Ferdinand

So if it is "50% or more", then you can raise 40% of the floor boards for access or repair and it does not apply !!!! With a single bound you will be free !!! (I think) Though you may have already gone past this.

The last one of these I did we discussed on here. Rather than microfitting rigid boards between wonky beams I used rock wool and a staple gun to take the insulation to the bottom of the joist level, leaving the underside exposed to help prevent damp. That is flexible enough to cover the variations simply. The rock wool was out of the roof, so the roof would be under 100mm and I got the full 300mm from the ECO programme because it was then uninsulated. I also used "snorkel" vents in one or two places to adjust the level of air inflow to be below the insulation (the airbricks were at ground level when I wanted them one course up to prevent water ingress). Then I also put celotex on top of the floor, with a click-fit Quickstep laminated floor on top of that. I (just) had the height to trim my doors. We were able to do all that without replacing the entire floor by my handyman raising one floorboard every couple of feet. I would give some thought as to which point you let Building Regs see it - I'm not sure what the current required standards are exactly, but for me it was quite tightly constrained. They were not happy with me doing the "fill it all with polystyrene beads" in a waterproof envelope thing. It's had tenants in it for nearly a decade now, and they all love it. There is a thread called "little brown bungalow" about it, and we discussed the floor setup over in the Boffin's corner, here: This was my buildup:

Yes - they could be excluded in the same way as "no washing on the balcony" in the contract. But I can't see that sticking for ever, once they are in safe use.

Thanks @Mattg4321. The angle I am coming from is risk management - a huge part of effective landlording is understanding the locus of potential tenant behaviours and lifestyle, and having a robust property that manages the risky ones out before they start. The reason is that once it gets into the consequences the implications become horrific because a Council will go in feet first and HARD, and a single problem can destroy an entire business - or in my case future pension provision. The blame will *always* be on the LL not the T. Equally something like a gas problem born from simple neglect can have consequences up to and including death, and constant sweating of the detail is the only strategy. My risk management for that as soon as I can will be all electric houses. And risks can only be managed in advance - which is why credit checks etc need to be obsessive. Three examples of strategies I pursue routinely are to install enough sockets so that extension leads will *never* be needed - in the last 8x8ft kitchen I renovated there were about 11 double sockets plus appliance ones below the worktops. And provide constant trickle ventilation (poor man's MVHR - loft PIV fan and a trickle HR ventilator downstairs) to maintain a fresh atmosphere just in case eg washing is dried inside, and install shelves immediately above every radiator so washing physically cannot be added. So I'm just thinking through balcony solar. I suspect one I need to look at is the type of RCBOs. Cheers F

These would usually be in terms of "the build", which is building the house itself ignoring the plot, possibly split into with / without groundworks, and including / excluding extras such as solar. Or it could be shell / first fit / second fit / everything built in. Or a total number. The import thing is to specify, as you have. There are various threads from time to time which collect a few to a dozen or so numbers.

Serious question on this one: As a landlord, what do I need to worry about with electrical systems in rented dwellings wrt balcony solar? My practice has been to rewire or professionally review the wiring, usually with a new consumer unit. These days 5-yearly electrical inspections are required, with potentially swingeing fines (tens of thousands) just from a Council in England, just as a civil penalty before it gets to Court. Are there extra inspections or insurance I need to consider, in case a T gets a balcony solar and just sticks it into one of my systems which has something that is not covered by the standard regimen? This is the sort of thing a tenant would just do. A few would check with the LL; most would not. If they are a T who has had their own house previously they would be aware, but many Ts do not know how to run a house. Around here it is mainly unfurnished, so most have at least some idea of looking after a house. What are the failure modes - will I have an RCBO going pop or a house burnt down? Comments welcome.

UK rental electrics are on a 5 year required cycle. If there is a problem with the specs, then there will be a problem because they are inspected to the specs. So Ts should probably ask.

There was a top gear on that : Oz is the same for over-officious police officers. I was jumped on for crossing a road safely within 3 hours of arriving last time I was there.

Can you get a LED type of broad spot bulb (would it be called a flood?) if it is 3m high that would work? Or with LEDs can we be slightly more relaxed about the rating, since they run cool or cold? Years ago I sometimes used bulbs that were half-silvered behind. I have also sometimes used ones that I call "cluster spots" from Screwfix with 2, 3 or 4 fittings, like this (for one example), which are inexpensive. But this may be a return to your previous setup. https://www.screwfix.com/c/electrical-lighting/spotlights/cat840842 Plan X could be a mirror on the ceiling !

I'm having a couple of trees out - they are the last two from a beach hedge I put in in the late 1990s. They were left for good reasons which are now over, and the larger is slightly taller than a normal house roof (so about 10-11m). The two trees are arrowed in one of the photos. There is a route for them to fall when cut onto paving, but it would need someone maintaining tension on a rope. I'd welcome comments, is this tree man (for which I reckon two for half a day) or "competent with trees handyman" (probably with me pulling the end of the rope to guide the fall)? In all honesty, I think this is one for a tree man and his mate, and beyond even a competent handyman due to the items around such as sheds, other trees and substation. And I think I am probably looking at £600-800 for a decent price. Access is OK. Thanks for comments, and I would welcome any recommendations for a tree man in this area - which is Notts / Derbyshire border around Mansfield / Chesterfield. If needed I can get better photos (eg from inside the garden) later today.

I'd bed some drainage into the steps coming out beneath the bottom one. You could treat it like a mini French drain (ie gravel wrapped in weed membrane), with a pipe laid through one or more of the mortar joints. If that is your only way up, I'd also be thinking about a wheelbarrow ramp up the middle (one or two rows of angled bricked would do it). There are lots of examples out there. Buit it may be a bit late for the latter !

Great stuff Ben. I very much like the printed wall panels in the shower; I've always wanted to have some with my own photographs but then I looked at the custom prices 8 years ago ! And I love the lack of clutter / junk. If you could put a pin in the diary for an update at Easter 2027 after "one year living in it", that would be really appreciated here - especially I think running costs and how the solar has worked; I think you will be in a running profit. My nerd interest is whether the running costs will change after the structure all dries out. This looks like a forever house, sort of a move to Tracy Island.

I think it is perhaps Ed Miliband really knowing his subject and pushing the detail. And prices about to go bonkers for a bit, thanks to Humpty Trumpty. Every £1 saved by consumers buying one of these reduces the need for demanded subsidies (cf: Liz Truss's £90bn energy help in Covid). And hence help with the national debt.

I got it off the internet !

Checking Germany, it seems to be 800W maximum, and they have 1+ million plus systems installed. I'd say it will take off if approved quickly. Potential might be to double out domestic solar capacity if it does well. The benefit is like the unexpected results that can be obtained from knocking 50-100W of baseload 24x7 sometimes being 10-20% of the lecky bill, but from the other end. I'd say watch Ikea for this one - they were very early with LED light bulbs and did solar systems for a time. I swapped all my GU10 60+ halogens for LEDs in 2013 at a notable cost, but it paid for itself in 2-3 years, and eg half of them are still running in the kitchen.