ToughButterCup

Exactly this argument on R4 Today just a few minutes ago.

Ughhhh, too right. For us a shipping container became two, and then an additional strong-box and then..... And now I can't wait to get rid of them (I have to tell SWMBO) while secretly thinking over-my-dead-body-pal. Funny how I've had to build her a potting shed, a play house for the children and the greenhouse from heaven. "Without the containers sweetheart, where'm I going to store the tools to make your next summer-house?" Silence.

Correct, @jack But the LPA Valuation Officer may also initiate that process by visiting the site and declaring that (you) are substantially inhabiting the site, and therefore that Officer can choose to initiate the process of declaring your property as ready for inclusion on the Valuation List. So to refine your sentence above a little ... but that both the applicant or the Local Valuation Officer may choose (to initiate the process) .... meaning the Habitation Letter from the Local Authority as below (Abstracted from VAT FORM 431NB page 7 ) The line that the LPA Valuation Officer took (with us) was that her judgment on the matter was the key issue : were we 'substantially' living in our new house - or not? In our case she initiated the process. And what does 'substantially' mean? Her answer - water supply, electricity supply, kitchen in, sleeping overnight. The (HMRC VAT Form 431NB ) notes above merely hint that the LPA may choose tell the Valuation Office. The initiation of that process is hidden. Thats the danger for self-builders. Hence the importance of continuing to secure your site until well after completion : thieves, or inquisitive children aren't so much the problem - its snooping Valuation Officers wandering around on-site without permission that could well hit you right in the bank balance. Like most of us, I'd become fed-up of the build looking like a building site after a few years - so I took the HERAS down: there are no dangerous areas of the site anymore. Our build is right next to a minor road. Easy off-road parking deliberately provided for visitors' safety. Arguably another self-build rooky error. I would recommend everyone to examine the reading list given by @jack above as a bit of quiet fire-side reading this autumn. Think hard before removing the HERAS from your site.

This post makes grim viewing and reading. Its the sort of thing that brings the sector into (further) disrepute. It also underlines the importance of doing thorough Due Diligence. But, if you're old, living on your own ...... arggghhhh. Are the guys who did this known locally ? I really hope they haven't been paid ............

They have to ask you that question. Read the Guidance Notes at the end of the form: the bit about time scales. 'Normally' they expect an application with [n] months of [x/y/z] date of the date of the Document informing you that the property has been listed at the Valuation Office (National, not local). You are applying well after that date. Hence the question. Quite how @AliG has got away with a 2018 move in and no letter from the Valuation Office .... I take my hat off to you sir (hidden behind bales ? 😁) Our friendly local Valuation Officer zooms round on her broom so often we now wave to one another - loads'a house building round here. Ya wouldn'a got away with it here ..... I would expect you to be dealt with fairly @Ksev. In respect of evidence, may I suggest a look at your photo records (for us Google Photos) Put together an album with the dates of the various bits of the build - the Xif data on the images is your friend here : there : there will be all sorts of information - among them date of the photo - that you can submit.

I started worrying for you by the end of the first sentence. "friend", "mate" It doesn't matter what the discipline is , trying to impose friendship on a properly professional relationship never seems to end well. There are several similar stories on BH. If you've got mother mates in the building food-chain, smile and as politely as you can refuse. That in itself is really really hard. My hope for you is that the first Oh-FFS moment is over. Only a few more to go. It gets better

Exactly the same issue. How to solve the problem?

or teenager....

Down 34.3% this week ..... I'm surprised too https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Those skeletons are very convincing indeed. Until ...... I've had a couple of fingers amputated. Each time I asked the surgeon for the sawn off finger, quite properly he refused. But, he saw potential in the joke I had planned. So he suggested I go to the lab technician and ask for a 'finger' from a skeleton. When I explained what I wanted to do with it, the technician happily took a finger off, wrapped it in medical cotton wool (yellow stuff) gave me a specimen jar and sent me on my jolly way. The digit was beautiful - very delicate and detailed. Cue the next visit to my local: left hand deeply wrapped in bandages, right hand clutching the specimen jar. 'Ya got that finger then didya? Yeah. Popped the sample jar on the bar. Pint arrives. More mates crowd round. Publican bites first .... "Well bloody open it then ...... " Top off. Yellow cotton wool roll slides out. I winced in fake pain. Quick sip "Sure you wanna see this boys its a bit gruesome ....." Nods all round One handed, I unroll the cotton wool: perfect timing - the plastic finger tinkles onto the highly polished counter . Plink. Everyone presses forward Publican faints Followed by a general roaring Didn't work with the second amputation. Ah well.

Welcome. In haste - apologies. Cart. Horse. Save the effort until: Horse Cart. Meanwhile read

Is it possible to paint a small patch of brickwork (an inconspicuous bit) the desired colour ? Wince, suck teeth ... rictus grin ... bottle of something nice....

A slight - but maybe helpful - aside.... Whenever during the build process relatives are involved, a red light flashes for me. It does so because of the inappropriate weight that is often given to their contributions. And that process works both ways : they try to please the other family member and vice versa. In doing so objectivity is the loser. Sometimes difficult messages have to be given and received. With relatives, thats problematic because punches tend to be pulled. I'm not arguing that relatives should not be consulted - I'm saying that you seem already to be involved in a process where if you decide not to work with your family member then it will be difficult to manage the family dynamics. Especially if your choice leads to a 'faulty' installation. I do not envy you. I made that error. And it hurts. Still.

