ToughButterCup

Yes. Having to employ a builder who has never used the chosen ICF before. Or doing it yourself without close, and technically competent guidance. Attention to detail matters.

Persistence. My guess is that that's highly unlikely. I say that because the question you ask is common on BH. And so is my reply. However, my answer has no authority at all.. But your local council's Planning Department website is your friend. If you can show that - locally - others have been allowed to do that, or something similar, then you are in with a chance. I suggest you look through their website anyway to try and find projects which are similar to the one you'd like to complete. Good luck: stick with it.

Our SE is in Eire. Never any need to be on site.... ever.

When - at last - you manage that, come back and tell us.

Good idea. Put the whole thing in its place. Someone with your experience understands sleep deprivation. You will lose sleep. But we're all here - not much we haven't faced. Keep the questions focused, and evidenced: that helps us help you.

At worst, the HMRC might ask you to send them a letter from the merchant confirming that the invoices you have are the customer copy. HMRC are stuck in the 19th century. If I were you I wouldn't give it a second thought. They have to be seen to act fairly. It might be a pain in the Botticelli to get them to be fair, but they still have to behave decently.

Ring the HMRC helpline. They do actually answer it.

Anyone, sparky, plunger-monger, data analyst or brain surgeon - caught short will use a composting loo when really necessary. Hissy fit ? - Pah! Tell 'em to clean up after themselves, and only if and when they do, you'll take notice of hissy fits. Until then fill yer boots or fill the bog.

@TerryE : you swearing. It's like Nadine Dorries saying she doesn't fancy Boris: unbelievable.

Next question: related to MVHR. To what extent is your builder comfortable with the concept of air-tightness? What experience does he (she) have? And if none, then how are you going to manage that education process ? For me, it was an impossibly steep learning curve. Please excuse me if this is a bit 'forward', but here's a list of resources about air-tightness-champions (I loathe the sobriquet too) Airtightness search results (Before Gollum gets me, there are search engines other than google)

Excellent. Could I now sound a cautionary note about friends working for you? ...You did ask ... In this context, professional detachment is extremely difficult: be the issue mate's rates, or employees drinking tea half the day or cash flow, or whatever, there's built-in stress. Every single build has at least one - often more - Oh FFS moment. That's when professional detachment is a god send. I'm not suggesting you find another builder, just a little nudge.

First things first. Is PP a foregone conclusion? Have you researched similar applications? Does your planning department have a thing about (say) Purbeck cladding - you hint at bulk: might the planners agree with you? The lesson I'm hinting at is - if you can't point to other instances of applications (and planning decisions) similar to yours, then you are more exposed to whim. Don't make yourself an easy target.

Hello @learner. Forget it, until you get a sh1tty letter. Then do as @Temp suggests and do your very best to avoid setting a date for the agreed action. Then forget it again. Until you get another sh1tty letter. Then do your very best to .... That is what is happening right next door to me and 6 years later nothing - not a thing - has happened. Enforcement sounds nasty, but , locally at least, it's toothless BTW, we aren't experts. Just hard-bitten

Our tiler tells the exact same story, Gary. Job value about £20k. Lake District What did you do about it? I asked. The answer surprised me. Went round while she was there - with a lump hammer. Asked her for payment. She refused. At each refusal, he smashed one tile. Four tiles later, she paid, in cash - real money which she'd taken from a drawer. Did he repair the smashed tiles, I asked. Naaaah.....

Love (phil) it or hate (phobe) it, @Radian you're just going to have to clean the damn windows anyway. Seagull poop really etches windows good and proper

Use google image search ( Google Lense ) I don't know whether there are other image search engines , but if I don't mention that there might be, I'll wake Gollum ...

Easy with Durisol. Hammer the insulation out....

So bang go many contingency funds then. God, its sh1t at the moment isn't it.

Just a quick thought ... have you considered boxes for swifts? I ask because that species appears to be suffering a bit more than most.

When did you last check your odometer @SteamyTea? Long- term averages, or current trip only?

That @Marvin is the reason for people like me teaching (having taught for a good few years) the art of respectful scepticism. Respectful Scepticism is a process, hopefully developing into into a habit, it matters. A lot. Its the respectful bit which tends to get me. I so easily ditch respect for those who reject well-founded and closely argued, peer reviewed evidence. Thats why I think the role of Professors of the Public Understanding of Science is so important. In this context (the cost of energy), we might usefully ask whether - for example - energy companies should be subject to a windfall tax?

To an enquiring mind, fake evidences teaches.

Anywhere is the answer. No matter your start point, don't stop. Because in this sector, anything is related to everything else. Set yourself a task that you might enjoy like - the choice is accidental - Planning Permission. Look at who is being allowed to do what in your neighbourhood. And work out why. And work out how much its likely to cost. And who is being refused - and why. File that information away in your head so that when the opportunity arises, you'll have a head start. Good luck

The ecological enhancements condition caught my eye ... do you know what they are - and 'why' they are needed? I ask, because if that condition is simply boiler plate , (lighting levels, bird boxes, TPOs) then they aren't too onerous. But if you've had a full-on ecological assessment (as we had), then those enhancements can be quite substantial. All of ours involved work at the edges of the site - no impact on the house build process at all. In which case, crack on and get them done.

We installed two loos (Toulose?) at different heights: one a good bit higher than the other. SWMBO and the grandchildren prefer the lower of the two. Then, in triumph she comes to me and shows me an authoritative article about the best level for a human to read the sports news. The lower the better apparently. Squatting is best .... I'll try and find the reference. I seem to remember that the article took no account of those of us who have knees that are shot .....