Glenn

Thank you! That is indeed an unexpected bonus. Will try again to understand VAT431C. Regards Glenn

My apologies to all in advance. I suspect I am going to look like an idiot asking this but.... I am doing a self build conversion of a farm building: 1. Category 1. Most costs via builder or groundworks. I have been correctly charged 5% for supply of services and material from both . All good 2. Category 2. Some material costs at full VAT (purchase by me). All good Thinking ahead to that lovely time when I submit a VAT refund claim. For the above: a. Can I claim the remaining 5% of VAT on invoices paid under Category 1, or remain grateful with with 15% bonus? I have been assuming the latter b. Can I claim the full 20% of VAT under costs incurred in Category 2, or 15%? Again I've been assuming the latter I'm sure you'll all agree these questions justify the topic title, but I have gone round in circles with the ambiguous language in online articles etc. Thinking maybe, just maybe.... Regards Glenn

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/9027151566

Thank you for the heads up, I've just done the same. Hoping I don't regret it! Regards, Glenn

Hello Jack I'd always go with a broker, having been in the same self-employed position as yourself. Not such a big deal as it's been in the past. Especially with such a low percentage of property value. I was happy with scott rochester of Trinity Financial (Scott Rochester <scott@trinityfinancialgroup.co.uk>) if he's still around Regards Glenn

Depending on timing and situation etc, another possible option might be to submit for full planning permission once you own it? The Class Q approval has established the principle of a house on the plot, which opens the door for full planning permission in many areas. Useful if you're finding what's been approved under Class Q a little restrictive eg in terms of materials, style, ridge height, floor plan etc. There's no room for manouvere at all. And full pp would restart the clock. Regards, Glenn

Thank you Andy for your kind offer, part of what makes this forum so great. Message sent Regards Glenn

Sorry for the slow response. Yes, phase 2 done and submitted. No suggestion of gas, just test holes dug, soil analysed. It was a typically precautionary process, only done because the building to be converted is on the edge of an old farmyard. No real contamination, chemicals/oil/diesel etc. Just a box-ticking exercise and more money handed over for nothing. Regards Glenn

I do have a private BC, so that's promising Pre-commencement conditions are the usual Phase 2 contamination survey, along with confirmation of FFL on architect's plans (flood zone). Crossed fingers that 3 weeks is near the norm than 10! I think I will submit my CIL commencement asap. Not sure about building commencement notice, so any guidance welcomed Many thanks again for your responses, really appreciated Regards Glenn

Hello My apologies for a dumb question but I'm a little paranoid when it comes to CIL. Context is a agricultural building conversion 1. I have my CIL self-build exemption in place 2. I have submitted my evidence for satisfying the pre-development conditions set under the granted planning permission. Paid the fee etc, and of course it's another 10 weeks before the council will confirm the conditions are satisfied. As far as I can see none of the planning conditions require a planning officer site visit. (Putting aside whether or not pre-commencement conditions should even be allowed these days...) I'd like to crack on with prep work for the build if I could - in the demolition category things like stripping interior panels, in the ground works category, maybe digging drains, sewage treatment plant My questions are:: 1) I submit my building commencement notice to BC. How much am I pushing the rules in terms of planning or storing up problems for later? So BC and planning team coordinate and look at dates like that? 2) I submit my CIL Form 6 commencement notice form. Ditto with CIL and planning. Is there a problem that the CIL commencement notice is sooner tan the satisfaction of the pre-deal commencement conditions? What am I risking? Any interaction do you think at any stage? Regards Glenn

Thank you all for your thoughts, some interesting ones in there: 1. A problem to enclose the joists by having insulation underneath and between? I need educating! Isn't that like an upside-down warm roof with EWI and insulation between rafters? 2. I will check with various U-values etc, but my question was more about that air gap between the floor and the top of the insulation. Any problems anyone can see with that? Regards Glenn

