Andeh

Thanks very much all, some great feedback there! Am also concerned ASHP (architect & builder are grinding me down into accepting one over a gas boiler ? ) will reduce that score as well, but am led to believe ASHP will be 'for the greater good' then a Gas boiler even if the SAP score takes a nose dive. Yes, this was only the first pass so will be looking to enhance floor & roof, the walls will be tricky as we are fitting in a lot of rooms into the footprint, so internal space is actually tight (4 kids to cater for). The ceilings on the other hand are very high throughout, so less worried about build up here. The architect has stipulated a minimum of 5 for air tightness, but have read enough stories on here to know this is an area ill need to work with the builder on (and probably seek further advice here) on how to reduce this further. Jetfloor is block & beam, but using EPS insulation instead of the concrete blocks. Builder said he would use the kind that 'wrap around' the beams, but this hasn't been written down anywhere so one i am monitoring. Rest of the place is twin block wall, render outside (and some Z stone feature cladding). edit: we have some PV, but some massive trees in the garden which cast some shade, so this has been down played on the EPCs.

Just looking for general advice! We are at the foundation excavation stage of a 240sqm bungalow, after a last minute refurb --> rebuild change of plans (one of the builders had a cancellation & said he'd do a full rebuild for the price of our refurb if we fitted into his cancelled slot. He was our favoured builder by a decent chunk, so we were/are utterly delighted...but it has meant the architects & builder have had to work overtime in getting all the documentation sorted - hence adjusting insulation details after construction started) As a result, we only recently received our draft SAP calculation of 81 - which I couldn't believe. This was with 125mm full fill cavities. 250mm Jetfloor + 150mm PIR below UFH and 125mm PIR in roof space, MVHR etc - not exactly bare minimum in my mind (though I acknowledge behind BuildHub norms of Passive House standards!!), but I was still very surprised to 'only' get 81. Scores are: Ext Walls 0.22, Floor 0.17, Roof 0.18 Architects have gone away to try and get me a 10% improvement to bring it up to 88/89 (Ecology mortgage as a benchmark, though not using them). However - I looked up the 2019, 3 story, semi-detached naff Persimmon new build we are renting for the duration of the project & was horrified to see it at a 86 EPC rating. I don't quite understand how we are ''only'' at 81 in a £500k bespoke new build with (in my mind) good levels of insulation...yet a mass produced cheapie (£240k for 4 bed...) property in the same locality achieves 86. Does the fact we are building a bungalow impact EPC? Are EPC & SAP the same to compared? How does 250mm jet floor + 150 PIR only get us 0.17!? Hoping to be educated!

Following with interest, be grateful for the advice as we start our project!

What 'sound' is it you are blocking? Vibratings, fan noise, air turbulence?

Monitor where walls meet floors, a lot of noise actually comes from a 'silent floor' with a bit of flex in it...but stud walls sitting on them & skirting boards etc rubbing against the floor creating the noise. I cant suggest a fix (I only ever drove screws in between floor:wall flex after we moved into mass produced new builds) - but one to explore/think about as well.

You could do something very impressive with 2 lots of sliding doors & a floating corner!

We've got an architect's bill approaching the cost of a posh car, however - what they have brought to our house from a design, flare, eye for detail, suggestions & then builder recommendations has made their value for money a total no brainer!

Hi All, We are lookin for a crisp, contrasting look, to our white render + black alum windows...and I am struggling between both Z Stone & Norstone with both supplying a similar black effect product. Has anyone researched similar, who could suggest their views? Cost of fitment, supply, longevity etc? Thanks in advance!

Thanks very much all, just what I was after!

Kill with kindness!

Looks like a neat job & much better....the fact its solid concrete behind means there is not lateral forces acting on those blocks, I'm no structural engineer though.

We'll miss it by about 2 months, disappointing... But maintaining perspective vs rest of the project! Still hoping & tracking the £5k replacement & what hoops will need to be jumped through to make a go for it!

As has been said, what are the tenders sitting at? Might give us a chance to suggest high or lower.

Sorry for an old bump, but did you ever get to the bottom of this?

Yep, assume £2k psqm and I think that is a "reasonable" starting point for a good spec house.

Knock down & rebuild will probably be cheaper! £2k psqm (+VAT) for a refurb seems punchy in current market! I'd also suggest £2.5k+.

Doh! Was worth a try ?

We are carrying out a knock down & rebuild. We are trying to work out if we inform the council now, to halt the 6 months of council tax payment but then get it revalued when we move in...... Or if we don't inform them proactively, pay the lower band council tax for 6 months & hope they don't revalue the property on completion.... Which will bump us up a few bands! Any suggestions on how best too approach this? Legal obligations are obviously the priority! Thanks,

In all due seriousness guys, some of us were using this thread as an information source for ''Heat Pump latest government offers'' - something more useful than arguing about Global Warming. If you want to argue against the overwhelming consensus of planetary warming - please find another thread?

When plastering onto the block, how do you you manage cables & sockets?

I wouldn't bother with an aerial but I would install a dish for sky TV With that dish you can then use freesat, which does the same thing!

We are looking at options for the family bathroom (only bath). With young children, I quite like the idea of being able to walk in (Wi-fi?) press a single button and walk out gain, whilst the bath fills itself up to the right temperature & then turns itself off when it reaches the right depth. Is this what Digital bath filler do? Or do you still need to turn them off when the bath is full? Any recommendations for a device that does this? (controls the plug as well?)

Thanks Ian, any thoughts on what stops me fitting the gas boiler we had taken out (project is a demolition & new build replacement) ... Then replacing it with an ASHP weeks/months later? Builder suggests £3k saving if I drop the ashp (which he recommended) to fit a new gas boiler instead. Its really really tempting if no grant to help with the ASHP. Mains gas is just so flippin' cheap....

This must be the most surreal "off topic" derailment ever! From Gov funding on ASHP to debating fundamental of maths & science! ? Has anyone got any further info on whether the £5k grant is applicable to new builds vs direct boiler replacement?

Left field suggestion, but maybe offer her £500 and treat it as an investment into stress reduced living?