as the house needed such a teeny amount of heat it wasn't worth the expense of an ASHP.

My Building Control Officer told me if we didn't have the dry fix ridge ventilation we would have to have a tile vent in every single bay at the top of the roof to give free air circulation from the eaves.

That looks like a lovely roof. Are you planning for it to go back on and look the same?

Might be worth trying to get a pre planning discussion with your local council before you go further? They are only concerned with the external appearance of the build. Detail comes later with Building Control.

It looks like we are going cold roof, so I'm checking ways to achieve good ventilation

Love it! You've inspired me.

Yes, the problem is that I (stupidly) in hindsight changed to an architect's technician (from my original expensive, but good architect), who was a friend and made loads of mistakes and didn't work well the the structural engineer, so the builder and I are trying to make sense of it all. Currently some of the 220mm trusses are up, but the builder is away for a few days luckily, so I can breathe. He got very stressed when I suggested changing them...

I think you might need to allow more for the extension, particularly the foundations.

Thank you! The 220mm joists are ordered and going up. There was confusion on the drawings and we probably could have been ok with 150mm but it's too late now. The build up on the planning is only 200mm so we are a bit stuffed to go higher. BC have said we can put 150mm PIR between the joists and 40mm below to make the most of the deep joists, keeping 50mm for ventilation. The next excitement is how to manage ventilation on the joists going the other direction forming the cantilevered porch.

You will still need Building Control drawing (different from planning permission drawings) with varying amounts of detail, from an architects technician, which a builder will need to give you a price and is his guide to how to build the thing. The other option is a 'design and build' package from a builder with a team. You can also get online quantity surveyors estimate to get ballpark figures. Stone sounds expensive and maybe a bit speciaised?

Thank you. I've just double checked the planning permission drawings and think we will have to go the cold roof route because of the roof height will be too great with a warm roof.