Indy

https://www.electrical2go.co.uk/13a-2g-dp-switched-socket-with-dual-usb-c-65w-dual-fastcharge-antique-brass.html I’ve gone for these in select locations as they put out enough power to charge a laptop and phone at the same time.

There’s a material difference between something like a landscape visual assessment and structural engineering calcs. The former is a nonsensical piece of paper that needs to be produced to check a box on the planning application. Money down the drain. The latter is integral to the safety of the house and its inhabitants, and something I would gladly pay for an expert to do.

It's great to hear the good luck you had. But luck is not a mass market solution and your unique set of circumstances clearly cannot be scaled - which is kinda the point.

Painfully true. When I started this process 5 years ago - there was still a sliver of a chance that we would come a little bit ahead - i.e. about 10% profit if we decided to sell at the end. It was never intended to be a flip for profit, but doing the math at least keeps you sane when sinking your life savings, blood, sweat and tears into something. A whole host of things since then have happened which means there is no chance I would make the money back if I was to sell it now. The market turned, materials went up, labour went up, we up-specced the material choices (🤨), mansion tax coming and general taxation levels going through the roof. I could easily have bought something of a similar size in decent nick for cheaper than it's been to do the work myself. But, it would have still needed a lot of work to get it up to the right standard and not been exactly what I wanted - so here we are. Will definitely need to live here for at least 10-15 years to stand a chance of the markets recovering and us being able to recover our funds. Luckily, that's the plan anyway 😄

Town and Country planning act of 1947. Fix that and all the other dominos will fall.

Try here - Osmo Polyx Oil

BTW - we did use Heat Space and Light as well, for the whole package and quite pleased overall (apart from the cost!)

BPC Ventilation will do a design for you and also supply - they're generally one of the cheaper suppliers if you're planning a self install and commissioning.

I know some will baulk at these costs but £10k is exactly what I paid so that number is not unrealistic for a fully designed, supplied, installed and commissioned system. Mine is the Q450 with 90mm ducting 1. Design - £600 2. Supply - £6400 3. Commissioning - £500 4. Install - £2500

Care to expand why? I was also quoted a similar amount for a REGA unit - £5k for supply only, £7k for supply and install. Chose to go with Zehnder based on recommendations (which has turned out to be much more expensive sadly!) but I'd like to understand why REGA are considered so bad.

Our builder used X-Board Paper to cover all the treads and risers while the plastering happened. Seems to be holding up so far but the key is to make sure the edges are all taped up and keeping them taped up as they do get knocked and come loose.

100mm either side is what I've heard - which seems to tie up generally with the 2 comments above. One area we were told to be very careful on is to not breach the 1m from the boundary rule in our area (for detached houses) as the LPA are generally quite hot on not creating a cramped/overcrowded look. My instruction to the builder was very simple - no deviation from approved plans. After the nightmare we had with getting planning in the first place, I have no appetite for any further planning related battles.

It depends on if its a retrofit or something that needs to be passed by BC. If its the former, there are obv ways to self install, balance and no need for certification. Cost will be the parts and your labour (unpaid) if you're skilled that way. Ours was the latter as giving up trickle vents and exhaust fans in the bathrooms meant that we had to get it professionally certified. That means generally finding people who will want to do the whole shebang - design, supply, install and certify. You *may* have luck in finding someone to certify a self install but those people are few and far between.

Take the advice - don't invite them unless absolutely needed. There's a small bit of leeway as houses can't be built mm perfect as on paper but there is obviously a limit as to how much it can be stretched.

Agreed. I will admit that on balance - it still remains one of the best places on the planet despite the doom and gloom that we get blasted from every media outlet. However, I have noticed a real degradation on a number of fronts since 2008. Public services, wage growth, levels of taxation, investment in infrastructure - these are all worse in a material way.