ProDave

I don't know how to break this to you, but 147 square metre house, in surrey, for £100K, not a hope in hell. Our house is a similar size and will be in the region of £150K when finished. The only glimmer of hope I can offer is to try your best and be inventive. We were faced with a similar position with lack of funds and in our case a lack of appetite to borrow. We are 5 years into a slow build now, living in the house but it is not finished. I have had some extra capital from 2 unexpected sources, one was a small inheritance, and the other was upon turning 55 years old taking the 25% tax free lump out of a pension. Otherwise it has been a slow "build as we earn" process. the final completion should come soon (CV delays accepted) by claiming our VAT refund which should give close to enough to finish the build a bit quicker.

Very few of us get under £1000 per square metre, and that usually involves doing a LOT of the work yourself. That is what we are aiming for, but along the way the work I have done myself would have cost at least £30K if I had been paying someone else to do it. What do you have in your revised budget, and how much can you do? Obvious easy savings are budget simple kitchen and bathroom that you can always replace later on. Likewise with floor coverings.

Private rental has changed a lot over the years. When we bought our first 2 BTL's in 2003, you could then claim 100% of your mortgage interest as an expense and so offset the tax due. It used to be standard practice then that most landlords would maximise the mortgage on their rental properties in order to minimise the mortgage on their own residence, as you get no tax relief on that one. But there is a flip side for people like us with no mortgage. Our expenses are very small, mostly insurance, and a small amount of maintenance. So it does not amount to much. But on the tax return there is a box for people like us to "tick here to claim a flat rate £1000 allowance instead of actual expenses" which is more than our actual expenses usually adds up to, so of course we tick the box. And since legally with a joint owned property each co owner declares half the rental income on their own tax return, which means we both have a "tick here for £1000" box,

The the floor mounted tap on a box might then look too high over the bath.........

Don't forget if you are planning to convert the loft later, to size the MVHR unit and manifolds to allow addition of the upstairs vents later on.

How about a wall mounted bath filler rather than floor standing?

My Kitchen / diner is 7m by 5m so as it happens 35 m2 Mine is working just fine with one inlet at the kitchen end and one extract at the dining end. Both fed by twin 75mm ducts. I will eventually fit a recirculating cooker hood but I don't have one at the moment. So ithink you can forget the single duct extra inlet in the middle of the room.

What is the size of that living / kitchen / dining room?

I suspect the internal thermometer (2) is reading low. Can you see where it actually is and get your thermometer in EXACTLY the same place? But irrespective of that, there must be a parameter that lets you set the target temperature higher than 45 degrees.

So that looks like it is running to a target temperature of 40 degrees, or 45 degrees with the weather compensation on. What is the issue? If you want it hotter, set the demand temperature hotter

If it's just wanting to get a caravan past the bollards, could the caravan delivery wagon not back up to the bollards, then arrange the unloading ramps the other side of the bollards? It all comes down to are the bollards taller than the load deck of the wagon?

What is the actual width of that bridge? And the weight limit?

What's the extra inlet vent in the middle of the kitchen / diner for? I would have thought inlet at dining end and extract at kitchen end was enough. What is the stairwell thing? If there is a stairwell then there is an upstairs so where is the vent plan for that? Is it a bedroom at the moment with some plan in the future to convert the loft? Agreed put kitchen / diner vents on the centreline of the room, if for no other reason than aesthetics.

You could also argue why do I as SE pay pretty much the same NI as a PAYE employee? I don't get any SSP and in normal circumstances it is virtually impossible to go from SE to unemployed and claim any form of benefit.

I have seen statics as short as 20ft but they are not common. Even the smallest are 10ft wide, but when it's on a transporter that width is a few feet off the ground if that makes a difference. Here is ours arriving How about a large touring caravan, they are not usually over about 8 feet wide which might make all the difference?

Yes that is the coupling. Chamfer BOTH ends of the pipe really well, use plenty of lubricant, slide the slip coupling onto one pipe all the way over, offer the 2 pipes up and then slide it back. Don't forget to mark the pipe so you know how far to slide it back. And just to say it again a really good chamfer and plenty of lube.

Am I missing something? What you want is a slip coupling in that straight section, so you assemble the two ends then join together with a slip coupling. I would use a push fit slip (not even sure you can get a solvent weld slip coupling)

I can't now find a builders merchant that is still open, so getting materials is now next to impossible.

Since the SE grant is by invitation, perhaps any of us that get such an invitation should post here to say so. I have already had an email telling me about the scheme. Have you @pocster ?

That's my standard procedure now.

I must try that as every time I go to the local tip, the engine oil recycling tank is perpetually full so I bring it back again. I have several gallons of the stuff going begging.

Cat litter, but why so little of it?

I thought this was going to be like the ones on you tube where someone tries to take a tree down like that, and the tree lands on the truck.

Watching with interest. My little brain is struggling with how you get three products from 2 electrodes.

Take one of the covers off, you should find some copper pipe inside you can get the thermometer onto, or even onto the output pipe of the heat exchanger. Turn off all the weather compensation and just set it for a constant flow temperature.