Ferdinand

I don;t have faith in bespoke loos, having suffered from seat-drift on unusually-shaped loos. I have just bought *these* Ideal loos (£120 ea) from Screwfix, explicitly because *these* soft-close replacement seats can be purchased without a new loo. Bought 2 spares from the start (£45 ea) . There are other options if you dig, but that was recommended by my bathroom fitter as one previously used (so to speak). It's Marks & Spencer suits (2 x trousers) for bathrooms. Ferdinand

Thanks. Let me think until tomorrow ... going straight into plasterboard on angled surface, so a screw hole or two may be a good idea. Cheers Ferdinand

Not entirely sure that this is the right thread, however ... I need a custom part for my shower, and it strikes me as probably a 3D printable thing. I have repurposed the former hinged bath shower screen as the end screen of my walk in shower, as it is under the stairs. A side benefit was to be that the narrow 450mm entrance gap would you be opened a little wider for horizontally more extensive people, or putting a shower seat inside more comfortably etc. Due to a need to reposition the shower closer to the stairs, there is now such a minimal gap that I need to fix the screen in place, rather than let it move. So I need a part with a 42 degree upper surface and a slot to fit over the top of the 6mm hinged screen, which I can then glue or silicone in place. Pics and a diagram are below. Any comments on the material needed, the design, or offers if anyone actually has a 3D printer would be most welcome. happy to either pay or donate to BH. Cheers Ferdinand

If they are not protected by TPO or other designations (eg Conservation Area), then legally you probably can (that is general info, not advice). However, you risk making yourself unpopular and the Council could turn jobsworth on you. That was one to do some time ago if you were going to do it. If you will need a tree survey, and they have not moved quickly to TPO, I would perhaps get a rapid opinion form a local Tree Man (ask him the questions whilst you have him out to visit about / quot for the tree survey). Remember that we are still in nesting season, which will stop your treeman in his tracks if there are any active nests. Or signs of bats. Then make your best call. One thing to remember, is that when it is gone, it is gone - and if you change your mind again, you will be the poorer.

Looking at it again, you may be able to get something services wise (eg Consumer Unit for electrics) in the corner of the kitchen, because quite a lot might fit in the thickness of the wall where the existing door to the hall is as a shallow services cupboard. That is a good central point, the kitchen is the place with the most electrics, and the core of the house is actually relatively compact. I think this is avery beneficial idea. (On a more esoteric note, personally I would be doing a separate Electrical Consumer unit for the "flat", just in case I wanted to eg let it out later with a separate electric meter / supply, or split them and sell one off - making sure that such a unit could be connected to the front easily in future. But I am an LL in the day job and think about provisioning for that type of thing in particular. I would ideally split the heating systems too, but I do not think that is anything like as straightforward). Hmmm. F

All fair comment, though taking out a wall like that should only be 2-3k .. others here will have better guestimates. As for the other end, this is a few ideas which are different to what has been posted so may be useful. I started with replacing the garage door with a big window (again not that much money) including patio doors, and putting the boiler and utility room (as small as is practical) next to the bathroom (close to waste pipes etc), and working off where sunlight would be, and leaving to all more open (new walls cost money).The perambulation around the internal window from the hall to your space seems to me to be a bit crippling on the kitchen ... just put a door there and make it glass. I would also also look very seriously at ASHP and carefully consider the specification of the fabric, most of which you have to do now. I agree with you on the porch .. far more coherent an entrance than that placement of the boiler room, oil boiler apart.

One of the neatest ideas I have seen had a ladder to a storage mezzanine which had used the same mechanism as a sash window.

My view on your parent's side, which I haven't argued yet, would be to do the through room I talked about with the bedroom off, completely ignore the outhouse until you are all in, and fniish the through room and bedroom off to a standard that will not need updating again. If needed the outhouse at their end could be done without interfering with them and breaking through with one door when they are sent away for a weekend somewhere for a break. I was also going to argue that you should move into the Master bed + 2nd bathroom + existing kitchen to get in quickly, and do this thread-project later, but you seem keen on a posh kitchen diner now ?. Ferdinand

I think the first piccie in this thread gave a slightly misleading impression that it is nearly square.

I think this is roughly what we have once the doors and leantos have gone, and walls as per the plan upthread, leaving the pillar and a pier of garage wall at the bottom. I have left off the wraparound proposal at the back replacing the conservatory (ie windows and doors in that wall can be played with), since it is not built yet. North is to the right. Front to back is about 32'. internal Width of garage + kitchen along front wall is about 22'.

See the previous thread. Or One Proposal - bits are altered, but the kitchen area seems valid for the purposes of this thread. PS The "Warren" I was referring to was entrancing the house through the parents front door, Left into the current master, then into the rear hall - I was looking at the proposal above.

