Ferdinand

>Without getting into specifics, we've got a house/building survey that we paid a lot of money for ahead of purchasing the property from an RICS accredited company. Their >report gives a green light to many things in the house, which have now transpired to being anything but in good condition - the chimney and roof to start with - major things. If there a route through the RICS organisation? I am more encouraging of Full Structural Surveys than I used to be - including as a way of identifying problems with your own house. We used one to identifying work requiring to be done with our own house, and as a way of providing a comfort blanket to reduce risk for the potential purchaser - as it was a bruiser of a listed building. Ferdinand

"Plastisol" is actually a plastic pvc coating applied to sheet roofing to protect it further over a normal galvanised coating from water ingress. It can also be used to give colour. See: https://www.cladco.co.uk/choice-of-coatings I have a sunlounge roof done in plastisol coated box section corrugated with a roof angle of about 6 degrees. 6 years on, no problems. No windows in it, however. To me there do not look to be enough fixings in the pic - though light by only perhaps a third, which may be OK. What to do? If you are not currrently getting leaks I would leave it until probably May (ie when the dry season starts), and have thought about possible solutions before then. If you are getting leaks I would jury-rig until the weather is less waterfall-like. Corrugated is good at keeping water from tracking sideways, and I think your issues will be water up the roof coming in the top edge, and water on the window running under the seal. As to a permanent solution? Perhaps see if there is a kit from somewhere the right size which would fit, or make the window a bit bigger and make it proud of the roof service. I would try and avoid wholesale roof replacement, but otoh corrugate dis tricky to cut. Ferdinand

I think there has been very significant progress since then. IIRC correctly the 2013 building regs provide a major reduction in energy usage over 1990. 2013 over 2005 was a reduction of half in the energy use of newbuilds. What is the EPC no of an unupdated 1990 build? But 80%+ of the current housing stock was built pre-1990. And that is the elephant in the room. And there is the issue of Building Regs not being met in newbuilds. F

Pity it is a German kitchen, not a car. Then you would have a choice of 3 sorts of black, 3 sorts of dark blue, 3 sorts of grey, silver, white, and a red that really would prefer to be a further shade of grey :-0 . (ie the range of colours IBM Sales Executives used to wear for their suits) Mine is dark blue. And the kitchen is off white semi-gloss slab doors. I think I would take the cue from how much light it will get, and only go dark if it is a very bright room, but not go white either. Colours and textures which show prominently rather than "washed out" on Instagram are on trend. One interpretation of the look is called "One True Hipster" (says my interior designer). Ferdinand

Various solutions would work, for sure .. to deal with the symptom or various possible causes. Get yourself a couple of Min/Max Humidistat/Thermometers at £10 each - I use these: https://www.i-sells.co.uk/healthy-living-hygromoter-dial-with-comfort-level-indication-and-thermometer That will tell you how low and high both are going. Humidity should be 50-60%. If that is consistently high, then you are having to heat up all the extra moisture in the air as well. We can't zero in on cause without more info - insulation, draughtiness, type of glazing etc. Dehumidifier would help extract moisture from the air. As would a PIV fan y improving ventilation - I recommend Nuaire ones which would be bought and self-fitted from about £300 (example). I have these in all houses I renovate, and have seen them stop moisture which appears on window sills next to single glazing throughout a house within days. There may still be other underlying causes to fix to make the house work better. If you want to whack it on the head quickly, then I would say consider those two ideas. Ferdinand

Can you install one or more split aircon or similar units in the relevant rooms to remove the need to open the windows? Ferdinand

Any reason you can't stick the stairs on the LHS like that, put your loo under the stairs to make space at the front, and put the sneak door from the far side of the loo?

If you look at them, that was a standard part of the hall layout in smaller Edwardian and 1930s house which, though modest compared to a mansion, try to ape the style of larger houses. There could be some or all of: - A space inside the front door before the staircase - A small floor pattern to make it look bigger - Something to create the impression of further distance eg a chair, panelling or wall decoration - Something that can be perceived out of the other end of the hall - in your case it could be a vista through your living area and then through a window to a focal point at the end of the garden. - if you want you could try a visually closed door with a surprise space beyond, or orientation of long, narrow floor tiles. - something to stop your eye visually half way so it lingers. The trick is choice of elements, and how they are used to do what you want.

I think you are doing just fine. You just have more questions and threads than anyone since Dr Johnson published his Dictionary in 1755 ?. No whiffle-whaffling anywhere ! The Kids Room to the Roof - is that the playroom? - could have a climbing wall or a "King of the Castle" mezzanine. My consideration of the staircase was to suggest a dogleg down the side and across the back somewhere, with the study door just inside the front door. The idea being that if someone can perceive a space above the staicase on entry, it feels like a larger room. Ferdinand

I did have a pallet of pressed council slabs nicked the other week...

The Gabion Mattresses are creating a stable drainage layer afaics, and/or preventing the existing surface from moving.

Thick terram made out of gabions ?

I would do an appropriately worded FOI request to the Council to fish for more information. Cost is nothing.

Good start :-)

There is stuff in the Civil Procedure Rules about this - related to service of notice etc. https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/procedure-rules/civil/rules/part06 But it would need to be established that this or similar law / rules applies, and it would be several stages beyond the current place you are in the arguments. So I post for completeness. F

I don't see that changing anything - the original PP has still been started before CiL Exemption was confirmed, and therefore will still apply. I do not see how reality can be changed retrospectively. That surely is why a retrospective Certificate of Lawful Development is actually merely an admission that enforcement is not possible due to elapsed time rather than a full PP. One could argue that the exemption applies to the new elements, but I do not see that being accepted as a valid PP - the correct route would be a variation. Very nebulous, imo and I think the first charge would continue to apply anyway. Ferdinand

What a nice house in a lovely spot. Looks great for children. Ready for a refit by the time it is finished ?

I have you on film ? (Allegedly)

Welcome. Delurking is a wonderful thing.

Don't do that; reserve McGonagall for the kennel or toolshed. He is Scotland's national un-poet. Find something from Burns or Shakespeare for the front door. F

Often documents farther back can be seen by a physical inspection of the Planning File ie go to the Council Office, get the file and go right through it.

In such a case I thought a Statement of Truth should be acceptable proof in eg a court unless someone swears to the contrary. I think there are rules about deemed delivery. Needs a check with an authority. Ferdinand

Welcome to the adventure. Poetry? "The stronger we our houses do build, The less chance we have of being killed." William Topaz McGonagall (Said the person with left arm swathed in bandages having dropped a steak too rapidly into a stonkingly hot wok with some fat in it last week.) On the encouragement side, the best value time you spend is thinking time at the start of the project - costs nothing, saves oodles later in the things you don't get wrong.

You also need family members on side ie beneficiaries.

Do not forget that if the Executors agree, they could do eg a Deed of Variation. Another point for you is that you cannot expect the whole family to kick their heels for months and months waiting for their inheritance whilst you get your ducks in a row.