Hello, grateful for people's thoughts I'm doing a farm building conversion which requires a suspended timber ground floor ie 150mm depth joists sitting on dwarf block walls. The ground floor structure includes a fast response UFH ie tubing running in grooved boards which form part of the floor structure. Nothing startling My architect originally spec'd out 150mm PIR insulation that would fit between the joists and fill the space up the the underside of the floor construction. However the resulting U-value fell short of what was needed, and he has modified this to a double layer of 75mm running under the joists and 100mm between the joists. Both PIR. Which is good in that it nicely encloses the joists, but does leave a 50mm airgap between the floor deck and the top of the insulation between the joists When I queried it, he says he has seen this airgap in low-profile UFH lierature, which indicates it won't be a problem. I instinctively don't like a layer/pockets of air being heated by the UFH and then cooling again. Am I being ridiculous? Regards Glenn

Thank you Peter. I agree on spray foam being the best choice, but the cost is eyewatering... I am tending towards having as effective a VCL as possible, to minimise interstitial condensation. It's an old building - outboard of the VCL (ie the insulation and the tin cladding) it's an old enough building that moisture can surely escape! Contrary advice welcomed, I am a beginner in this Regards Glenn

Good thoughts both, thank you! But I don’t think building within building will suit this particular example. Main reason being restricted height ( it’s quite squat) and also that it’s agricultural - where I want the ancillary accommodation shed is where the shed is now! If you know what I mean. I’m also quite keen to have windows and doors in the structure Any other thoughts? It’s the moisture/vapour control I’m uncertain of, no experience in it Unless of course you mean inside the actual ‘barn’ I’m converting? Would prefer to avoid that, building site soon Regards glenn

Hello smart people, Amongst other reasons, project delays mean I need to convert a farm shed into temporary/ancillary accommodation, so that I can live on site during actual barn conversion. The ancillary accommodation is a typical farm shed of about 56m2 - a very light timber frame which is semi-portal frame like, clad with corrugated iron. All sitting on a concrete pad. That's about it . I don't have the time (or budget...) now to use insulated metal panels, which would have been interesting, but needed a lot of work to straighten and strengthen the existing frame. Instead the plan is to reinforce the existing timber structure, introduce some light stud walling between the existing wall posts etc to allow interior cladding in plywood. What I would greatly appreciate some help on is ways I can insulate the walls and ceiling please? I am trying to avoid having to strip the building of its tin cladding. Option 1 - Spray foam directly on corrugated cladding. Great airtightness and speed of work, but high cost Option 2 - Rockwool insulation between the tin cladding and the interior plywood lining. Approx 200mm depth available Option 3 - PIR boards between the studs In both options 2 and 3 I presume I will install a VCL of some sort over the insulation before I put the plywood lining on. My dumb questions relate more to if I need anything between the corrugated iron and the insulation, whether it be walls or roof. And particularly on the roof, is any sort of air gap required? Or indeed, is there a better option? Regards, Glenn

Thank you kindly for your responses, certainly worth considering Regards Glenn

Hello all, I'm converting some sheds for workshop/storage and temporary accommodation. The sheds will have well insulated floor/walls/roof. The (steel) roof will include polycarbonate skylights. Rural situation, mostly out of sight Looking around for 2nd hand windows, patio doors and other doors on my favorite shop (eBay) has left me underwhelmed. Anything 2nd hand is of course a bit of a compromise in terms of size and pickup location. I wondered instead about making up some basic windows and doors using 2x4 timber + triple wall polycarbonate. A view isn't important to me from this building, only that a reasonable amount of light is transmitted and that any window/patio door is reasonably draught free and insulated. Longevity not the top requirement. I was wondering if anyone has made a plastic window or door before, or if you haven't, how would you make it? Interesting thought experiment? I've thought of a polycarbonate sheet to the sizeof the opening, 'framed' by sandwiching it between 2 frames of 2x2 timber, cross braced for stiffness. The window/door swings outward, when shut its perimeter butts against a 1x1 wood strip with a foam or rubber gasket. Very crude stuff, possible effective? Grateful for any thoughts, even if it's just to say, for goodness sake just get some 2nd hand windows... Regards Glenn

