IanR

Looking at the shape of the stairs you have perspective on, so the ground floor, that is further away from the view point, appears smaller. Change to Orthographic.

It's both a planning and land registry issue, I believe. First, you need to establish that the Annex will be accepted as its own Residential C3 (stand-alone) Planning Unit, by the LPA, rather than an Outbuilding/Annex, incidental to the Use of the main residential property. If the latter, then it can't be sold off separately, and if then put on a seperate title a lender can't attach a charge against it to protect their investment. You need get the planning approval documents under which is was constructed, that will define its formal use. It's likely to be an annex/outbuilding, incidental to main residence. If it is then do you have evidence that for more than 10 years it has continually been used outside of its formal use, to what amounts to being a stand-alone residential property. Indicators would be it having its own entrance, its own utilities, inhabited by non family members and not "incidental" to the enjoyment of the main residence. If you have evidence of a 10 year breech, then you can apply for a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use and Development as a stand alone Residential C3 property. If not, then you'll need to either submit a Change of Use planning application, or, if the incidental use is controlled by a condition of its planning approval you may be able to apply for an S73 variation of condition, so that that specific condition is removed from the original planning app. This is definitely a subject you would benefit from the support of a local planning consultant. Once you have the LPA agreement that it is on its own stand alone planning unit, then it doesn't need to be split away from the main residence's title until it is sold off, unless you want to provide a title that a lender can attached a charge to. I do also believe the LR are resistant to splitting up titles that are to remain in the same ownership, but believe they can be persuaded to do so.

It's not a planning change that would have been required, it's a change to the Title Plan at the Land Registry that would be needed, so you may have misunderstood the builder. From the pictures, correcting the boundary to the registered position makes no difference to you in respect to the rear garden, as the rear fence appears to be in the correct location. Is it then "just" between the houses and the front gardens that the neighbours want a boundary fence erected, in the correct location. From what you have shown there's nothing that allows you to claim ownership of your neighbour's land. If a fence is to be erected, you may want to take control of that to have the "better" side facing you.

While Passivhaus targets are quoted in Air Changes per Hour @ 50Pa, as is common on the continent, UK Building Regs uses the units m³/m².h @ 50Pa, where cubic meters or air loss, per hour, are measured as a ratio of the square meters of surface area of the "treated envelope". ie the internal wall, floor and ceiling/roof area of the airtight envelope. There is no general correlation between ACH@50Pa and m³/m².h @ 50Pa, each house is different, and needs to be calculated. The Air infiltration test doesn't actually run for an hour, and it averages two tests that pressurise and depressurise the house at 50Pa and -50Pa, in the manner you describe. From memory, the tests run for about 10 mins each. If you have an air infiltration rate of less that 3m³/m².h@50Pa then English Building Control require you to have whole house mechanical ventilation. If you are above that figure, with trickle vents closed, then whole house mechanical ventilation is not required, but you will require extractors in wet rooms. The 10m³/m².h@50Pa figure you have shown is an old figure. Currently new builds are required to be better than 8m³/m².h@50Pa, although that was due to change in April this year to 5m³/m².h@50Pa, but I don't believe the update to Building Regs has been introduced yet (although I may have missed it).

Not sure why they only quote an area coverage: 115 m² I'm sure it will offer more than a ~ 10m x 10m area, but does only come with Internal Antenna (External an option) The UAP-AC-M is external antenna only and is quoted as 183m (distance). Works at around 120m for me, but is then sketchy through a hedge at that distance.

Apparently (according to badwitch.com) Y shaped twigs are just as effective - hazel is preferred though.

Then why under test conditions is it not more effective than chance?

Gemini got a little frustrated with me asking the question in different ways to attempt to get a positive answer to there being some proof that water dowsing is effective. [For transparency, I know there isn't any scientific proof, but wondered if there was some pseudo-science that attempted an explanation] A video at the supplied link was interesting:

Even if there was a force/energy that we didn't understand, dowsing could be proven to be more effective than plain chance, but unfortunately it can't.

It would need to be drawn-up in a Section. You upstairs space depends on eaves height, ridge height and foot-print depth. To get the 1st floor to at least 50% of the area of the ground floor is likely to need rear dormer(s) and gables each side (assuming ridge is running side-to-side).

Hi and Welcome. Whereabouts in the world is your planned self-build? In England, you can't have a Treatment Plant discharging within 50m of a private water extraction point, for human consumption. Even if your location allows that, it's a good rule to stick to. Does this not dictate your construction method to one of timber-frame?

You might be able to get to the 1 bed 2 person requirement of 58m² with a 2 story chalet, depending on how much area was lost on the 2nd floor due to restricted height, but you wont get to the 2 bed 4 person requirement of 79m² unless the local vernacular would allow a modernism/brutalism, flat roof style.

For new builds the National standards are a minimum and they're mandatory (in England). Councils can set a higher Minium if they wish, but can't accept lower. 40m² allows a 1 bed, 1 occupant house. I believe that would restrict you to a bedroom between 7.5m² and 11.5m² in size. If you went larger than 11.5m² it would be considered a 2 occupant home which requires 50m².

I'm not sure if restricting your potential clients down to a niche area is a good plan for a new business. You should consider casting your net as wide as possible, until you're able to generate enough work within the niche you wish to specialiase.

Mine is a Glulam ridge with I-Joist rafters. Design by CTD.