Roundtuit

My guess is installed May 2015, with a Feed in Tariff of 14p/kWh ?

As above, I Sioo-X'd ours after fitting. Larch is pretty durable anyway, so I couldn't justify the expense of treating the back and the off-cuts. Not too bad a job with a hand pressure sprayer from Screwfix and a masonry paintbrush to work it in, but you need to time it right with the weather.

2nd generation smart meters can measure export, hence the Smart Export Guarantee scheme that replaced FiT for new installs. Existing Fit's can switch over to the SEG I believe, but you'd have to fully understand your usage and do the sums carefully to make sure you weren't out of pocket.

Say no, and let them come up with a persuasive solution ?

Personally, I'd go straight edge with no overhang, probably in a nice bit of oak, and not carpeted. But then I prefer a more contemporary style, and I haven't got a router...

Have you tried Googling 'architrave' for photos? It's just a posh name for the fancy trim around a doorway. Stop procrastinating and start offering bits of wood up to the job! ?

BSA I reckon.?

Get your steps sorted first, and worry about the skirting later. You could always put some architrave around the doorway and run the skirting straight up to that, independent of the steps. You've done some great quality work; have confidence and make it up as you go along like the rest of us! ?

I can't vouch for their work, but I'd try RA Baker in Peterborough. I had several long conversations with them about a stair balustrade project. I never actually used them as they gave me some good, honest feedback about the flaws in my plan, but I think that's a good sign! ?

I think it depends very much on the planning authority. Generally, they'll want to see a design that fits with the local area. Infilling with a log cabin design in a row of 2-story brick houses, for example, is unlikely to be acceptable I'd suggest. You may also be at risk of under-developing the plot, as the plot will be priced for a bigger property - not a problem if you've got the cash and want to live there long term, but might disadvantage you financially if you want to sell, or need a mortgage to build. If you find something you like, try and have an informal chat with the planners to test the water. There will be no guarantees, but it should rule out the complete non-starters.

Our last house was an 1820's 4-story renovation job starting with the roof and working down, and yes, everything can be fixed, its just a question of time and money! Initial thoughts are as follows; - I wouldn't look for a 'construction consultant', I'd look for a good builder who's experienced and sympathetic with old buildings, assuming you want to maintain the character of the building (if you don't, then probably best buy something newer). - A Listing, or Conservation area adds an extra degree of complexity and cost. - Assume the worst from a budget perspective. Quotes will always have a built-in safety margin to cover the inevitable surprises. I had a lot of work done on day rate; it de-risked the job for the builder and ensured the job was done right with no shortcuts (so important to choose your builders carefully!). We ended up with a beautiful house, but it wasn't easy (or well insulated, or warm, or cheap to run and maintain...). Good luck!

Hmm... if it was Dragon's Den, I'd want to split the equity and have them both on board. As it's not, I think I'd go for the guy with an eye on the future that's keen to learn. That's not to say I don't appreciate time-served craftsmanship, but unless you're doing a conservation job, things have moved on...

Triclopyr (SBK Brushwood Killer) is your friend for bramble control. Need to crack on if you're spraying though; we're running out of growing season at an alarming rate!

We're triple glazed everywhere... apart from 4 Velux in our bedroom. They're not large windows, so couldn't justify the additional cost for the benefit, but did go for the thicker 'comfort' glazing. Never notice any difference tbh.

Plus site clearance costs, professional fees etc before you can even start to re-build. I'd be looking for cover for the best part of £500K I think, depending on where you are in the country.

Sorry, another lighter grey here I'm afraid but Slate Grey (RAL 7015). Who knew there where so many shades of ... oh, well, never mind... I think it goes pretty well with siberian larch, if you're letting it silver naturally. I believe that all of the aluminium trims pop off, so if you did want to change the colour in 5 or 10 years time, it would be a ball-ache, but doable.

I went to our local B&Q the other day. It's in a bit of a rough area. The guy on the door asked me if I wanted decking. Luckily I got the first punch in.... I'll get my coat...

As @arg says. There should be no issue, as long as the tank has an immersion heater. My ASHP (Hitachi Yutaki, but not really relevant) has a legionella control function that switches on the immersion for a set period on a regular basis to raise the water temperature. To do that, the immersion needs to be wired to the heat pump, whereas to use a solar diverter, the immersion needs to be wired into the diverter. We've used an Apollo Gem diverter, as is was the only one I could find at the time with a decent programmable legionella control function. There's been debate on here before about whether legionella control is actually necessary, but that's another story. Best play it safe and keep the plumbers happy methinks!

Compriband?

That was my initial thought, but if you're extracting from there, the heat will be sucked straight out unless you run it constantly. Perhaps just try with the mvhr for a start, that should be plenty good enough for 'airing'.

Good call. Our last place had a shared access driveway (although we owned it), and whenever I was due a delivery that would block access, I let the neighbours know so they could move their cars out on to the road first if they wanted. My neighbour, on the other hand, had a load of logs dumped on the drive just before I needed to get my car out to go to an important meeting. Ar$ehole. Anyway; manage your deliveries as you'd like your neighbours to if the boot was on the other foot, and don't let them stop you doing what you need to do!

Can't see it being a problem. Make sure the block and beam is properly grouted though, or the gaps will fill up with crap in no time.

Have you identified a suitable replacement, or a joiner to make them? If you don't want to go the pre-app advice route (which I would still advise), then you probably need to provide all the details on materials, glazing bar profiles, glazing, weather strips, finish etc, along with an assessment of the current state or repair of the existing.

I planted some bare root blackthorn as part of a mix for gapping up an existing hedge in spring this year. The hot dry spell has taken its toll on the blackthorn, but everything else is mostly OK (hawthorn, wild cherry, Hazel, field maple). Not sure if the blackthorn is more susceptible to drought, or I just got dodgy batch of plants. On the opposite side of the plot I cut back some overgrown straggly blackthorn pretty hard, but it seems to be responding well. It should provide a secure hedge with plenty of interest, but it's evil stuff to work with.

Have a chat with your council's Conservation Officer. Some are really practical, realistic and helpful, while others are jobsworth ar$eholes; either way, your application will end up on their desk, so engage early using all the charm you can muster! Good luck! (Ps. We replaced some double-hung Georgian box sash windows that were beyond economic repair in a G II listed house without any objections).