Thank you both for your reassurance, much appreciated! the extra weight of the chipboard, worth considering Regards Glenn

Hello all, dumb question time Laying a plywood floor over rigid celotex boards, themselves laid on an uneven concrete floor (say max 25/30mm humps and dips). What are the consequences in terms of noise and feel, integity, insulation value etc, if no attempt is made to level the floor by e.g. A bonded screed, or filling individual dips More detail. Converting some sheds next to actual build. The 2 sheds are basically one unit, and will be a workshop and temp acvommodation/storage etc. Both have a typically roughly laid farm building concrete floor. All advice received and much online is built around assumption that end result is always a screeded, insulated floor. It is asserted a level floor is required before insulated boards are laid, but at the same time it is assumed that the screen on top of the boards will take care of levelling. But I'm biased towards a timber floor in any case. My preferred build up would be dpm, insulation, then 2 layers of 12mms ply laid at 90 degrees to each other and screwed together My budget is bookmarked for the actual build, so I am trying to identify the most effective way to achieve a good floor, without long drying time, at a good price, using a method I can DIY. To work that out I ask myself what would happen if I don't do sometning? What if I just finished and lay the boards, some may have voids, or sit over a hump, will I notice it once the stiff plywood layer is laid and screwed? I planned to use a semi-dry cement/sharp sand mix in any excessive area. should that go over or under the DPM? Thank you for indulging me. Please do shoot holes in my plan. Regards Glenn

Thank you so much for the quick and detailed replies, incredibly useful! May I apologise in turn for my tardy response. 1. A nugget on timing in particular stood out - "I would ask for an invoice that just mentions water supply to your barn rather than a share of the whole job. Must be dated after you own the property." As the work has been done and I won't own the property for a while, I'm thinking I might need to forego the 15% (diff between 20% and 5%) savings from invoices raised ahead of me owning the property - 1. water connection at road, 2. work done to run pipe from road to property, and 3. electricity connection. Set against the risk of losing the whole CIL excemption, I might just have to suck it up 2. CIL liable on a conversion. I'm self build and under 100m2 (it's a small building), but I am presumably adding floor area, as a 1st floor is created. I can only apply for the excemption and see what happens I guess 3. Fixing the other building(s) next to the building to be converted, at the same time, so that VAT can be reclaimed. As I need to apply for full pp to raise part of roofline anyway, including a garage in the pp application is a great idea, thank you. Regards Glenn

Hello, newbie here - apologies in advance if this has been addressed before, but I didn't find anything 1. In process of buying an agricultural building for conversion - ie as of now, prior to exchange/completion 2. Change of Use permission is in place 3. After I have bought, I'll be submitting full planning permission, as there are a couple of changes needed that don't fit into change of use Agreed to buy without any services in place. In the meantime, vendor has kindly been organising water connection (new pipework from main road, >100m away, cost to be shared with other neighbouring conversion, and redoing of existing connections for 3 other properties). I'm also now looking at electrical connection My dumb questions are: a. These are new water and electrical connections, so they qualify for reduced 5% VAT? ie I can include this work in my VTA reclaim, even though I don't yet own the property, nor have full planning permission? b. Anyone had experience of a water connection like this that is well away from the site of the property, hence may not qualify for reduced rate? c. Is there a Catch-22 in that the CIL period is triggered' by the start of development, but I can't submit my CIL form until I have PP? Is connecting water and power to a building considered development and hence triggering. I have no idea if there is any crossover between the VAT reclaim folder of evidence and claims, and the CIL checks And on a separate note d. The agricultural building to be converted comes with some sheds. Once I have title I'd like to work on these to make them waterproof, for storage of goods/tools etc. Does working on buildings that are not covered by the change of use affect the CIL at all? Apologies again that these will seem so obvious/confused to experienced forum members. I just don't want to fall into a cost pit through my keenness to get going while the PP process goes on. Regards Glenn