AIUI that is what Buildhub is all about. You get bombarded with enough vies to challenge you from all sides, including getting answers from you that you had not considered relevant. And you develop a bit of experience, some hinterland outside what you know, and end up in a position with a wider view of your opportunity so that you can make better decisions to get a better house for you. When you feel confident to make those decisions, and able to get them sufficiently right for your project, is the point at which you can move on and take the bits suggested that help, and reject the ones that do not. Essays are welcome if they convey information, because it is quite common that comments come back on the forum, and then the questioner produces a rabbit from their hat which invalidates the base from which people have been thinking. F

I don't understand how coffee can fit into a single full height unit; it requires at least 1m of worktop plus a decent sized cupboard. Coffee is a more akin to a dressing room than a wardrobe. On the topic, a couple of qs @Powerjen. 1 - Where will the main axis for people coming into your house be? The door -> Bedroom -> corridor is a warren. Moving the staircase would help that. A main entrance through a mudroom does not really suffice imo. 2 - What is the long term purpose of "Bedroom 1"? What is it for in 10 years time? 3 - What are you going to do in your kitchen-lounge-diner? How does it need to be zoned and to what extent subtly subdivided? You basically have a 20ft by 30ft space - what do you need to fit in there? Is there a list? 4 - Re: oil boiler. Do you have no gas, then? F

Ooer. Just bought some taps from the second one. About 6 lots. So, pay by Credit Card, and collect in person. F

The double door thing sounds a little ‘nice in theory but not to live with for the next 20 years’. Would it not be easier to solve the boiler room issue by not having any heating whatsoever as an homage to how they lived when it was originally built? So no need for a boiler room. ?

Two big threads with much background that may save you some time. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/4507-treatment-plant-without-power-biorock-clearfox-etc/ https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/1963-excessive-cost-of-sewage-treatment-plants/

When my bath panel was removed last week it turned out that the waste had not been connected for perhaps 5 years +. ? When I looked into these he devices about 3 years ago, prices were prohibitive from a payback POV, as Jack has highlighted ... could not find anything much under £300. In the end these should be £50. But for me as an LL these would also have the dual purpose of managing regulatory risk attaching to EPC values. Ferdinand

Easier I think with shower-baths, but I do not see many new self-builders fitting those. Ferdinand

IMO it is in how you break it up and use it for different things. It also needs to be a social space that works in your setting. Consider what you do together and apart, in the same room and separate, and use that to work out what you actually need. Personally I am not a fan of different levels, as it inhibits frail people and wheelchair users. And get a cat or two. Also, there is massive and useful and overblown status symbol. The latter can tip over the line into less practical, and you end up with a modern take on an absurdist Jacques Tati movie. You still need to do the same activities and roles you did before, and life is supposed to be easier after we have built our ideal home. Ferdinand

On the wider design thoughts. Have you run some thought experiments / scenario plans about how it will work based on the possible routes for development for the business? I would look at - for example - taking care that the kitchen will still work to a necessary extent domestically whilst business is in full swing. That might involve having a separate sink at the other end, or careful thought about the utility. eg How will you practically have a friend around for a cup of tea and a biscuit, or make lunch, when your beloved is icing cakes on the island, butchering an ostrich in the main sink, or making 5 gallons of raspberry vinegar? Or how will it and you cope if 1:4 cookery courses need to be run? Your normal routine needs to continue to work. F

. (already covered)

Sometimes MPs do build or live in innovative houses. I can think of a couple of examples. I am not sure I can think of a long list of well-informed MPs or Lords at present. Ferdinand

If you are within 2-3m of the boundary and want to put more on, you will very probably need planning anyway for being within 1m of the boundary, or 2m if it is above 1 storey (specific measurements apply), w,hich makes removal of the condition no benefit for significant extensions. However it would probably benefit you for something like a single story thing 1.5m wide eg cloakroom or bike shed or small study, unless other restrictions apply, To get that condition removed would depend on the time since the PP, and you could do eg this, or perhaps do a full planning application if later. IMO perhaps an annoyance not a showstopper. F

Met the same chaps in Surrey lats December. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/topic/8008-modular-loft-installed-in-sections/ I honestly don't see a need to move out, unless for a couple of weeks. https://moduloft.co.uk/faqs/ Your issues will be ensuring attention to detail by the contractor, to stop them rushing, and perhaps cost. Blog entry here and photos of a project in progress. https://forum.buildhub.org.uk/blogs/entry/496-what-about-a-modular-loft/ Ferdinand

If you will be happy with the existing should you fail to get it amended then I would by it first, at which point there are fewer complications. Ferdinand