ProDave

Not related to your question but I would be very uncomfortable with a sub floor level lower than the finished ground level. I am not even sure building regs (at least here in Scotland) allow that. In our case the water table can rise almost up to ground level and unless perfectly tanked that would fill with water, and may then sit there for a very long time before it drains away.

I have a stream instead, Unless it gets blocked downstream it just takes all our water away.

Okay my thoughts. Forget a thermal store. That forces you to store the water hotter than the temperature you want from the tap, so harder for solar thermal to work (if that is your chosen route) and higher standing losses. Instead use an unvented cylinder. the water temperature in the tank is how hot it comes out of the tank. You only need to store water and say 47 degrees, I actually have mine at 48 degrees and that is hotter than I can hold my hand in for more than a few seconds, so why would you want it hotter? I chose a 300L unvented HW tank. That might sound large, but given you are storing it at "usage temperature" so it's not getting diluted with cold very much, I would say that is only just enough when the "ladies" decide to shower in sequence. How to heat it. Well you can still fit solar thermal, but that only really works under certain conditions and as mentioned has maintenance issues. So how about an air source heat pump. that is what I have, which does heating as well. That is quite happy heating water to 48 degrees. I also have 4Kw of solar PV. That has a (home made) automatic diverter that sends any surplus electricity (that would otherwise be exported) to the immersion heater. I have the heat pump timer set to come on at 10AM by which time there will be at least some useful solar PV generation. The last part of the jigsaw is how to cope with unexpected high demand. What if all the hot water has been used up and you hear the shout "my shower has gone cold". Well in line with the output of the HW tank is a Stiebel Eltron modulating 10Kw electric water heater. Most of the time the water passes through this without being heated, but if the water temperature starts to fall short of your target temperature, then this heater will heat the water real time and save those embarasing "shower gone cold" moments.

I was going to say he does not have a "TV Voice" but listening to some on the tv these days that no longer seems to be a requirement.

Re taxing the "Rich" more: In Scotland, Higher earners already pay more than in other parts of the UK, as the Scottish have at last started using their tax raising powers, and when England raised the higher tax rate threshold, Scotland did not. Surprise Surprise, the increased tax revenue was less than predicted. Could that be because it is a disincentive to work harder, and those that can, have "moved" their income to England?

But with appropriate "semi risers" (someone will know the correct term) and handrails that design could be compliant.

Well knowing rebuild cost is more than build cost, I am near certain that my land value is £0 So my new land tax once council tax is replaced will be £0 then. I will believe that when it happens. That just shows how Londen / SE the thinking is by the authors.

A "grand designs" non BR compliant stair.

300mm will cast a shadow from wall cupboards.

My personal preference. Lights above the kitchen worktop should be 600mm out from the wall,. Having them as far out as your plan shows, risks you working in your own shadow. We have 5W LED's spaced every metre along the worktop and above the island and that is plenty. Only 7 5W LED's in our kitchen in total and it never seems wanting.

Why is the skirting not touching the wall? Rough bottom edge of plaster? I would be scraping that off flat. I am probably in the minority that I would fit carpet first and then skirting. Any future carper will be easier to fit as it has a gap to tuck under.

Don't forget the capital gain tax rules on letting a former main residence are already being tightened next April, with Letting relief gone, and primary residence relief limited to just 9 months after you more out. It is looking increasingly likely that I might face some level of CGT when our old house eventually sells, and it fills me with dread that if the present tenant does not end up buying it, I will have to evict them and put it back on the open market, and then be taxed for that heinous crime of owning an empty property, when all I have wanted for the last 5 years is to sell the damned thing.

Well your "pod" would be a portable building so should be exempt. I don't think building regs have an issue about a portable building being up on a platform.

A pod won't need PP as it's a single storey garden building. But there is a height limit from the ground on a permitted development garden building, which your pod would surely exceed if it happened to be on top of a car port.

Most roofers I see have a fixed length roof ladder that often extends beyond the bottom of the roof.

Hi and welcome. That looks to be an interesting project, we look forward to it happening.

Yes my concern is someone later working on the roof. The point loading of say a roof ladder on the bottom couple or rows would likely break some slates.

I have skim read that document and frankly it makes depressing reading. It will result in far fewer private landlords, so they had better damned well hope they really put into place nore social housing building. It will result in taxes on ordinary home owners moving home. They even admitted someone moving home might not even be able to afforrd a new house of the same value. So people won't move home and it will result in an illiquid housing market and more people putting up with a house that is too small because they will be taxed if they dare to move. And the idea of selling the land to a trust and then paying rent for it. The example quoted leaves the "owner" of the house paying over £500 per month rent for the land forever. So in that model you had better start putting more into you pensions to keep on paying that land rent long after your mortgage is paid off. Sadly it is what I expect from the present Labour government. And even more sadly, with the present turmoil in politics, there is a real chance they might get into power and try to implement this. This and other predicted changes mean imho the next labour government might harm the UK economy more than the B word that we shall not speak of.

I did floors last as I didn't want them messed up with plaster muck. As long as you know the floor make up you know where to stop the plasterboard, and the plasterer won't skim lower than that.

Yes. In England and Wales you would need part P sign off by the electrician. You don't even need that here. The DNO are only interested in the size and make and model of the inverter, they don't ask for any installation paperwork.other than a drawing of the installation and details of where the inverter and isolators are located.

Wet room. Had / seen far too many cases of a shower enclosure leaking water outside the shower, and through the ceiling below. Never again.

Most axial bathroom fans are pathetic with a long run of pipe. you really need a centrifugal fan instead. Ceiling mounted ones tend to be bulky and ugly, so look for in line ones to go in the loft.

Hi and welcome, not too far from me, just over the other end of the A835

Please lets not turn this into a global warming thread. The thread was to alert people to the new export payment scheme for solar PV, let's keep to that topic please.

That is my concern. With no FIT and a low export payment, very few are going to take up solar PV just now. It really is enthusiasts and eco warriors only at the moment. Which is ridiculous if the government really want more take up of renewable energy. I think this export payment scheme is something they "have" to offer so people can't complain they are giving away their electricity for free, but it is an irritation for the industry so by making it complicated many won't bother.