ProDave

I borrowed the float on a very long arm (someone will tell me the proper name) to float ours.

Reminds me when I was an apprentice. Someone asked if he could book a sick day. For tomorrow.

I would actively be avoiding loft time in this weather. I guess you like it hot?

Built in ovens seem more of a standard size, but then there are built in microwaves like this one, only 382mm tall https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/household-appliances/cooking/microwaves/hotpoint-mn-314-ix-h-built-in-microwave-with-grill-stainless-steel-10151127-pdt.html

It only needs to be a microwave, but I have not yet found a proper built in microwave that does not have something else as well. As I say a pretend built in MW like this does not cut the mustard. https://ao.com/product/bmis3820-baumatic-microwave-stainless-steel-42229-50.aspx

That would be a big improvement on what Howdens are offering.

Microwave gets used daily. We just don't want a free standing one any more, and it must be a proper built in one.

Budget £0 or as close to. Style, well just about everything seems to be stainless steel and smoked glass. e.g Howdens offerings Microwaves: https://www.howdens.com/appliance-collection/ovens/?p=OvenType:Integrated%20Microwave%20Ovens,| Ordinaty Ovens https://www.howdens.com/appliance-collection/ovens/?p=OvenType:Single%20Electric,| Obviously wants to be a matching pair. Don't want to go "too basic" as the main single oven does at least need to be a fan oven and have a timer.

The trouble is, as we have been finding looking, there is no such thing as a standard size combination oven, or even a standard size singe fan oven. In order to buy the oven unit for the kitchen, we need to know the size of the appliances, and that really means buying them as there is no guarantee they will remain constant. We don't want to compromise the quality, i.e a pretend built in microwave (free standing unit with a surround plate) is out of the question.

We have been holding a "review" and it is abundantly clear the pot is about to run dry again, something I will have to address in another thread in due course. So we have now changed tack to what do we NEED just now and what can wait. We don't want to compromise the ultimate finished kitchen, so in terms of units, we can only go with whatever discounts we can negotiate, there is no room to alter that unfortunately. What we have decided, is the granite worktop will have to wait. We simply don't have the funds for it just now. Instead we will fit a basic laminate worktop and a basic inset stainless steel sink. Those will not be wasted, whatever we fit in the kitchen now, will ultimately end up as the worktop and sink for the utility room at some distant time in the future, when we will eventually get the granite worktop in the kitchen. With that, the purchase of the boiling water tap will go for now, just a basic mixer tap that again will end up as the utility room tap. We won't buy any sort of cooker hood just now, that will wait. I have a gas hob that is not the one SWMBO wants, but has agreed that we can fit it, for now. That is going in a wooden worktop so when eventually we get the hob she wants there will be no problem enlarging the hole if needed. I am going back to Howdens tomorrow having primed them with the fact we can't afford it, to see what savings or discount they have come up with. So appliance wise, we just have to source a matching pair of oven and microwave / combination oven at a sensible price. That is the next "forum challenge"

That depends where you are. Up here Open Reach supply armoured phone cable and tell you to bury it direct. I only used duct for it under the road crossing.

Back of envelope calculations Assuming you can store and use 6KWh of electricity every day, @12p per unit that will save £0.72 per day That's a saving of £262.80 per year. At a cost of £5345 that would take 20 years to pay for itself. I doubt you would really store and use 6KWh every day, especially in winter so savings would be less. Will the batteries really last 20 years? Not there yet I am afraid.

The latest is they are sending a new circulation pump. I will fit that when it gets here and hopefully should have the flow meter to fit as well. If that doe not fix it, the manufacturers service engineer will come. But they want the replacement pump fitted and tested first.

I don't like the idea of a wet solum and poor ventilation means it will be very humid under there, putting any timber at risk. I would want that sorted, and a vapor barrier and some gravel to hold it down would be the easiest, pour a concrete slab would be better. Then whatever you do in terms of insulating the floor it will be in a less damp environment.

If you are going to lay a vapour barrier to stop moisture from the ground making the sub floor void damp, I would think some form of gravel would be better to weigh it down, rather than sand, which would probably just end up being permanently damp and not solve the issue.

Sorted. That one ordered. Came down to £349 with a discount code, and remarkably, free delivery all the way up here. Buildhub. The forum that likes to save you money.

The "target" is to get one, delivered, for £449 or less so I can stop feeling cheated. So those are too expensive I am afraid. The Silver one from AO will do that is SWMBO finds the colour acceptable.

I will run it past the boss. We were looking at the white version of that, which AO have for £497 (plus £50 delivery to us) Perhaps colour is the compromise we need.

The integrated ones tend to be 60cm wide only, and you add another £300 for a cupboard to wrap round it. The FF is going on it's own, not next to the kitchen units so there is no merit in having it integrated into a unit.

The ovens are not such an issue. Actually Howdens have a better choice than any single shop I have seen, I just need to see how much room for maneuver they have in the prices when I go back. The issue is turning out to be the Fridge. That has been subject to a lot of discussion. SWMBO now does not want a double door American style thing, they are "too big" But nearly all the upright FF's are 60cm wide or less and just too small and just look too tall and skinny. We found this Beko one that is 70cm wide and has a lot more volume. If we can get it for the £449 it was previously on sale for, we would buy one. Nobody local has it. Can't find it on line. There are a few on ebay but down south and collection only. The blood boiling thing is it is now on "clearance sale" for £499. If only that stupid woman would do it for £449 we would buy it, I feel I am being ripped off, being asked to pay more than a recently advertised normal price for a clearance sale item. This is as much a matter of principle than anything else. Oh and the REALLY stupid thing, they also had the new model that is replacing it. Exactly the same body and interior, just slightly different designed doors. £300 more. Forget that.

Okay in this case not perhaps so much of "high street" but a shed. So we are shopping for the kitchen. On our shopping list is a big fridge/freezer. A matching oven and built in microwave or combination oven. A built in dishwasher. An island cooker hood. A gas / electric hob. You would think there was enough there to get any shop manager drooling with excitement and wanting to relieve us of our hard earned for that little lot. Well sadly there only appears to be one outlet in town that might sell that lot, Curry's / PC world. So we have been there tonight. What a thoroughly miserable experience. Lets start with the Fridge / Freezer. We saw the one we liked a few weeks back at £449. That wasn't marked as a sale item, just it's normal price. Today it is marked as end of line sale for £499. The spotty faced assistant was no use so we asked for the manager. A sour faced lady appeared and offered us £20 off the £499. I told her we wanted it for £449. Nope no deal to be had. Ovens. Well they had a number of built in conventional ovens, but not a single built in microwave or combination oven. Another dead loss. Cooker hoods. About 4 back to wall hoods, but not a single one for an island. We didn't bother looking at dishwashers. So here we are, a couple expecting to buy all the kit for a new kitchen, they could not sell us a single item. Their shoddy stock and even more shoddy attitude to pricing and customers means I vote they should stop wasting retail space and close down, the sooner the better. Off to buy our stuff on line now.

Self build insurance is exactly what you want. It covers your public liability, employers liability, and the buildings at whatever stage of construction up to a finished building. No need to keep adding or subtracting anything.

our supply would have done that in less than 30 minutes

I did, and it was pretty clear. But I'll bet the bottom of the willis heater tube has some crud in it. And no way to drain that.

There can be no sensible debate about MMGW unless you include in that debate the NUMBER of people on the planet. That is the taboo nobody wants to mention. So do we reduce pollution per person, the number of people, or both? I still WANT battery storage, but it needs to be an economic decision.