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We are laying a path around the back of our house and thought these gravel stabiliser grids might a) make it easier to clear leaves off it with a leaf blower (we have a huge beech tree right above) and b) make it easier to walk on. Does anyone have any experience of these and any favourite brands? We have been googling and found Core Path, Nidagravel, Gravel grid and Naylor Metropane. Some are shallower than others (Core Path only 18mm vs 40mm for the others) so gravel usage varies too. Any others to note? Any top tips please?

Thank you. It’s still looking like new. It’s Durapost kit. Some good install videos and a very helpful customer service. We’ve got some spare bits if you are thinking of the same colour....... We are in South Oxfordshire - where are you?

Thanks. That’s what we are going to try. Will post the result.....? Thank you. Just for you, here’s the full wall.......we like planning our runs and cycles from the wall now......

That was a weird website ? but jali.co.uk was better!! Looks like a door isn’t too bad price wise, but doesn’t satisfy my need to use up all the timber I have left over. Looks like we might be able to do something similar to use up bits of left over oak. For the frame we have enough. No floor boards for the door though. Hence the 6mm oak board stuck to mdf idea. Might just give it a go.....

We always thought we’d make our under stairs area look neater by putting a cupboard door in. Now we have a window of opportunity with most other indoor jobs done so here we go. Thought we’d make our own to get the size right to fit the space and have a very large door to fit a human in easily. It’s about 700mm wide. I bought some 6mm oak boards. Thought we’d stick them to some mdf to make a door and build a frame. Is this a ridiculous idea? Will this door make up work? If so, would 20mm mdf work or thinner? And should we face the door on both sides for balance? Any joiners willing to offer advice please? And please feel free to shoot the idea down if it’s rubbish! Thanks

We also dodged a few on the way to where we’ve ended up. In hindsight they were the wrong plots but it was upsetting and frustrating each time. Hang in there. Something will turn up. In our case, it was an empty bungalow on a road we never knew existed despite having lived less than a mile away and looking for the best part of 8 years. You’ll get something.

we also had issues at outset with an ecology appointed valuer. He would not accept my spreadsheet of estimated build costs and insisted on a formal QS opinion on costings . These came back within 10k of my estimates (£170 on estimators online was the additional cost I recall) but ecology wouldn’t lend without that “professional” rubber stamp. on our valuation, he only valued the land which was valued substantially lower than the price we had already paid for the plot including the bungalow we intended to demolish. Fortunately the land value was high enough for us to borrow against it. But we did guide the surveyor on what we needed. still with ecology as not signed off. After the initial faff they have been great. so maybe go back and query whether his valuation is for the land only? And discuss what you are trying to achieve.

We did (and are still doing some of it) the following: some groundworks - putting ducts in for utilities Internal walls insulation and ply where needed internal ceiling insulation MVHR fit painting wallpapering fitting pocket doors fitting utility room cabinets and sink internal joinery including some stud walls, box outs, hanging doors, fitting stairs and balustrade and all skirting and window boards Tidying up site and lots of other little bits of labour (insect mesh to the roof, aluminium trim on the outside, varnishing all oak finishes) we left the big stuff (foundations, timber frame, roof, windows, plumbing, electrics and tiling) to the professionals. we were novices too but we are both ex-engineers with a positive attitude to problem solving, and both pretty handy in our own domains. Him doing all the joinery, for example, me doing almost all the sourcing and research and paperwork. And all the bloody painting. it has been brilliant fun and also very stressful. We lived on site so time not so critical as for you paying rent. Definitely a consideration.

We are another set of survivors from a static caravan on site. Now coming out the other end intact with a house that we have built. Can’t quite believe it! Also used Ecology and MBC and many other recommendations from people on this forum. We have gas (already on site and cheaper than ASHP and budget becomes an issue at some point). Underfloor heating downstairs only. Currently a very pleasant 18 degrees and heating hardly on. Good luck.

Top drawer of ours is missing a bit to allow for the waste. Bottom drawer had to be adapted a little.

We bit the bullet and went for some composite in the end. With aluminium posts. Love the look of it as it fits our modern build. Got some caps and a capping rail still to fit. Really pricey but it needs nothing more than a jet wash and I might do that whereas I’m not going to paint a fence every 2 years. @Ferdinand we did consider the graffiti risk. In fact our teenagers also said it. But it’s just as likely with a timber fence and we hope that it won’t be done. If it is then at least we won’t see it from our side (though I would be very cross) photo attached. I’m sure it will look even better when the paving and landscaping is done.

Wow. That’s been going on longer than our drama. Good luck in getting them nailed down.

A story with a happy ending. Vision AGI were receptive to paying for our third party costs and have paid up. Plasterer in Friday to cover the hole and then we paint. Good as new. Thanks everyone for the support and the words for the email. Phew.

Wow - it has been ages since this drama began. Lockdown has a lot to answer for. We have finally had the first stage of our repair done. Ceiling void re-insulated, air tight membrane replaced and sealed with air tight tape. Thanks MBC. We have emailed Vision AGI to request they reimburse us. Thanks to all the replies on here I have put some hopefully suitable wording in said email. We will see. We aren't charging for our own time in erecting a scaffold tower (luckily we have one), breaking out our own plasterboard, taking out all the sodden insulation, identifying and investigating the source of the leak. And we won't charge for our efforts in re-painting the repair when it is finished. Hopefully they will see sense and reimburse the third party costs we are incurring.......I'll keep you posted.

