ProDave

I took my Landrover out for a run once, and a mouse poked his snout out from behind the dashboard.

On that size room, I have 2 pipe loops, so would be using a 2 port manifold.

Don't for one minute think all your PV generation is going to be used up by the fridge, mvhr etc. I have the same, 4KW of panels, and a 3.68Kw inverter and I only just use 95% of what I generate by very deliberately using the things like washing machine, dishwasher, tumble dryer one at a time in the daytime. And a dump controller to send excess power to the immersion heater. So in the summer you would barely be using any off peak. Would it be worth the extra standing charge and higher daytime rate? Also if you are thinking of an ASHP think about using an unvented cylinder rather than a thermal store. A thermal store needs water at a hotter temperature, which an ASHP is not going to do very well, if at all.

In Scotland, you do indeed keep building to the building regs in force when you started, but ONLY if you keep extending the building warrant, I have extended mine twice now. At each extension BC want to know what stage you are at and the reason for extending. At 10 years since start I very much doubt the original building control has been extended, and if you let it lapse it would be a new building warrant to current regs. At least in Scotland.

It looks like the foundations have been built for a brick / block cavity wall, with a narrow cavity. You would have real problems now trying to build up on that as a brick / block build as you would now need a wider cavity to get enough insulation in. A timber frame might be feasible on that, with a brick outer, thin cavity and timber frame on the inner leaf. The issue there is most timber frames are now 147mm wide to get enough insulation, but the inner foundation leaf is only 100mm wide. I have seen a 147mm frame built up on a 100mm inner leaf before and building control accepted it, but it is something you would have to check with your building control. This will of course mean all your rooms will be a little smaller as the walls will be thicker to get enough insulation. As already noted you will need insulation on top of the B&B floor so factor in your raised floor level when submitting revised plans to make sure the planning permission reflects the slight increase in the buildings height. I would seek some form of comfort letter from building control that they did inspect the foundations are happy with them to be retained and build to continue from them. And check with the utilities the position of services, in particular water, drainage and electricity.

There is no reason they should need re gassing unless there is a leak. Perhaps this is the "problem" with pre gassed units that they can be installed with no professional input and no leak testing?

Or is it like a certain check trade type site that deletes bad reviews?

Who is going to be the first so submit to a Fishcher salesperson, in order to find out the price of their unit?

Your builder is indeed confused. CIS is the "Construction Industry Scheme" The 20% deduction he makes under the CIS scheme is NOT VAT it is income tax. I am enrolled under the CIS scheme and if I do work on a new build as a subcontractor, the contractor deducts 20% income tax from what he pays me. And then on my tax return I declare that amount as CIS tax paid. The contractor needs to know my UTR (unique tax reference) so he can say who the CIS tax has been deducted from. So the CIS bit is completely irelevant to you. If the builder is not VAT registered he will have no choice but pay the VAT on materials with no way of recovering that, so it is probably better for you to buy the materials so you can eventually claim the VAT back, and fot your builder to just charge you labour only which because he is not VAT registered will not have any VAT added. But it does sound very odd indeed with a turnover in excess of £200K that he claims not to be VAT registered.

CPC have some, here is there smallest / cheapest one https://cpc.farnell.com/airconditioningcentre/kfr-26yw-x1c-m/black-wall-split-air-con-unit/dp/HG0073606?ost=HG0073606&ddkey=https%3Aen-CPC%2FCPC_United_Kingdom%2Fsearch They seem to be inverter driven with a Panasonic compressor. Only has 4 metres of pipe. I have often wondered about these but I assume the units are pre gassed and the connecting pipe either pre gassed as well or evacuated and they must have pre fitted push fit self sealing connectors. As such I suspect the hole needed will be dictated by the connector size and of course there is no details about that in the data sheet. EDIT: I may be talking BS here, just seen that this unit must be installed by an F Gas engineer so probably not pre charged. Back to the drawing board. This is what ebay throws up https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TCL-12000-BTU-WIFI-Smart-A-easy-fit-DC-Inverter-Wall-Split-Air-Condit-iQool12/143003395499?epid=4016472121&hash=item214baaa5ab:g:fTAAAOSw2h9c-oyj Definitely pre charged but still says needs an F gas engineer. Talks about pre flared ends on the pipe so some form of compression fitting? But surely that means the pipes are not evacuated so a small amount of air will get in the system?

I would have a serious talk with the vendor and see if you can buy one of the plots where work has not started, make the offer subject to getting PP reinstated. It will be less of a problem and gives you freedom for your design, without having to undo any previous work.

I am glad our old house, currently rented, already gets an EPC C How will they force owners to upgrade? or will this just be a requirement for selling a property, so if you have no intention of selling you don't have to bother?

Yes I know all about "events" our sorry saga is still dragging on with no definite end in sight.

Hi and welcome to the forum My guess is the vendor built the foundations to lock in the planning permission by "starting" That won't stop you changing thee plans but a new planning application will be needed. He probably did that as 10 years ago was the financial crisis and he probably thought nobody would buy it then, so had to do something to ensure the PP did not lapse. I would contact your building control and also ask the vendor if building control had any input into the building of the foundations. You want to be sure building control are happy with what has been built so far before you proceed. the one thing that would concern me is that is a block and beam floor, I would want to know if there is any insulation underneath it. I would be assuming not and designing the build to have insulation above the B&B floor. Also find out about services, has it yet been connected to the drains or is that still to be done etc etc.

I would be buying a sailing dinghy to keep on that loch. Nothing fancy something like a wanderer or GP14

Well here is a "ball park" example. My house has a U value of about 0.14 for just about all walls floor and roof. Total heating cost for last winter was £234, ASHP and under floor heating. This is in the Highlands, a less harsh climate the cost would be less. If the extra insulation halved that heating bill, so say £118 saving per year, then at a £5.5K cost, then it would take 46 years for the energy saving to payback the extra cost. Even if it reduced the heating bill to £0 it would take 23 years to pay back the extra cost. This is the law of diminishing returns.

Our planners were really bothered about symetry and I had to move a few windows about to keep them happy, so I would say the plans need to show the windows to the correct size and location.

Probably part of a drain run and that other object might be a vent?

Can you clear the weeds away and take a closer photo, one showing it's profile as well? It still looks looks like some old gardening trowel from that photo. What's the half profile of a rounded square thing? is that part of an inspection chamber lid?

I am not sure being mentioned on Watchdog is a good thing?

I looks like an old gardening tool. Is that what we are supposed to be looking at?

I would guess there is a lot of flex in that body, you might need to stiffen it up to make a proper camper out of it. As long as you are old enough to have a 7.5t licence (or take the test to get one) I can't see a problem. I am not sure all camp sites will be happy with the size of it though? Out of interest, what did you pay for it? On the subject of alternative accomodation, there is a self builder near here living on site in a Yurt. Aparantly the council tax man has visited and said there is no council tax due for that.

What about Hempcrete, been featured on Grand Designs.

Only just saw the video. Right at the start, what is that mass of water running down the roof about 4 tiles in from the end? Is there some form of valley further up putting a lot of water onto one point?

Replace with high capacity gutter that has a deeper profile.