Jilly

I think you've had a vowel movement, as Keith Richard would say.

But not about fashion ?

That's a good look in a swimming pool. It would prevent verrucas too... ?

Another option might be to consider (re)mortgaging it to raise cash, leave a tenant there, paying the mortgage, so that long term they end up with two properties.

Better to do it now as they will be roosting (rather than nesting with chicks) at the moment.

I asked this question and everyone advised me not to have an electric boiler as bills will be eyewaterinwg..

Yup, she works on very luxury budgets and projects manages them too, so she prefers not to have clients who worry about money. As Saveasteading has said, you need to clarify things properly, there are always hidden/not hidden extras. You might need many things like ground surveys, Ecology, SuDS etc etc which could be put on as extras by the planning department as conditions. Non of this will be covered by the architect's fees.You will also need building control drawings, or more likely construction drawings and structural engineer's calculations. It's hard to advise you of an exact price, which is part of the risk you are taking. eg I know someone who spent £20k on fees and didn't actually get planning permission... I have spent more than £25k on fees (£6k in total on bats!) for a tiny 80m2 stable conversion. The build itself can be hugely variable, especially the ground conditions. Also the price of materials has been affected by Covid in the last couple of years which has stuffed many budgets. It does stand to reason tho' that if you are expecting a luxury, up market result, you will need to invest in the right people and it's unlikely to be cheap. You don't want an architect whose main experience is doing extensions, they are not all created equal (and some are excellent, but not architects, in the sense of the protected title). And it's true, once you are committed and the price goes up, you do just have to pay. I'm sad that most of my money has gone and after all the pain, I might end up with B & Q fittings ? Keep asking and researching. See other discussions about how we self builders don't always add the same things in when letting on how much everything cost.

It probably would have been worth it as she was good, but I didn't have a reference point, so I felt she was expensive. I can't remember the full details, but I think she was charging 12% of the budget plus all the other fees on top and I think it was about 20% overall. See if you can speak to other customers. It's common for self builders to get the superstructure built and then employ the trades themselves. Some architects are also excellent interior designers, so it depends what you want/budget and whether form or function is more important to you. I don't know about 3D, maybe it helps with planning permission for a very striking build?

The whole thing is a very expensive business. I went with an expensive architect who got planning for me, but wanted a high budget so we parted ways. Can your favoured architect work with your budget or are they very wedded to high end? I have done some things cheaper but have also wasted plenty without her guidance. If you are a rookie, the whole thing is a steep learning curve. I engaged my own structural engineer rather than using the 2nd architect's (technician for BC) preferred one and there was a stroppy, toys out of pram moment about sharing the the CAD diagrams. I've ended up spending much more on renting due to delays. All the best.

It worries me that if there are problems at Hinkley point, some one will say 'Oh dear, the instructions are in Chinese...'

Our screed has smudged over the doorway cracks, which I now know were put in deliberately, episiotomy-like. As I don't have an angle grinder, and there UFH pipes under the doorway, does anyone have any suggestions? Maybe just walk on them to crack them before the tiles go down?! And will use coupling membrane.

We had the screed laid onto the UFH pipes last week and it went well (I'd been a bit nervous about it all!). I had hoped to tile under the kitchen and bathroom furniture but have realised that leaving the correct time for the screed to dry will seriously delay things, so one solution is to put the units in and the floor can still dry underneath if we leave the plinth off (assume the screed can dry under the little legs?). What do people usually do? Any other suggestions?

That made me smile. I think we'd all LIKE to avoid long delays... it won't stop the rain though.

Yay! Congratulations!

Sorry I didn't explain properly. It's a stable conversion (which we have nearly finished) which had a hayshed ' on the back which they also gave me permission to convert, however, it's a bit small and I want it to be bigger. The quirks of planning mean that you can't change anything on a conversion without a whole new planning application. However, once you live there you can do a normal householder application for an extension. (the definition of complete varies with different councils). I think the safest thing is to throw a shed back up and apply to enlarge it. The dodgy builder is long gone. The waste I was referring to is that really I should build it fully to the plans, but I don't want it that small, so it (providing they let me do it!) would have to be half demolished.

Hi, my conversion included permission for a simple flat roof 6 x 2.5m extension on the road elevation (behind a hedge). It's in a Conservation Area, green belt and with an Article 4 Directive. I'd like to increase this to 6 x 5m and have optimistically put the piles in ready for either outcome. absolutely no chance of Permitted Development. The council said the building has to be habitable before I can apply under householder rules. I therefore built the main stables with a Full Plans, which is near completion, and the extension on a Building Notice. I now have a 'least waste/risk headache' conundrum. This extension had to be dismantled (hopefully I haven't lost my planning permission) as it was basically a shed. Should we roughly reinstate as a shed and then apply or can it be gone? It will be really wasteful to build it properly as per the planning permission, only to knock the wall down again. The first builder tried to persuade me to chance it, and build the whole thing, but that gave me nightmares. Thanks everyone.

Go with your gut cos it will p*** you off and be so hard to rectify if it happens. Building work seems to have soooo many challenges where you need the benefit of hindsight, so I change things when it's pretty easy to, and try to forget about the rest when it has been done or cant be changed/helped.

Our local council isn't doing pre apps. The web site says get on and apply.

Go easy and double check what everyone has suggested. I would suspect a pair of old semis could act like a single house in movement terms. We repaired a porch in our old last house (Victorian with shallow foundations) and cracks appeared all over, in seemingly unrelated places over the next few months. It settled eventually, but it was a bit stressful.

I have this issue and the builder assures me the weight of the screed will stop it. I think the sand blinding underneath would have ideally filled the void

Look up SuDs

I have an unused riding arena (20 x 40m) which I think one day might be considered a brownfield site for development, however, I can't face a controversial planning application and have run out of money anyway. I'm thinking it might be acceptable to place a granny annexe on it, perhaps one which complies with the Caravan Act if I can make it suitably black wood clad for the Conservation Area. It was quite a feat to construct on clay. It is surrounded by hedges and trees on two sides and has > 200mm carboniferous limestone with herringbone drainage and then silica sand and shredded rubber on top. It has never moved one iota having cars and big lorries on it and currently a shipping container. I was disappointed to discover therefore that my structural engineer recommended piled foundations even for such a caravan (I could accept this for a building). Any thoughts?

But we all need time to reflect, DrT ? I much prefer the proclivities of the English language to the mysteries of physics.

It might sound bonkers but meditation and visualisation might help you. It works for me because I try to be non combative and reflect negative energy back. Calmly get your head into a relaxed space then minimise the nasty things, shrink them right down so they are tiny, then send them far away in your mind. It helps to stop things becoming intrusive thoughts, out of real proportion. Conversely, for something you want, meditate then visualise it going well, large and colourful with everybody happy and just as you would like it to. Even if some people might think it's naive, and the outcome isn't exactly what you want, you will have a pleasanter journey. As you point out, some of these people will be your new neighbours, so it might help to find a way to send them the love.... A gentle way of telling them you won't be a Cornish Patsy, if you will ?

Sorry, I just meant why don't you like block and beam? It looks quite straight forward to do.