Hecateh

Plus one to that. I've used gas all my life and would never consider electric - until induction. It's quicker than gas It's more controllable than gas - I have never been able to get a proper simmer on gas without moving the pan half off It's much much much much easier to clean It looks so much neater than a gas hob It's safer - it only heats the pan so the surface only gets hot where the pan is and even then it's nowhere near hot enough to burn if just touched. You have time to remove your hand before you are burned It's safer - when you remove the pan it automatically switches off it's safer - handles don't get hot, even metal ones. When I used the same pans I am using now on my gas hob I couldn't pick the pans up with a holder, now there is no problem.

and me

Getting a mortgage on an existing house is not necessarily a given at a reasonable rate, no matter the equity if the only way of repaying is your new build. This was the route I took, There was plenty of equity but I had very little income so needed to roll the interest up until the original house was sold. I was only offered 70% loan to value, against their valuation which was 50k less than the Estate Agents valuation. Valuation fees, arrangement fees and 10 year insurance came to 5k and I was then rolling up 13%annual compound interest. Plus it was counted as a bridging loan so had it gone over a year there would have been more expense involved. Mine is a small and relatively low cost build, but in 9 months the interest amounted to 10k, (On 100k call down loan) so the whole thing cost 15k (that's 15% of my original build budget) . Luckily at this stage my sister decided to help me out and loaned me the money to repay and I don't want to think where I would be now if she hadn't, as that was in October, the loan was due to be paid by the end of November and the sale is not yet complete. Cost went at least 50% over budget, time scale more than doubled and I still haven't got the quality of house that I thought I would. I am not regretting doing the self build as I know I would have regretted it if I hadn't done it BUT if I had known then what I know now I wouldn't have. I totally admit my expectations that people would do what they were paid to do and general naivety about the whole project were a big part of the issue. 2018 has been by far the most stressful of my life. I am now comfortable in my new house and, so long as nothing else goes wrong, will in about 3 weeks be able to pay off everything I owe and still have a (very) few thou left over but self build is certainly a big learning curve and one that shouldn't be undertaken without lots of, hopefully unneeded, contingency.

Totally agree, I now wish I had even more. The only place that I think a switch is useful is in my bathroom where the PIR triggers a low light for using the bathroom at night and the switch controls bright lights for other essentials, that may be potentially beneficial for a downstairs loo also. In my downstairs loo I have a switched light and have added a battery pir light which is adequate the majority of the time.

My plot was my own garden. Where I thought I would be able to get directly into a sewer, the connection is in a neighbour's garden and under a lean to extension. So had to rethink. There was no way Yorkshire water would do anything other than have a pump and have a fugly inspection chamber in the middle of my drive. If there was any other way round it I would have taken it. Cost me more (like everything else did) and I have the concern of a possible pump failure. Along with having to pay 13k for my electric supply and my pathetic builder, my project came in at 50% over budget.

Plus 1 I had to have a pump. The builder wanted to put it straight to a manhole. Yorkshire water said no - As Peter says - had to pump up higher - beyond the manhole and have a new inspection chamber with gravity feed into existing sewer.

And at the other extreme - The electrical supply close to my property was at capacity. The supply had to be brought about 75m down a cul de sac which has a doctor's surgery at the top/ I therefore had to pay to bring the supply down from the main road, on a Sunday (as the council wouldn't allow a road closure during the week) down to the connection laid by my buildemy land. I was expecting 1 to 2k, 3 at most as supply was just across the road. Actual cost £13,000.

As soon as Wren started pushing for a deposit and immediate decision - they got one. Thanks but no thanks. I'm another 'DIY kitchen' lover. Plenty of advice and support, no pushing and great customer service

No unfortunately not wall hung. I did want wall hung but had overspent so much by then, and with plumbers saying the fitting would be more expensive (- and not really sounding as if they had any idea what they were talking about). I opted for a back to wall with concealed cistern for my ensuite and basic ones for the bathroom and cloakroom. This is the en suite one. The seat is much narrower than the other - so less comfortable for my generous posterior. In the loo the back slopes in quite steeply meaning ((TMI WARNING) solid matter sticks on the way down) and the surface doesn't appear to get well washed when flushed. This is the cheaper one The broader seat is more comfortable and back is more or less vertical which works better. The cloakroom one is better as the seat is better adjusted, this one need bringing slightly further forward. I just need to adjust it.

+1 to @JSHarris or - if your electrician doesn't understand your request and puts the full beam bright light on a pir get some of these - I've used them previously for a good few years and am now still using them https://smile.amazon.co.uk/Beams-Battery-Powered-Motion-Sensing-Stick-Anywhere-Nightlight/dp/B01JH0SSQ6/ref=sr_1_5?s=amazon-devices&ie=UTF8&qid=1547765870&sr=8-5&keywords=pir+night+light. Batteries last 6 to 12 months dependant on usage enough light to do what needs to be done without disturbing anyone

chase - definitely but gently so as to keep them on side. 'Many' people, when they have too much work to do, will concentrate on the work that someone is asking for. It's easier that way. Definitely an area where patience doesn't pay. Slightly different but when I was waiting for planning my 'architect' kept telling me "it takes as long as it takes." When I got fed up and called the planning dept they told me that they were waiting for a payment and a confirmation of some information. I was able to provide that instantly and got verbal confirmation of permissions

I got 2 cheap loos and one a bit more expensive. I much prefer the cheap ones. Their shape 'works' better, and the seat is more comfortable LOL

Curling tongs??????????

