Roundtuit

Me too. Rationel windows/Solarlux bifolds; 50% up front, balance 10 days prior to delivery. In retrospect, I was a little concerned about paying up front, but that paled into insignificance compared to the worry about whether they'd fit the holes I'd measured....

Materials aside, one day of your plumbers time will likely cover around 10,000 toilet flushes by my rough reckoning... If you're looking at this as a cost saving measure, it needs to be done dead cheap I'd say, with a long term view. If it's an environmental initiative, possibly better to buy your water, and in doing so, help finance large scale resource management by your supplier. If it's to reduce reliance on utility suppliers, then it depends how much it's worth to you!

Ok, you've got a bit of planning time then! If it's just for short duration site visits (assuming you have some services on site), then anything better than a tent is a bonus. My view would be to keep it simple, ventilate well, and light the wood burner when it's chilly.

Hi. Don't know what your situation is re: build route, but you should consider whether a 'side project' is really going to be a realistic option if you're going to be anything like hands-on through the build. If you need it fully plumbed and wired, then +1 for the static caravan option. Live in it for the duration of the build, then sell it to finance your dream shepherds hut if it's still on your wish list!

Just tried concrete screws into block work for fixing battens but didn't get on with them (kept stripping the pilot hole out), so went back to screws and plugs. Maybe what you need are 'concrete ceiling anchors': https://www.screwfix.com/p/fruilsider-suspended-ceiling-anchor-one-size-60-x-6-x-6mm-100-pack/8349t

Not sure what sort of look you're aiming for, but in our previous place we had a brick hearth that looked good. Now we have a wood burner on 12mm tiles on top of screed that BC were happy with.

Your trading relationship would be with the installers so I don't think the manufacturers would have any obligation to you directly, and I'd suggest that if things are going t!t$-up, there is nothing to say the installer will have made any payment to the manufacturer towards your order anyway. 'Section75' credit card protection might be the easiest way to get some security; break up the purchase in to chunks < £30k, and pay a deposit on a credit card for each? @newhome: snap!

Good choice. For balance, I ordered enough panel boards for two showers (Mermaid trade I think). I did one, and returned the rest... (visible joints, difficult to fit full floor-to-ceiling lengths). It pi$$es me off every time I look at it, but I'll have to live with it for a while. Much happier with the other one I had tiled. The rest of the rooms are just skimmed and painted, with the exception of approx 150mm splash-backs; its ok, but doesn't match the look of fully tiled.

Yep, we've just had a new branch open nearby, much more convenient than the branch my account is with. I said I'd transfer to them if we could stop dicking about with pricing, but it seems to be company policy...

Building regs require the area under the block and beam to be ventilated I believe. I'm sure there are other options but anything 'non-standard' is hard work locally in terms of expertise and willingness to break the mould, so we're piled with a ring beam. We're probably about 500mm out of the ground for FFL (300mm above adjacent road). On the plus side, no muck-away, and room for 175mm of PIR on top of the block and beam.

In our case, unstable ground conditions (fenland) coupled with a flood risk assessment requiring elevated finished floor levels.

As above: easy enough to open an account just as a self-builder, but in practice I've bought very little from them as their pricing 'game' is such a pain in the arse, and it's generally been easier to buy better elsewhere. Got a good deal on some discounted skirting and architrave though...

Anyone had any experience of UK Timber in Corby please? I'm about to buy some Siberian Larch bevel cladding and I think they've got some pretty sharp prices.

It might be a bit of a pain in the arse to sort out, but I can't see it being a big cost. I'd speak to the Land Registry first. If they cant sort it internally, engage a solicitor (not a conveyancer for anything other than bog-standard..) to register the land as yours using the evidence you've provided here. A few weeks and a couple of hundred quid later and this will be just a bad dream... ??

What you have there are double-hung sliding box sash windows, with secondary glazing fitted internally. I can't see much merit in trying to insulate the reveal between the glazing systems if that's what you're suggesting; perhaps better ensure that your sliding sashes are fitting properly and fit draught seals. It's possible to replace the parting bead with a flexible seal, and rebate a weather strip into the outside of the top rail on the bottom sash to help keep draughts out, and then make sure the secondary glazing is sealed properly. And fit thick curtains.

No. 50?

Hmm. It's generally considered unsporting to shoot a pheasant on the ground. I guess exceptions could be made, if maybe you used, say, a blow pipe to give it a chance...

Hi, and welcome aboard. It's great that you don't expect any issues with planning permission; on balance I'd suggest that's probably the minority experience! There's a wealth of experience here, but a lot more detail is required to give you any meaningful advice. Are you able to tell us more please?

I reckon you need to get yourself round some other sites and see what $h!t some of 'the professionals' call acceptable. Then will you be able to appreciate what a dog's bollocks job you're doing! I think a lot of us diy'ers torture ourselves over minor detail, simply because we don't have the experience to know what's minor and what isn't. That's where the collective Buildhub wisdom steps in...?

Just made a switch, and today's joint lucky winner is.... @JSHarris Thanks Jeremy, and apologies to the Octopuses; close, but no cigar...

Fair enough, but my point was that the RHI wasn't a significant part of the decision making process, and any payment is considered a bonus. Focussing on pure economic grounds is fine for a theoretical debate, but as you know, practically, many other factors come in to play. In this neck of the woods, we're not exactly at the cutting edge of plumbing and heating technology (..they're still whingeing that they can't use lead anymore...), and I'm happy that I couldn't have got my house plumbed, an ashp system and all sanitary-ware installed in an appropriate timescale for significantly less than I paid. A 'non-MCS' install wasn't really even an option. That's not to say it can't be done, just that I couldn't do it, after factoring in all else. I have no doubt that my plumber added himself a nice bonus to the cost, but it appears that's standard practice for quotes for self-builders. Some you win, some you loose... Anyway, I offered-up my costs to the community on request, and hope that other folk can save a few quid on that!

No. I spent £17k to get my house plumbed and heated so I could live in it.

Heat pump is 16kw split system for heating and hot water. I suspect it's oversized as the plumber couldn't get his head around anything but bog standard building regs (originally, he wanted to install 2 heat pumps; 14kw for heating, plus 4kw for hot water). The heat pump wasn't itemised, but the total cost was about £17k. That includes all of the plumbing inc fitting bathroom stuff that we sourced, ufh downstairs with stats in each room, radiators upstairs, 300l cylinder.

We've recently had our ashp rhi application approved, which amounts to about £5.5k over the next 7 years (270 sq m, EPC A). I just consider it as a bit of a bonus for building an airtight, well insulated house!

I used 40mm of pir on external walls (as I was lining the inside of the timber frame with 40mm), and the edge roll stuff on the internals with 50mm poured screed. The screening guys ok'd it (in fact, they fitted it for me). It's been down over a year and it seems fine. At the risk of stating the obvious, depending on how you're building, you might just need to bear in mind that the perimeter insulation thickness will limited by your internal wall/skirting finish, unless you're floor coverings will be ok laid on a strip of insulation round the edges!