garrymartin

You can definitely do it alone @Andeh assuming you have the skills, but you will also need a helper at various points for help with lifting, holding, etc. I built a 3.6m x 4.8m (external, excluding cladding) garden room with a garden store in 2018 with help from my wife. We kept the internal floor area under 15m2 as we were building close to the boundary, and the eaves height below 2.5m for the same reason. Hence no planning permission or building regulations requirement. It cost just over £12K at that time, but that included absolutely everything, including the 3m bifolds, all internal finishing and various sundry tools I bought to make it easier to build. It didn't include the cost of the insulated concrete base and the dwarf wall, as those costs were included in the garden design and landscaping bill.

The biggest IKEA Hemmes bathroom cabinet I can find still weighs less than 40KG. Even when loaded up, there are plenty of fixings that will work without you having to cut out plasterboard. As @Russell griffiths suggests, toggle fixings would work, but I prefer to use GripIt Plasterboard Fixings. They're available at places like Toolstation or Amazon, and come in varying sizes depending on the load you're fixing. The 25mm versions can handle 113KG - see https://www.gripitfixings.co.uk/

I believe the Part M document refers to "wall-mounted sockets" in relation to the minimum distances. AFAIK, floor-mounted sockets are still allowed, but always best to check with your BCO for their guidance.

It is. And if you have multiple different cabling uses (network, cctv, TV distribution, etc.) it comes in a wide variety of colours. It seems to be a favourite of many high-end installers.

I don't have detailed comparisons, but my understanding is that depending on various factors, it can be 50% to 200% or more expensive than standard double glazing. If you're really restricted from a listed building approval perspective, that may be something that's financially palatable though.

Oh, also, something else I learned on Buildhub from @Dan1983 is Astragal bars which are decorative, surface-mounted strips applied to both the inside and outside of double or triple-glazed window panes to create the authentic, subdivided appearance of traditional small-paned Georgian windows. They might be useful for your situation, given your original images.

Take a look at https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/adapting-historic-buildings-energy-carbon-efficiency-advice-note-18/ released in February 2026. I also recently learned about vacuum double glazing when I was looking at similar issues on listed buildings. Might be of interest if you can't get approval for standard double glazing. https://www.vacuumglazing.co.uk/landvac-enhance-heritage-vacuum-glazing/

CAT6 will do 10Gbps so long as the cable isn't very long (37-55m max generally). You can't go wrong with TruHD Cat 6 HDBaseT Cable - tested to 500MHz, so good for 10Gbps if needed. Details and pricing - https://www.fscables.com/products/cat-6-hdbaset.html Datasheet - https://www.fscables.com/sites/admin/plugins/elfinder/files/fscables/Datasheets/C6T00-E00.pdf

I'm not a user, but https://www.sunsave.energy/solar-panels-advice/exporting-to-the-grid/best-heat-pump-tariffs

Congratulations! It's been a privilege to follow along with you as the build progressed, and I'm sure you've given many people hope and inspiration for their own endeavours. May you have many happy years in your new home.

Errrr.... that was your photo they referenced @Benpointer 🤣

Benpointer on buildhub - "The ‘spaghetti’ in the bottom left corner is where all of our external service ducts come into the plant room. 17 ducts in total, including two spare at present, (I may have over-catered): 1. Power to ASHP 2. Power to garden 3. Water pipe to garden 4. Water pipe to workshop 5. Power to workshop 6. Lighting circuit - switched external lights 7. Data to workshop 8. Live power supply in (SSE - single phase) 9. Fibre in (Openreach) 10. Water mains in (Wessex Water) 11. Power to sewage treatment plant 12. PV panel in 13. PV panel in 14. Power to EV charger 15. Data for CCTV 16. Spare 50mm duct (to workshop) 17. Spare 50mm duct (to workshop)" You might also consider control cables for the ASHP ( @Russell griffiths suggestion) and data to the EV charger if not included in the power cable make-up.

Your continued progress and quality of work is quite inspirational. Good luck with moving in!

I've got another couple of choices in my notes... # Selectric FRB-4 2 Gang 47mm Galvanised Steel Back Box – Earths – Fire Rated **SKU** FRB-4 https://www.electricalsonline.co.uk/products/selectric-frb-4-2-gang-47mm-galvanised-steel-back-box-earths-fire-rated?variant=45425845403874&country=GB&currency=GBP # Niglon FR472 2 Gang 47mm Dry Lining Fire Rated Metal Back Box SKU: FR472 https://www.electrical4less.co.uk/product/niglon-fr472-2-gang-47mm-dry-lining-fire-rated-metal-back-box/

My notes say it's recommended to be not more than 2.5 TOG. Also in my notes, @JohnMo put it best from a physics perspective - "Insulated below at a higher thermal resistance to whatever is above the floor to ensure heat moves upwards not downwards". So whilst the ground-floor bedroom and sitting room might be OK sitting on 150mm insulation, you may find that your chosen carpet provides enough insulation on the first floor that the heat radiates downwards instead of upwards.

I'm with @G and J and @Conor with regards to using the bay window area as the access to a new master suite. I'd be inclined to see if you could lose a little more space in the existing bedroom so that you could run a wall of wardrobes opposite the bay window. It's currently shown as 1.37m - if you extended that by a mere 130mm you would have a 900mm corridor, and a 600mm deep bank of wardrobes. That way, your corridor becomes even more functional as a dressing room leading into your master suite. Depends on how close your existing bedroom door is to the stairs, but it might be possible. I would also look at differing arrangements of your master bed position, window position, and the ensuite "block" to create something that flows a little better and looks more pleasant visually.

OK. They will cut through a nail, but you reduce the working life of the bit. From the "Tech-Tips" at the bottom of the page - " When encountering a metal object, if possible reposition the drilled hole. Continued drilling with the Nail-Proof WoodBeaver will reduce it’s working life"

Armeg Nail-Proof Wood Beaver bits https://armeg.com/products/nail-proof-woodbeaver/ But, to be clear, they won't cut through nails; they will just survive hitting them. So once you hit a nail or screw, you either need to remove it or you need to re-position your hole.

Personally, I'd scrap the PIR and Impey Waterguard and put 60mm Marmox straight to the slab with tile adhesive (possibly another 10mm on top at 90-degree depending on existing floor height). Stick the UFH mat on top of that. A couple of conduits with temperature sensors in them (one for backup).Self-levelling compound over it (fibre reinforced). Tile on top of that. You'll probably end up very close to the height of your other flooring, and it will be a very straightforward buildup.

Does your plot have *any* permission on it? If not, you need to start right there.

The fantastic progress and quality results continue! If you've not just been incredibly lucky, and you're able to share, I'm sure everyone would love to know the process you went through to find and appoint your various trades.

It was just an example. To be honest, I don't know how they can sell a 25m extension cable with 2.5mm2 cores for that price. Costs more than that to buy just the cable! But heh, it's a UK company, and has both CE and UKCA marking. Might just be a bargain! (NOTE they also sell it as a kit with a 5kVA 110V transformer, so specifically for the purpose @saveasteading is looking to us it)

Something like this; 2.5mm2 3-core with 4 sockets https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Blue-Extension-Lead-Cable/dp/B0FVZH1JQD

The cable used in those is listed as 1.25mm2 - you should go for something much heavier duty. Minimum 2.5mm2 considering the distance and use.

Have you looked at different brands of pattress boxes? Perhaps another brand has the same layout holes?