Ferdinand

Personally if I had the cash I would snap their hand off in those circs. Just the paperwork for something about which there is an argument in 20 years could cost more than that. I would probably interpret the offer as the Freeholder trying to get out with some salvage before the politicians do a random populist stomp on the whole concept of leasehold in individual houses. They think they know what is coming. Ferdinand

You ask a a local valuer to value it. Usually a member of RICS., perhaps via a local Estate Agent. They will have their standard procedure.

Agree, clean it down and see what you have. If it is just a gym, then consider rubber matting directly onto the concrete. Either the rubbery chopped strand or spongy stuff, or real gym mats, between say 10mm and 20mm. It would be between about £5 and £20 per sqm if you buy carefully. 18mm ply is OK as an insert for free weights. Suspect you may want a less specialised surface, however ? Ferdinand

IMO post hole auger machine means a biggish one, ideally tracked or on wheels or on a digger. Not hand held unless you feel strong and rooted, and have a similar friend, preferably Geoff Capes. The hand held ones are beasts. Ferdinand

Digging is by hand, perhaps using the various tools of the fencing trade such as specialist narrow hole diggers, which are not expensive. Or by a machine. Given that it is next to a watercourse, you need to think carefully about how you will protect it from rot. As ever I would be putting Post savers on any kind of wooden post, maybe all the way down here. To keep them upright you use either bricks in the hole as wedges, or a pair of temporary braces at right angles. Personally I would be concreting in galvanised scaffolding poles with a scaffold foot, using posts with a guarantee, or using concrete fence repair spurs for that situation. This will be easier and more fun with 2 people. I would be putting them in 27-30” deep, but that may be too far in some opinions. Ferdinand

I think my comment would be take expert advice, then follow a course of action recommended by the expert (who may offer you more than one possibility). I am someone who also lost a father to asbestosis - in this case probably from being the supervising architect on a ventilation system incorporating asbestos back in the late 60s ie not even working with it physically. If you encapsulate, then there are regulations that apply - and presumably possible future liability issues. This is imo one of the times not to cut corners. Ferdinand

Buildhub - the site that creates homework. ?

Payment of the whole thing before delivery looks questionable. Can you make that match their cost profile more closely? And I would want a retention until after commissioning and proven correct functioning.

Potentially that type of expert - try looking for past planning apps for similar basement projects to yours, and lift the names of the designers, consultants etc off the reports relevant to your type of project. The scenario where imo such an expert (and one the Council will listen to) becomes important when a BCO or a Planner says you have something wrong. At that point you need someone to hand or on call who can answer such questions if you or your team cannot do so. My point is that in such circs overheads can mount faster in London eg if your site stops for 3 weeks, as it is all so much more controlled. I normally look as far as possible for people with relevant qualifications and local experience on similar projects. It may be that your architect or even the Party Wall person is such an expert. Or you can find other ways to manage risk. I'm too far away to make recommendations in London. F

Interesting. IIRC Thanet Earth were adamant that theirs was the only place in te( country where they could do their particular type of operation, which is I think using LED lights as one part of making it grow. F

You tell them what it is. Or conceivably they have a pass key. How do they do it with all those centre in the London blurbs designed to stop rat runs? F

Would they perhaps have a database of key codes?

Shouldn't that be "volume", even down the TM rabbit hole?

Thanks all. So the extra 3 leaves (say 6 ply not 3 ply) is very much for taking the potential benefit from 80% to 90% of the max. Ferdinand

As an intermediate, why not close them but use a bead of silicone around the edge of the shutter first, then wipe off the excess. Then if you find it works OK with the MCHR and decide to foam it up in 1 or 2 years, you can reopen it with a modelling or Stanley knife and do the thing more thoroughly. F

thanks. That is a classic BRE document ?. 230 pages including 21 Appendices. Including ‘Appendix O (not used)’ on a whole page. An army artillery man, there. Should have had a picture of a hat and “This is not an Appendix”.

Thanks for tecpomments, all. It looks like provision for the future and watch this space, for now, then. Ferdinand

In a 1960s Comic, this would be under "Droopy's Drippy Questions", but are they? I was just reflecting on big bifolds, and whether they would actually be necessary, bearing in mind that lift'n'slide windows only half open, anyway? I might be more inclined to have a 3-ply bifold, and a big window. That must be worth £1200-1500 off the cost (or could be spent on slide and turn). But is anything lost by so doing?

I have seen comment on BH that an EPC of 100 is nominally a Zero Energy house. Can anyone give me a source I can reference for this? (Needed for blog post). Cheers Ferdinand

If you leave the 1.5mm² 'protected' by the larger fuse, then it can lead for example to your smaller wire burning out before the fuse itself - which (in addition to allowing a bigger current through, fire hazard etc) is a far more complex thing to mend afterwards. Apols if adding eggs to your aniseed balls to suck. F

Height above stairs will be bound by Building Regulations' requirements, anyway. If he is an architect he will have complied with those. It was more about asking for more detail of the plans so we can see how it all fits together - a 3d angled view from above (technically called an "axonometric" by architects) would be good too ?. The more info we have, the better feedback you get. The one thing that I think immediately is to go for side-by-side parking not tandem (unless they won't allow that, in which case I would make the drop kerb very generous in width and do it in a couple of years anyway). Where are you with the plot purchase - have you bought it yet, or have you got a lock-in agreement with next door, such that he can't back out? F

Note: Previous conversation about this project here:

It would be useful to see how the 2 floors (and especially the walls) register, and perhaps the elevations. Looks good that you are not being constrained by the box you were given when you started. That staircase looks a bit head-bumpy afaics, and there may be (perhaps) complications with flat-roof to wall joints if that is what it is. Are those your spaces or next doors spaces at the front? If next-doors, what did you get in return? Ferdinand

I have up to about 25mm - maybe 26mm, and up to 1m long. Usually come in cheap kits from Aldi etc once in a blue moon, and a typical use would be to thread pipes or cables through a thick wall or ceiling, also not needing to be very often. I have one which is a long 16mm one which generates a small standing wave in the drill bit as it wobbles. Ferdinand.

According to my diary, 21st June is the first day of summer. Crossed wires in custom and practice, methinks.