Oooops, a slip of the 'h' and we're sitting on @SteamyTea's Naughty Step again eh @pocster ? Still, it's quiet here and we can have a nice chat about easily Demented Korns cant we ... While we're here, complete the following: The once was a Korn from Kernow , whose ire became a raging inferno, ......

Thats the key. Self-consumption. In our case roughly 14kWh. If I see that, during the working day our SunAmp is fully charged, (I try to arrange things so that it doesn't ) then I have a long hot shower. How mean can you get? Not because I'm dirty, but because I begrudge producing power thats consumed by others. And that , as they are charged for it, I'm adding to the DNO's income.

The boards are as close to perfect as I've seen. Twists can be levelled with a planer - need to take the metal end-cap off first, mind.

Similar response from us: Geberit AquaMera works well because its rimless the flush mechanism is completely removable - easily so you can clean underneath it the 'button's ' clean with a quick wipe you can mop under the bowl the flush water is designed to swirl - seems to work perfectly so far the cistern is completely hidden and requires no cleaning

Ignore it. A retired roofer visited me while I was fitting our gutters. "Wadja fussin' fer lad? 'T water'll flow away wiout that bollerks"

Yes. Establish what the objection is. Decide whether it is a Material Objection or not. What are Material Objections? There's plenty on this site to help Then, go to your LPA website. Look for similar Objections in similar cases. Look at the extent to which the LPA took any notice of the Objection, and if they did, what was the consequence. Nearly local to you, our LPA roundly ignores Parish Councils, and has gone so far as to say

Ours (Siberian spruce) contracted (is still contracting?) a little. The original gap was 8mm: it is now 10 or more. 'Butting Up' I take to be laying the planks flush, side by side. If I'm right and your wood also shrinks then, over time, I think a small gap will open up. Thats the rationale for board on board cladding. In relation to @Russell griffiths post above, here's a YT link to a superb Kiwi craftsman whose work I have come to admire: sometimes he uses shadow gaps in his ply - but inside. He 'makes' his own shadows like this ..... He calls it negative detail

Our membrane is part of our air-tightness strategy. Yes it was expensive (£1000 for a 10 by 10 by 5 'block' of a house) Yes, wasps chewed through the membrane - egg cup size hole: it was easy to see because of the design gaps in the cladding It was a 10 minute repair. I'd like to have the time to do a cost comparison - labour and materials.....

Evan Davies has just said that PV panels don't work as well at this temperature. Is that true ? Mine have been going full-on since this morning 9kWh so far (3.84 kWp, south facing)

I had loads' a similar questions about mine - our ICF company retained an SE who was just brilliant. Answered everything by phone, and saved us a couple of grand at least. Give your ICF company a ring and ask to speak to their SE...

================================================================================ Here is just one of many possible answers to your question. WITHOUT PREJUDICE ABSTRACTED FROM https://www.google.com/search?q=method+statement+for+excavation+of+trench&rlz=1C1CHBF_en-GBGB968GB968&oq=method+statement+excavation&aqs=chrome.6.69i57j0i512j0i22i30l8.13215j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 Method Statement Contractor: The name and contact details of the contractor. Project name and site address: Insert relevant details. Site manager: Name, telephone number and email address. The site investigation will establish the engineering properties of the ground on which the structure will be founded and provide details on bearing capacity. This information will be communicated to the groundworks sub-contractor. • If the site investigation identifies any contamination of the ground from previous industrial uses, details of this will be given to the groundworks sub-contractor. • Provide utility services drawings showing the location of any buried services. • Where work has to be undertaken close by or beneath overhead lines, enquires will be made with the line operator to establish whether the line can be made dead or diverted. Where lines remain live ensure that plant is selected or modified so that it cannot reach the lines. Ground works sub-contractor to comply with guidance note GS 6 ‘Avoidance of danger from overhead power lines’. Prior to any work taking place on site the client / contractor shall: - • Use cable detection tools to accurately identify service locations on the ground and mark same. • Ensure that vehicle routes are carefully planned so that plant does not have to approach close to the edge of the excavation. These routes need to be clearly marked i.e. baulks of timber and/or fencing. • Consider site access from the public road onto and around the site before vehicles arrive on site, taking into account the site traffic management plan, the designated work area for delivery vehicles and the storage area for materials. Clearly identify and communicate this information to the groundworks sub-contractor. • Make welfare facilities available to the groundworks sub-contractor. Work activity Pre-start checks: The pre-start checks must cover the following areas: - availability of plant and equipment to be used; ground conditions; proximity hazards and welfare facilities. Ensure the excavation area has been checked for overhead and underground services prior to the commencement of work. Description of the contract: Excavation of the service trench with mini digger and by hand where appropriate (information taken from working drawings). Backfill will be by [...] ============================================================================= A search for the terms method statement for excavation of trench shows the following results (about 70,00 or so.) I am not an expert. The post above should not be seen as guidance or an example of good practice.

Could you link to the Decision Notice so we can have a look, please?