Bramco

I've added our inverter via MODBUS to a Nodered system that we use to automate turning of the PV diverter in the evening before dumping what's left in the batteries (15p export) before reloading them at the cheap rate (7p) and turning the PV diverter back on. Something easy to do in Nodered but not with the suppliers apps. It's about the only thing that isn't in Google Home - why Google Home - my other half can cope with GH it's very simple. Looked at HA several times over the last 10 years or so and have always been put off by the 'apparent' opaqueness of setting things up - and the awful user interface. Haven't looked recently though. Sadly relying on the apps from the various brands is simpler and probably a better way of doing things - we all have a limited time here and need to make sure that if we're not here, the house can still function without a sysadmin.

We have a big flat 1 acre plot with the house about a third of the way towards the front. There's a grass strip down one side of the house that the mower can get down to get from front to back. I think most mowers use GPS for positioning and the mobile signal enables apps on your phone, so not important for navigation. Ours also has wifi. We have a Husqvarna that 3 years ago was the apparently the best and probably still is - you see them in a lot of commercial situations. We have our plot split into 4 sections and have schedules for each section, you can also set different cutting heights for each section etc. In hindsight we could have bought 2 smaller mowers, one for the front and one for the back which might have been a bit cheaper but the big one we have does the job well. It's even got headlights that turn on at dusk!!!

We have a lot of these and they work well. We use them to turn on lights at sunset through the eWeLink to Google Home and then a voice command to turn all of them off as we go to bed 'OK Google night night'. On on a tree where our drive meets a lane, we leave on all night - this is turned off at sunrise. You can also turn on/off any light with one of these switches. There are other types around as well as Sonoff but we started with Sonoff, so have stayed with the brand. It's quite easy to also manage blinds etc. with their kit. And I'm just putting together a control box to turn on/off ASHP cooling. There'll be a switch on the unit but it also has a sonoff mini, so we can control it via Google Home. And yes I don't like relying on Google or Sonoff but the alternative isn't really there for the functionality we need/want. And they aren't the only infrastructures we're sadly plugged into, there's Tado, Zehnder, Cool Energy, MyEnergi, etc. All of these only provide the functionality if you're hooked up to the ecosystems. Back to sonoff and similar brands of switch, the great thing about them being in the back box, is that the switch still works - so if the interweb fails, you can still switch things on and off manually.

The spoil from our footings went in a long pile/bank along one side of the plot behind the house. This has now been sown with wild flowers and is spectacular when they are all in full bloom. Like @Kelvin ours was effectively a grazing field. The bits that were wrecked around the house we simply weed killed, rotivated a bit, raked out and seeded - looks great now.

Indeed, especially as I watch the neighbour trundling up and down on his ride on.. looking across at us with envy. I wait until he's nearly finished before I offer him a cold beer....

At 400m2 make sure you budget for a robot lawn mower - if you've prepped the ground well and the seed has established itself, then you'll forever have a lovely trimmed lawn. No more looking out the window at the rain and a mop of grass thinking - I should have got round to it yesterday when the weather was good.... And it's great in the summertime on the patio with a GnT watching it trundle round doing it's thing. It's one of our best investments - we have an acre with the house in the middle. The robot mower was half the price of a ride on which would have been the alternative.

Is it possible with the mechanism to set it to slide only? Which I'm guessing is what guests would use most. If that's possible then there shouldn't be any more issues with not understanding how it works. We have some tilt and swing inwards windows (if you see what I mean). In general these mechanisms aren't great and if you don't hold the bottom flappy corner in, it's easy to get them so they won't shut. I often have to sort ours out after the kids (grown ups) have been home. we also had problems with this type of window in a flat we owned and rented out. If you could restrict the functionality, then maybe you wouldn't have to be thinking of replacing them. Or try Express Sliding Doors - based in Leeds - we have triple glazed sliders from them - but they are onto a patio. Great with airtightness etc. and today they were misted up on the outside due to the dew - which is quite odd when you first see it happen.

We had one - and it was useful. The installers hadn't used UV protected insulation on the pipes outside, so they made them come back and retrofit it. I wrote about it at the time but from memory, they wanted to see all the documentation, which for us was in order. And there was a visual inspection, which turned up the insulation and the fact that they hadn't installed a duct for the pipework - but we'd agreed that this wouldn't be possible due to the wall build up, so I had to submit the drawings for the wall build up to them which they then used as evidence for the decision. Inspector was a nice chap, knew what he was on about, so all in all, it was worth having the inspection.

If you look on the IKEA website, the full installation instructions will be there

Hasn't Velux become the generic name for rooflights, in the same way that Hoover has become the generic name for vacuum cleaners

So are we going to get any photos of the finished article?

@Great_scot_selfbuild Timber cladding is larch treated with SiOO:X which stops it greying -> https://www.russwood.co.uk. It actually gets lighter over time.

@Great_scot_selfbuild - thanks, I'll tell the builders next time I see them. Those saris rooflights look exactly the same as the Roofmaker rooflights we used -> https://roof-maker.co.uk/products/hinged-opening-flat-rooflights/. Think they do these in a variety of glass types/u values. Ours are triple glazed as in the link and work very well. On the blinds aspect, ours are in the living space and bathrooms and on a landing, so we're not worried about having blinds. Wonder if @JamesP has blinds? If you're thinking blinds to cut out solar gain, then maybe it would be enough to simply open the roof lights to dissipate the heat. Works for us. The cladding is Greencoat (afaik) specced for longevity. I can check the exact spec if you need that. Here's a link to the architect's web site with more photos -> https://lhc.net/projects/ashcroft-creating-a-low-energy-family-home/

@Great_scot_selfbuild We didn't use Velux - hate the stand up edges. We did use the Roofmaker skylights that it looks like you have used on your garage. Ours are flush with the corrugated roof. Essentially you have to leave a large gap at the bottom of the roof light, create a slight slope and then mold a water resistant membrane across that and onto the top edge of the roof below the roof-light. Ill have to check with the builder and architect what we eventually used - was 3 years ago. EDIT: checked and we used -> https://www.deks.co.uk/fast-flash See photo - I have the architects drawings for this if you DM me. PS What's the reason for using Velux rather than the Roofmaker roof-lights?

Not sure why a brick or block skin would be seen to be giving more surety - it's only a skin and the fabric is timber frame. Just goes to show how thick industries like insurance etc. can be at times... I wonder how everyone in Scotland copes? What with timber frame being much more prevalent there - afaik. Have you tried Scottish mortgage companies? Also, isn't there a timber frame manufacturers association? It may be worth contacting them. Or just going round to a local building site - there's a lot of timber frame going up at the moment - how are they advising their clients on mortgages? Or take out a buy-to-let mortgage on the property - and get a postbox address for correspondence.... 😉 🙂