We have a Caple 3415 sink. https://www.caple.co.uk/products/sinks-taps-2/sinks/stainless-steel-sinks/mode3415/ Small side to drain things into if you have a bowl of water already run. Fairly small kitchen sink though as not planning on washing up in the kitchen very often. Takes up less worktop space. Perfect size for what we need it for. Larger sink (Ikea) in the utility room for large oven trays and muddy trainers and handwashing. No photos in-situ as I would have to clean it first!

Having full time jobs and two kids at the same time as project managing the build and doing a lot of the work ourselves in evenings and weekends. Managing cash flow has been one of many factors. Wouldn’t change a thing (it’s a good day today so I can say that!) but it has taken 2.5 years and we aren’t yet done though at least we have moved in. We have learned a lot, including about ourselves, and the pride we have has a value we can’t measure.

Welcome! My parents live in Derbyshire and I grew up there. Lovely part of the world. I wish you well with your build. we are coming out the other end of our build. Also a TF. To answer your specific question we have a Vent Axia Sentinel Kinetic High Flow. Installed ourselves with basic DIY skills and asking lots of questions and reading this forum. Just tested it and it’s working well. Got all the kit from BCP ventilation. Worth getting a quote from them. They sell other units too. And are a source of information too. Our price included the design which we were grateful for as newbies to MVHR. They’ll spec a unit for the house size.

I've also had issues during our build. With one company who did supply us I took to signing off the emails with my husband's name as I knew I would then get a response. Some men just prefer to deal with men. As we had already contracted them before I realised this I just did whatever I needed to get the quotes / agreements done. Once people came on site though it typically worked out pretty well. Being an ex-civil engineer with 2 years building site experience, albeit 20 years ago, certainly helped ask the right questions and get on the same level for a proper conversation. In the end, you choose people you can work with and it is really important that either of you can liaise with suppliers / trades / anyone coming on site as there will be occasions when you aren't both around.

I have answered my own question so will post the answer in case anyone else is affected. The Land Registry quickly responded to my enquiry. for a name change you need to fill out their form but no fee payable. You need evidence with the new property name ie council tax bill. You also then need to fill out a COG1 form for a change in communication address to your new names house. This requires ID for all parties. I have sent copies of passports etc and hope it will suffice. Again no fee payable. All gone recorded delivery yesterday so we’ll see.

That sounds positive. We are only looking to go down one band too, in line with all the neighbours. At the Band G vs Band H level it is a material monthly amount of money so definitely worth doing. I need to knuckle down to the research to put the case to them but fingers crossed they won't put up a fight against us either.

Same here too. Contacted the council. A man came round and sat in our caravan, assessed that the house was demolished, and moved us onto Band A. We contacted as soon as we "moved in" (in reality, when the van was sold, as our planning permission stated that the van had to be gone before occupation) and the new house has been banded. No man came round this time. The van council tax is now stopped. I've got to challenge the new house banding is as it the top band (H) and no houses anywhere near us are in the top band and the monthly costs are extortionate. Another job to do.......

I am a bit confused and hoping someone can shed some light on a title deeds query. The CIL form 7 requires title deeds to be submitted. The land registry only has information regarding the bungalow that we demolished, and also for the land at that same location. It notes the presence of our new house (in that the name of the house is noted - new name, different to the old bungalow name). But there is no "information available". Do we need new title deeds to reflect our new house? If so, how do we go about that? I know several self builders have done similar knock down and self build so am hoping for some expert advice. Thanks

+1 to @Conor's post We had to switch from a residential mortgage to a self build mortgage, then demolish our bungalow, then start building. Ecology locked us in for 2 years. That has elapsed but we are still paying their stupidly high self build rate due to not getting sign off yet (and that is another story). Ecology wouldn't accept our estimate of build costs. We had to pay an official estimator to estimate it all (cost about £200). Turned out he was only £10K different to my estimates but his came on an official looking bit of paper rather than a spreadsheet ? Otherwise, Ecology have been great. Easy to draw down the cash needed. We are interest only. I did have to demonstrate sufficient savings at the point of approval. Time your switch carefully and make it as near as you can to your demolition. You don't want to pay those higher rates for longer than necessary.

We are another family who survived a caravan for 20 months in our case (one very hard winter and we are down south). 37 ft x 12 ft, 3 bedroom, us and 2 teenagers. Tight but do-able. Installed an insulated summerhouse the year before (garden building, no PP needed) where we stored our stuff (and now use as a summerhouse). Also had an old wooden playhouse where we installed a toilet (for anyone on site, and a second toilet for us), washing machine, tumble drier, kettle etc. Was brilliant to be on site and helped us fit the build around our jobs. Not sure whether we would have coped in a Covid lockdown situation though. The caravan was fine provided at least 2 people were out during the day! Not a lot of room for 4 people to "work from home" particularly if wet. We are in the house now, thank goodness, and closer to the end than the beginning. But still not finished. Use your time wisely now to plan / source things. I found that moving into the caravan was a mini project in itself. We had the caravan on the planning permission. Neighbours were pretty good. Caravan was the least of their issues. And it is now gone. Though selling it wasn't as straightforward as we had hoped. However, it was significantly cheaper than renting locally. And meant we were on site.

Hi, has anyone seen / used composite fence panels? Any feedback or thoughts? we have a 10 fence panel fence to replace. It’s alongside a public footpath. We are looking for something durable and low maintenance would be great. And something in keeping with a modern looking house. Saw composite ones on the internet and wondered what they are like?