Dave Jones

Certainly does, easier as well if you do it properly with the right machinery.

can lead a horse to water etc

must be doing them wrong to make hard work of it, loads are designed in so not an issue. Carry on humping conc I know which I and the large housebuilders prefer.

disagree. concrete is hard work and will never be as flat as a screed. They are pretty much cost neutral so B and B every time.

block and beam every time.

two options, you only have to pay a nominal amount of £100 on the credit card, the rest can be BACS and you arte covered for the whole amount. option b:, pay the whole amount using your overdraught and you are similarly covered.

walk away.

get it QS'd first then you have a base point of cost, this will be usefull to builders as they can see exactly what they are pricing for down to the last nail and screw. https://www.estimators-online.com/

seems a dead easy irrefutable solution is to leave the temporary water connection not connected to the house. Who is to say there is a 'T' underground with a temp pipe into the house ......

they are right, you can reclaim. In their shoes, every tom dick and harry could say the windows are for a new build to get out of paying vat which the window company would then be liable for.

perhaps i am not understanding it, would there be no airflow from one side to the other ?

how about using a telescopic vent and bring the top up into the kitchen cupboad and out the wall, just need a single slot through the floor and wall then seal both. Then remove/block off the existing to stop water ingress. https://stanleyjohn.com/products/telescopic-air-vents-accessories/

Once you have removed the old, try using a profile tool it gives a much thinner/professional look than wiping a finger down the length. https://www.toolstation.com/cramer-fugi-profiling-tool-set/p46602

face to face, pop round his house and come to an agreement, if the 75% you have paid is legit then happy days if its not then you want some back. Much better to do face to face as he will know your serious, dont be confrontational. Last resort small claims court, dead easy to do.

my concern is mould growing in the condensate being then blasted throughout the house.

https://www.fao.org/3/R7021E/r7021e07.htm

green paint/artifical turf.

get some boning rods as well to complete the set!

spend your money on battery and inverter, no moving parts to go wrong and you can make it pay for itself by using a time of day electricity tariff (I use one for my powerwall). If you have solar pv as well this is a bonus. If you work from home you can claim the cost back against tax as well. https://www.solarguide.co.uk/solar-batteries/tesla-powerwall-2-0-vs-powervault-g200-which-is-the-best-solar-battery#/

hosepipe! Get enough hosepipe to reach then a meter of clear pipe to shove in the ends to allow you to mark a level with a pencil.

windows would look a lot better pulled forward rather than recessed deep into the house.

i have the Hive system from british gas, its very easy to install. The rad trv's are excellent as they allow you to manage heat in different rooms much easier.

in that case you have an airflow problem, can air circulate under the ridge or is it blocked off with a ridge beam ? Some tile vents at the top can help to create a draft over it.

my money is on trees being the issue as even 1.5m would be overkill on clay in the absence of trees, piling would be cheaper.

you can do without BR drawings but you have to know what your doing to anticipate issues. For self builders its too much of a risk as you will have umpteen other problems due to lack of knowledge and experience so anything that reduces the risk and unforeseen costs the better. You wont feel confident enough to push back on some of the more extreme nonesense BC will try to push on you thats costs £££ where as a builder will as he knows the score.