saveasteading

Before they start check they have the drawing. Ask them if there are any issues arising. That is their moment to explain that they disagree or agree to build it as designed. Then you have an agreement and they work to it, or you don't and you have to manage the situation. You'll often find that they haven't got the drawing, or that your workers are not the one you agreed the job with.

Your plumber may be limited in choices if they use a single merchant, as many do. Best discuss with plumber ASAP. Try talking to Trade Underfloor Supplies or similar. They supply the whole kit and I'm sure many plumbers get it done this way. But check you get the grant benefit.

This was 10 years ago. Just something called garage floor paint and a diy product as well as from paint merchants. Just had a look. Leyland seem to do one. You may be stuck with grey. It was just paint so it dried and couldn't possibly be tacky afterwards.

Unless it will be used for other purposes with nasty spills and lots of movement, I would just paint it. One coat of single part garage floor paint. A commercial garage has dozens of movements. Yours presumably won't. Even commercially I once suggested to a client that they ignore the spec of hi-tech flooring and just paint it. This was a commercial vehicle service bay so getting lots of movement. They saved many tens of £k. Once a year they overpaint the slightly worn area of the repeated wheel routes.

The only self build I would recommend as financially advantageous to amateurs is renovation. Something tired but functional. Then don't remodel it but just bring it up to date with lots of diy. Conversion may be more advantageous with the VAT benefit, but not if there are major works to structure.

The stupider they are, the less they realise you have knowledge or deserve respect. So if they are not paying attention or respecting sensible questions... beware. I don't wear a badge saying " I know this stuff" and it helps me test them out. Of course I don't know everything eg electrics. Advice to a first time self builder? You do have to ask these questions but not all day. You do have to get tough. You do have to handle the master programme. Be there doing secondary work, even tidying, and it goes better. Praise when due.

You are right that the bco hardly visits. They used to tell me that was largely down to trust, but now it is just minimising cost. There were always things where I wondered why they weren't asking anything. I worry about other people's projects. My photo file is very boring indeed (to most people). "How many pictures of a hole in the ground do you need?"

At first I thought, great idea. But they could end up being a shanty town as planning would be " interesting". I've seen this though. Was it on Simon Reeves series on Scandinavia? The value of the plot could be interesting, as it would be fully serviced and the developer could calculate this any which way. You've got me thinking though.

That's just good design isn't it? As opposed to some projects where a planning drawing is just handed over to a builder. Or an Architect's drawing with "detail by SE/ specialist / builder." Some of us have always done this, learning practicalities along the way. I can't recall any bco looking on site at anything that wasn't readily visible. I suppose they saw that there were detailed drawings and accepted them. So I guess being asked for PH certification for an already well designed building would be an expensive extra. No client ever asked, and we researched and decided not to go that direction. But I can see that, with funds available, it is a way of ensuring quality if you are starting from scratch and don't have a trusted team or procurement process.

My point on costs is exactly this. We forgot need mvhr to get bldg regs. So it is an extra cost. £10k? As copmared with the base cost. Then apply the same principle throughout and there will bd lots of extras. As for not needing PH certification for every product, is it not the case that the assessor will want a believable performance cert from lots of suppliers? At a minimum, they have researched their product and paid for an assessment. I'd be interested to know what fees are payable overall, assuming outsourced consultancy. Architect who is prepared or specialises in this. Assessor? PH approvals? If the average or typical one-off house costs 300k then my guess of 30% is an extra 90k. 10k mvhr 20k doors and windows 10k stuff I don't even know about. Contractors' premium for all the supervision and care. 20? 20k fees beyond the standard, for architect, assessor and certification.* 80k So approaching 30 %. That will reduce as a percentage on a more expensive project by size and spec. It could equally be much lower on mass production with holistic design. I'm genuinely interested and prepared to be proven wrong. * I may have the wrong impression from the consultants I've heard from and read about, as these will be the loud ones with more gimmicks and higher fees.

I likd the crab simile, albeit 3 legged. I called them triffids. That is what the first guy (steading) did and must be best practise I'd say. I would do that. Given that the latest people didn't have them and didn't have a decoiler or fixing gun ( they used ours which i had bought with the ufh kit), I suspect they are one of these sudden experts, seeing a market and not knowing how much they don't know. Not everything was poor.. they set out and fixed the ufh pipes very well.

Let's come back to the subject in 2 or 3 years.

If you were watching the commonwealth games you'd have seen a real downpour. Also flood damage in recent months to a bridge over the Spey. We are in for continental weather patterns.

Thanks. We also have a good contact in Nairnshire. Seemed a bit amateur at first but doing the prep and pour himself ensured it was thought through. His oppos were entirely for carrying and cleaning up. But this time, I told them what they needed to know but it was either beyond their understanding or they didn't want to know. I'd have held money back but it's a democracy here.

Next summer yes, but winters likely to be as recently. More big storms too. Bring back drizzle.