Roundtuit

I know what you mean. It's not big things, but it's about treating other people's stuff with a bit of respect. As galling as it was, I came to the conclusion that I should expect everything on site to be considered as 'theirs to use' by trades. My wheelbarrow went off to another job and never came back. Plumbers left used teabags every where and burnt rubbish on site. Brickies even cut my broom handle down to use as a pointing tool ffs...

Agreed. I had a £1800 Transit Connect for the duration of the build, used daily too and from work and picking up stuff from merchants. Stick some roof bars on and you've got most eventualities covered. Just get aggregates delivered; if you've got an account with a merchant delivery is likely f.o.c.

Our planning permission stipulated finished floor level as 300mm above the road level. As above; get the house built first, then landscape as necessary. Build up any driveways with stone not topsoil, and consider banking-up ground around the house rather than trying to raise the whole site.

Turn your tarmac rake over and use the back maybe?

Wow; that's a self-build story! If I'm reading correctly, you've paid the extra cost, it's in a livable condition and you're considering how to get some cash back after being screwed-over? Sorry, cant help with specifics, but first thought would be that getting money back once paid - i.e effectively having agreed it's due - is going to be a challenge, and second thought is that it's a job for legal professionals. Many of us have ended up spending more than we'd planned one way or another, but I hope you've got the home you wanted. Only you can judge, but I'd be weighing up the potential gain, and cost of gaining it, against the benefits of writing it off to experience, drawing a line under it and moving on.

A couple of suggestions; - whack some lengths of thick re-bar in and wire the pergola to that. - plant the clematis in the ground; it will hold the pergola in position once it's established.

Perhaps they were originally planning to keep the property - annexe or holiday let maybe, so a separate water supply wasn't required. Not deliberately dodgy, but agreed, it needs sorting now. Water Authority asset maps can be a bit sketchy I believe. As you're already invested in this, perhaps start a conversation with your water supplier to try an get an indication of the implications and cost for a new supply.

I cant claim any expertise, but it doesn't look particularly dodgy to me. Plot addresses are frequently 'land adjacent to ...' or similar. Speak to Approved Inspectors Ltd and ask for a copy of the initial notice referred to in para 2, so as you can see the 'official' scope of works. If electrics/glazing was part of the notice, then I expect certificates were provided to the inspector prior to his sign off.

+1 for steel tarmac rake; they're built to last. Shovel the type 1 as much as possible or you end up raking the big stuff out and leaving the fines that bind it behind.

Had decided to go with 140mm blocks as 150's seem particularly difficult get hold of, but locally they're all measuring up at 130-135mm... Is there such a thing as a 'true' 140mm block?

Our local Buildbase (now Huws Gray) can only get me a full load they reckon, so it might have to be 140mm with 10mm of frame overhang into the cavity.

I'm finally getting around to building a garage and am planning to use a 150mm oak frame. Ideally, this would sit on a coarse of 150mm wide 7n concrete blocks as they won't be seen but am struggling to find any locally (only need about 65), and Google isn't much help. Can anyone suggest a source, or sensible alternative pls?

Have a look at other houses in the street to see if they've suffered any settlement perhaps. Historic settlement would have happened in the first few years I imagine. Is the water ingress linked maybe? Leaking gutters or downpipes affecting the foundations? That would explain more recent movement. Definitely a professional opinion required.

I lost a wheelbarrow too. Didn't realise it was a 'thing' until now. Keep an eye on Facebook market place for cheap 'disposable' wheelbarrows and use them to destruction; even when they're proper knackered you can often still salvage a spare wheel. Alternatively, save yourself the hassle and get whatever your local BM sells the most of, x2 (one barrow is never enough 😉)

Welcome aboard! The site is a fantastic resource; please chip in where you can.

Just to be clear; you want us to help you find a way to circumvent the boundary constraints you accepted when you bought the house?

It's fairly standard to discharge to a dyke around here, so shouldn't be a problem. I'd guess that you may have to go directly to the dyke rather than via a storm drain, so the roadworks sounds like the challenging part of the proposal. I believe you can mole 110mm pipe, so that might be cost-effective way of negating red tape perhaps?

It wouldn't be my first choice, but out of interest, why not? If the screw bites, does it matter whether the plug is timber or plastic, or a combination of both? The load will be vertical rather than trying pull the plug out wouldn't it?

As @joe90 suggested would be my first go. Plan B would be to put the screw in part way so you can pull the plug out using pliers on the screw, then start again.

Just buy a new one. Different product, but here's one I opened yesterday, best before 2019...

Corrected. You're welcome. Mrs Pocster

As above, BC and Planning are two different things, and you have to comply with both. I think your BCO has overstepped his remit somewhat, however well intentioned, and has got himself in the middle of an embarrassment. I'd have a candid conversation with the planning department, and start working out which of the remedies are cheapest...

As above, repaint until its covered. Whilst caulk is paintable, it tends to be a bit shiny and paint never takes quite as well as the wall. Not much help now, but that looks like a huge amount of caulk. I only fill the gap and wipe off all excess, rather than run a bead like you would silicon round a bath for example.

I'd guess that the only complication will be the size of the hole created by the stump removal, and the additional cost of shuttering for the foundations. If these are old stumps and rotten then additional work might be minimal. Even if they're relatively 'new' I can't see it being a a show-stopper. Removing trees in a conservation area is likely to require consent, but Leylandii is unlikely to pose a problem if you follow due process.

Just for clarity and best advice, what do you need to keep in your garden?