ProDave

Well when the "flashlight" app on my phone tells me it wants updating? And WHY does the flashlight app use up some data? Some spyware built in it perhaps?

I am the opposite. I won''t let my stuff auto update for no good reason,. I will update something when it either stops working properly or I feel I need a new feature. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That is the cost of the actual building work. Mine went in at a rather low estimate as I intend (am) doing a lot of work myself and building control did not query it. So far my build cost has remained under the building warrant value, and if they ever query it I can show them exactly what has been spent on the build to demonstrate it is below the stated value on the building warrant.

There was another one up here. The planning policy starts with a general presumption against building in the hinterland (countryside) The exceptions are in an established settlement (the clause that allowed our PP) Some years ago a planning application for an isolate house was granted. It was obvious to a casual observer that they had taken a slice off a field, and it was not hard to predict, they would carry on slicing up the field one plot at a time. Sure enough 2 years later another application for the "next slice" which was refused. That went to appeal who refused it and also stated the first house should never have been given permission though they were powerless now to do anything about that one.

I don't see why not, depends what valves feed that radiator?

It needs connecting to the flow and return. I think others have already mentioned the potential for short cycling of the boiler if that is all that is demanding heat.

I really can't see that is going to be an issue. The reason for using larger pipe on a long run is lower pressure drop along that long run. you still have the larger pipe on the long run so I doubt you will notice any problems. I would let them write off the invoice and spend that on something else.

There is an exemption for self builders, but there are dragons out there. You MUST claim the exemption BEFORE you start ANY work.

It is very subjective. Planning here won't normally allow a full 2 storey house in the countryside, it's against the local vernacular, so insist on 1.5 or 1.75 storey. But I have seen one passed and built where the walls went up to about 2 metres upstairs with only the tiniest bit of sloping ceiling, way above normal head height.

I am reading this thread with interest. We included a balcony in both planning and building warrant. It is not built yet and will be one of the last jobs to be done so I can't add much to the topic. Ours will be fixed to the back of the house and supported on 2 timber posts, probably with glass balustrades so as not to block the views. I don't see it as a difficult thing to construct. Ours will be big enough for a couple of tables and chairs to sit out on.

Perhaps, but better to be warned now that in 6 months time reading @AnonymousBosch post on how to stop the "unwanted messages" that keep appearing downstairs.

One of the frustrations I find is looking for a tingumywhatsit when you know exactly what it looks like and does, but you don't know what it is called.

No I would not do that. Contents dropping at velocity into the left hand branch may end up in the downstairs loo if it is very close to the right hand branch. I think someone described it as "swapping contents" I would use 2 separate Y branches with the upstairs loo joining the stack higher up, so by the time it gets to the downstairs loo branch, it's direction of travel is well and truly downwards. The trouble is, it is hard to predict and you won't know until you try it, and if the results do prove "disappointing" you will have to change it.

I fitted a variant on that a "corner branch" and it works well. I recall a discussion here about using that for 2 toilets immediately back to back and the results were "disapponting"

What is your application for that. There can be some "issues" e,g if you are planning 2 back to back toilets with that.

I think it is even simpler. So very simply, a 1.75 storey upstairs will have a floor area the same as downstairs, accepting the edges of some rooms will have limited height. Whereas a 1.5 storey will usually have a boxed in "eaves" area and the floor area upstairs will be less than downstairs.

Are you over complicating this for the application? I would fit one of these https://www.hyco.co.uk/products/hot-water/speedflow They are supplied with an over pressure relief valve that must be connected to a drain (no mention in the instructions of a tundish?) And under some circumstances it may need an external expansion vessel. I know of at least 2 of these in use in an office environment with the one heater feeding the sink in the kitchen and the wash hand basin in the toilet. It sounds perfect for your application.

The "lower room temperature" with UFH stems from the fact that with radiators, in a room with a poorly insulated floor, the temperature at floor level will be lower. So when sat down, your feet will be in cool air so you will feel cold and turn the thermostat up. UFH gives a much more even temperature including being warmer at floor level so you won't feel as cold so can turn the thermostat down a bit. Whether that reduction in temperature (which will lower roof and wall heat losses) is enough to compensate for the higher heat loss through the floor depends on many things, it some cases it might, in others it might not. But if the floor insulation is marginal to poor, I suspect the running cost of UFH will be higher.

I think I am over sensitive to man made noise, as a result of spending my childhood living on a house on a very busy main road, that was never quiet (I could never go back to living in such a noisy location) When we first moved into out house, the only living room complete was the "kitchen / family room" so for the first 6 months we sat in there in the evening to watch tv etc. It really annoyed me the noise of the fridge starting up or the dishwasher running. I would not want that as my only living space. We now have the other living room complete and that is much quieter, away from all that noise. The tv in the "familly room" only now gets used if watching something while cooking.

I would work it the other way. You know your income, what is the maximum you can borrow? That less the plot price and service connections plus your savings is how much you have to spend on the build.

That is subjective, the slope of the roof starts at the bottom of the windows, so a bit lower than yours I think.

Something simple like a bifolding internal room partition so one end (with the stove?) can be closed off when you want quiet, but otherwise opened up. Changing to the gable end would probably require revised planning and certainly a revision to the building warrant. We also have 2 similar gable ends at the back to give more headroom to the 2 main bedrooms. I much prefer our arrangement to ordinary dormers. I first saw it on the Isle of Skye where it seems more common.,

Personally I would not want all the living space in the same room as the kitchen. Kitchens are noisy places, living rooms should not be. Personal choice of course but one end of the room would be divided by a wall to make a cosy snug if it were mine. I would want a gable end to give the upstairs bathroom more headroom, just like we have done:

Another vote for stick with radiators. I suspect with the insulation levels of the house, the UFH would have to run at a high temperature and that really would want a lot of insulation underneath it. Forget the multifoil stuff that won't add much. If it was as wonderful as claimed then insulating houses would be easy.

If I understand it, unvented has normal taps and can feed more than 1 tap. Vented are the type that go over a sink. The outlet spout is the vent, and the tap is on the input to the heater. So if you want it to be discrete and look "normal" it has to be unvented (which have a small built in expansion vessel)