Hecateh

I pressed the 'laugh' emoticon - then the 'sad' one and then the 'laugh' one. Could really do with an 'empathy but you have to laugh (or else you would cry)' emoticon but I'm not sure what that would look like.

Ask me tomorrow - paint spraying is starting then. No flooring down, only first fix electrics and plumbing

Seeing him now - so would I - he hasn't aged well but back in the day

Building control are to do with safety, efficiency etc, they are not at all concerned with the planning side of it

But that was 'THE REAL DEAL' Aiden's ok but 'he' was amazing. They didn't dumb down the accent (again the current Demelza is great but not a patch on the original. They don't make programmes like that no more!!

I'm proud to have a DIY kitchens kitchen. My sister, who has a craft built kitchen, visited them with me and said she would never pay for what she had done again as she loved them.

Not at all. I live on a cul de sac and all the other neighbours (3) objected on exactly those grounds. That there would be mess on the road and that during the build their access would be restricted at times. Thrown out as being not relevant to planning. Which was reiterated many many times during the build phase when they kept phoning the council to complain. However, 10 months later they *the neighbours* are still being 'stupid'. During the very heavy rain last week the drain, which prevents water running onto their drive was not draining. This drain has been cleaned by the council since the main building activity was finished but since then the electricity board has dug it up twice. The 2 most difficult neighbours spent some time clearing it. (I have sympathy for this but there is nothing I could have done to prevent it). Everything they removed from the drain was dumped on my drive. (I don't have an issue with this and am quite happy to dispose of it). However I'm not sure they realise that from my lounge I can see them looking and pointing. I had my kitchen delivered today. None of the neighbours (vehicles) were in. One came back about 5 minutes before the delivery ended. He left his car in the road blocking the delivery vehicle. Luckily his neighbour in crime wasn't home, so when the van needed to leave he meekly removed his car, without objection. However, had the other, more belligerent, guy have been home there would have been a stupid standoff. Which I would have left them to sort out with the deliverers as, it appears, me being there only inflates the situation and these drivers were professionals - unlike my original builders who inflamed the situation. 2 out of 3 of these neighbours had no objections when I spoke to them originally (didn't have the opportunity to talk to the 3rd) but, talking amongst themselves afterwards, built up resentment. Don't expect people to be reasonable, but try to build on it when they are, really try to get them onside when you get the opportunity to do so. AND at least until the build is finished, bite your tongue when they are being arseholes less than than agreeable.

I agree with the above; that it isn't necessary. However, if you do want to mitigate responsibility maybe look into obtaining independent indemnity. Not expensive if it clearly isn't enforceable and everyone's mind is put at rest without lining your solicitor's pockets (in reward for him using scare tactics)

Mine was c£30 from Amazon. Was a godsend

I told him that the window company had installed standard threshold doors. That we had had a conversation about needing level access but I had forgotten to specify it so was it necessary for me to get it changed. He said not as it was a private self build dwelling. I said that the drive was going to be built up with 150 mm of Type one and then the drive laid to bring it up level with the threshold but would still have the upstand but that I would probably move in before the drive was laid. He said then that he was happy to sign off before the drive was laid so long as the base was down. The building regs say that a entry level bathroom needs to have disabled access for visitors, not necessarily over night. My doors are wide on that level but not on the lower ground (to the cloakroom) or my bedroom as the gap is not wide enough. The one from my bedroom to the dressing room was built for a wide door but I had it made the same size as the bedroom entry door as I thought it would look odd with 2 different size doors and if I can get into the bedroom then I can get into the dressing room.

Oh how I can see that happening. Although I suspect the developer still didn't give a stuff, it was just easier to enforce the rules than deal with 'activists' LOL In my first house there was a 'condition' that we didn't increase the height of the (18 inch) fence between the front gardens and the front gardens and the road. We bought the house when it was about 10 years old and, back then generally we did as we were told and it hadn't changed much when I left 18 years later in 1995 - all the front garden were pretty open plan. Postman wore a path across many lawns; why go back to the road when you don't have to. When I drove round recently nearly all have substantial borders between them and the road and each other

I think that mostly they don't care once they have sold all the houses adjoining and or overlooking your plot. They don't want people coming to view a house and thinking 'ooh the garage isn't big enough, look someone has already extended theirs' or 'Why isn't my garage as big as theirs' or anything similar. Once they have sold all the houses that yours might affect then they generally lose interest.

Knowledge is power!

Love it concise and succinct with nothing remotely unprofessional unprofessionional. Stay strong!!!! You are definitely in the right

Just reading through all this again has made me feel better. I am at the bottom right hand side of a cul de sac. There is a neighbour, the one that kicked off most at the start, who is directly at the end of this cul de sac at the bottom of a hill that is pretty steep in places. There is an aco drain at the end of the cul de sac between the road and his drive. At the right hand side of this is a council road drain. This always causes problems with heavy rain as it takes all the crap off the road as well as the rainwater so, with heavy rain, it has never coped well in the 20 years I have been here. The council clean this drain on a regular basis (probably 3 x per year) it has been cleaned since my building work has finished, so very little of the crap is down to me. BUT it is still my fault that the drain couldn't cope with the excessively heavy rain we have had today. I don't think they realise that is it pretty warm out tonight and, having my door open I an hear all they are saying. I appreciate that it is frustrating, annoying and bloody awful when they are at the end of a steepish road and when the drain doesn't cope it goes straight into their garage/ workshop - but I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE. Their property would never even be given planning permission today. Ah well, at least while they are 'slagging me off' they are leaving someone else alone. lol I no longer let it get to me since I realised that I am the easy target for their frustration

I often found explaining the options to someone not involved helps clarify the situation and focus the mind on who/what best meets your needs.

I don't like wings on cills. I can't see that they serve any purpose except to get in the way. Especially in the kitchen.

very neat - will it stay like that?

@Dreadnaught Yes that's the one

I watched tonight's DIY SOS for the second time. I watched the first viewing of this programme thinking WOW, What a transformation and WOW how fantastic are the two parents. Watching it again tonight. WOW WOW WOW I still think as I did the first time but I now have so much more appreciation of the person who project managed this. I know it's his job, I know everyone was on-side BUT still. WOW WOW WOW

No cure by any means BUT do some research into Vitamin D3.

Staircase will do either assembled or in kit form. I went for kit form as there is only a driver so there has to be someone on site who can help with lifting and I couldn't guarantee that. My joiner took less than a day to trim the stairs to size, and fit from kit form. (one staircase x 8 stairs and one x 6 stairs each a slightly different width)

I did the measurements myself for Stairbox. The joiner was very impressed with the stairs for what they cost. I allowed for adding the UFH height to the lower set and taking it off for the upper set. What I didn't allow for was boarding and plastering the wall in the area as I misunderstood and thought that as the plastering was happening later the stairs would fix straight to the walls. The joiner just set his saw up and cut all 14 treads and risers to the correct size in about 19 -15 minutes each set. Luckily I got the height spot on. Though he did say if it was a few mm out he could adjust - so long as it was just a few.

My sparky - like a long drink of water My plumbers - like weebles

The insurance was sourced and put into place by the solicitors dealing with the bridging loan. I don't think I paid any extra to them for this but I could be wrong - I paid them a small forture so maybe I did