can you use some of that led tape along the vertical edge. If it was in my house (and I had no choice but to have it there) I would try and light the vertical. I would definitely also have something, paint or tape wrapping over the edge as my fall would tend t0 be down it rather than up it. And probably put my foot actually on the 'step' and twist my ankle in the process. Glow in the dark paint??? For that stumble in the dark for a glass of water. Motion sensor strip light. Having said that - if I tripped on it in my 20s/30s - no big deal. At my age it is potentially a big deal

I was having french doors and a juliette balcony until someone suggested (on here I think) that I had full height windows with the bottom fixed and the tops on tilt or turn. If I had french doors there would be 2 layers of glass, the doors and the screen, (or the cheaper option of bars) obstructing the view, with all the faff and expense of buying and fitting. You open the door and effectively you still have a fixed pane window and, if I leave the doors open then security is compromised. With a fixed floor to screen height window topped with tilt and turns, there is only the single pane of glass and the windows can be securely left on tilt, so I can sleep safe in the knowledge that no intruder can get in through an open window. Originally I was having a small inset balcony with the window set back - until it was discovered that no provision had been made for supporting the roof above this, and with other costs going through the roof the idea was abandoned.

Normal people do not build their own house!!!!!!!!!

Similar to mine. I paid up front for the whole kitchen, they didn't want to accept a credit card for the whole amount so just put £100 on card and paid the rest. However mine was a much smaller amount overall.

I got mine from here https://www.factory-direct-flooring.co.uk/vinyl-flooring There is plenty there that would give you your flooring for less. I paid about £10sqm for mine but that was to go all through my house. Plenty of choice that is cheaper or pricier but you could certainly get something much less than £200 even allowing for a £30 delivery charge. I believe they are part of one of the big high street chains

Only being able to vinyl up to the cupboards may reduce the benefit BUT will make a huge difference underfoot by making a barrier between your feet and the cold floor I would think.

I was charged £13,000 for around 100m so I think yours sounds excellent. Was originally quoted £8k but the council would only give permission for half the work to be done on a Sunday as it restricted access to a medical centre which bumped it up to £13

If you do go for wall cupboards at all I thoroughly recommend a bifold door opening upwards. When I am working in the kitchen which involves putting things away or getting them out the doors stay open without getting in the way or risk of banging head. Then closed when all is finished. Top shelves just for things that are rarely used of course

So on Saturday I finally managed to get the plumbers back in. This is my 3rd lot of plumbers - being fair I genuinely believed this lot would come back but I've been waiting 6 weeks. The first 2 weeks I was just waiting as they said they would be back. For the last 4 weeks they have been breaking promises due to ' unexpected extensive workload'. They kept telling me it was just a few bits. I knew it was worse than that. So they finally turned up at 4pm on Saturday. They were originally coming at 10 am and by the time they let me know when they would actually be here I wasn't turning them down. I was in the middle of cooking a meal for the 5 friends who had moved all my big stuff down, trying to give them information which they didn't believe and answer questions which they were not interested in the answer to. As far as I was concerned there were 2 main issues 1 The UFH - * the boiler was not being controlled by the thermostat - it was either on or off; as being switched by me. * at least 2 of the underfloor connections were leaking * loop 1 of 3 on the lower ground - the kitchen area - is not warming up * loop 2 of 3 on the entry level, the hallway not heating up 2 My ensuite. * The toilet flush was leaking, * the hand held shower head was leaking, * the sink hadn't been installed AND the big one that * my shower was leaking badly and dripping (pouring) into the kitchen. Also, there is water under the entry level floor and I don't know where it is coming from, unless it's the leaking UFH pipes. After their visit 1 The UFH - * the boiler was not being controlled by the thermostat - it was either on or off; as being switched by me. THIS IS NOW SORTED AND WORKING. They sorted out an issue previous plumbers left * at least 2 of the underfloor connections were leaking = sorted - tightened * loop 1 of 3 on the lower ground - the kitchen area - is not warming up - still the same * loop 2 of 3 on the entry level, the hallway not heating up - still the same They tell me it is pumped so 'can't be true' 2 My ensuite. * The toilet flush was leaking, - lowered the 'ballcock' (or modern equivalent on) sorted, (maybe) * the hand held shower head was leaking, - it still is * the sink hadn't been installed - it still hasn't AND the big one that * my shower was leaking badly and dripping (pouring) into the kitchen. - it still is. However - we now now that everything from my ensuite is discharging (almost) straight into the underfloor area of the entry level. SO - They have said they will come back tomorrow (Christmas Eve) - 'because they can't leave me like this over Christmas!!!!! FFS I've been telling them for weeks it wasn't a few minor tweaks. They kept trying to tell me that the water under the entry level was down to water getting in. Me telling them that it couldn't be because it was all tanked was ridiculed - because that HAD to be the answer. Except they have now found otherwise. They mean well - and I know they will sort it - as far as the plumbing is concerned. I am going to have to get someone else in to sort the UFH as they don't have a clue. BUT they have been the most patronising t***ts that I have dealt with, in terms of not taking on board what I have told them or even following simple request/demands. (As in don't fix the basin/unit to the wall I want the vinyl to go underneath ... Only used a full tube of CT1 all over the back of the basin. CT1 that I had bought for a different purpose at that. AAAaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhh I bloody well hope they do come tomorrow.

method in his madness???

I did use some cardboard for that - but I WAS very naive and hadn't realised until too late how little even the better trades respected what was there. Pluss There are so many questions I could have asked on here that I didn't - because it didn't occur to me that hubbers had solutions to offer for problems I didn't know about until it was too late. I need to go back and post in the 'what I wish I had known post' @ Lessons learned too late