ProDave

I am just retiring from 20+ years self employed. If such a draconian scheme had existed I would not have remained self employed. It has been proven again and again that having a bit of paper does mot make someone good, just as not having that bit of paper does not make them bad.

It really is simple. Run an ASHP at a COP of 3 or better and the cost is comparable to mains gas heating. I expect very few people actually save money by switching to an ASHP. The problem with retro fitted ASHP's (boiler replacements) is to get a reliable COP of 3 or better you need low temperature heating which really means UFH or vastly over sized radiators. And that is where the problems start. Who wants to rip the whole house apart to fit UFH (and the under floor insulation that would be needed)? So most will stick with radiators, perhaps a bit over sized, but I bet they will still be running what most of us consider to be "hot" and with a poor COP. ASHP's should NOT be sold to the general public as a way to save money. Yes a way to reduce CO2 emissions but not a way to save money. That is just asking for lots of people to complain very loudly when they do not save money. When I chose an ASHP for my new build, it was not because I thought it was going to be cheaper. I am happy to settle for similar running cost. It was because there is no mains gas here and I did not want an oil tank in the garden.

How about this. Excuse the lousy picture. Build the extension as shown in yellow. It does not join the existing extension. Yes you have to go outside and then back in through a door to get to the new extension. Then later (with PP) build the link, which is little more than put a door on the back and a roof over the link. Easy if the foundation work is done at the time of the main build.

What happened to the idea of build it so the new extension does not quite reach the old extension so it would qualify? Then later apply for PP to bridge the tiny gap between the two PD extensions? Build footings etc to allow that right from the start.

Not if we are talking of plasterboard boxes. Appleby every time for me. Some of the others are complete rubbish.

That will do no good whatsoever like that. Whoever fitted it does not understand. Unscrew the wall end, it will pivot on it's bracket. Turn it 90 degrees and fix it to the wall over near the window. I would expect it to be teloscopic, but if not lets prey the installer has not already cut it too short to now reach the other wall.

The point is, the fixed pane of glass, is supposed to have a stabilising bar from the visible bracket on the top of the fixed pane near the joint to the hinged pain., across to the wall the other side of the shower, in this case near the window. That seems to be missing, in which case it will wobble like a jelly.

Now i have seen the picture, even if that particular car moves, another one will promptly fill the vacant space. The only way you will "reserve" that space for the workmen is park your own car there, and don't move it. I can see this will be an ongoing battle even when built, there will be a lot of resentment that you have taken 1 "public" space away in order to create 1 private space for you. I expect you will frequently find it blocked, sometimes blocking you in sometimes blocking you out. Been there done that when i lived with my parents, frequently had to call the police to get a car moved to get out. At least the double yellows meant they could slap a parking ticket on it as well as move it. But if there are other cars parked right up to it. they can't just push it down the road a bit, so unblocking your drive will probably require a truck to come and lift it. Best of luck but I fear you have a bumpy ride ahead.

Why is your proposed soil pipe so low in the ground it is going through the concrete? or are you doing full trench fill, if so why? Generally a soil pipe wants to leave the building as high as possible (minimum allowed height below ground) leaving you maximum scope for fall on the drain to it's destination. In every case I have seen this puts the soil pipe through the blockwork, not the concrete in the trench, and it is simply bridged with a lintel.

Will you get a building notice in time to start that quick?

Do some careful and accurate measuring to locate EXACTLY the opposite side of that wall. It might be the lesser of 2 evils is then cut a section of plasterboard out of that wall to give you access. Much easier to replace the plasterboard and fill the gaps than replace a tile. Or better still create a proper access hatch.

Just because something is all you can afford, does not mean you like it. I hated my first house, it was a tiny developer box with a tiny garden on an estate in a location with a poor reputation. But it was all I could afford. It served a purpose and it was 3 years before I was able to move up to something better, but moving to something better was always the plan. Thankfully there are enough people happy with estate living to make it work

In the mean time, if the do move the car, immediately park YOUR car there.

No reason why not, but I would not. I would just run cables to the ones you can with a spur running off ready for the next stage, long enough to reach it's eventual destination and terminated so it is safe until you are ready for the next phase of the job.

I am wanting to buy timber for decking and my car port. Is the consensus I should wait as long as possible for prices to drop a bit more? Our local saw mill is now next to useless, i don't think they actually saw anything any more.

Then the installer needs shooting. There should be some kind of access panel, Nothing from behind in say a cupboard?

Add some more £££££ for dealing with those electricity cables.

That plinth looks like a problem waiting to happen. Huge potential for a small imperfection to allow water into the cavity there.

Has a rear extension been built and the end of the extension roof is now sitting on the reiforced bit?

Thankfully the majority of people consider living in a housing estate box with a small garden and lots of neighbours in close proximity and insufficiant parking to be "normal" and all they aspire to. Right from an early age that was not what I wanted and I am finally living where I want in theo cuntryside.

We are happy with 20C in the living rooms but prefer about 18 in a bedroom, which is why the bedroom window spends a lot of time open. The BIG difference with a passive or passive principle house is the internal temperature never changes quickly. So forget the old concept of heating on when you are in the house and heating off (and let the house cool down) when you are out at work. It simply won't cool down any meaningful amount.

Unless it's high off the ground, which you don't want, you can give the joists as many intermediate supports as you like, and 4*2 would do nicely.

I take it that existing brown pipe through under the wall and it's rest bend are old (you say it's a renovation) so not a case of someone making a mistake but trying to find the best way to work with what was there.

Is the boss actually above or below floor level? Can't tell from a picture looking down.

So it is a split unit. How do you know the noise is originating from outside unit?