Ferdinand

Was was it Deep Thought said of "The Question"? Tricky! I think that could be in practice overturnable, since rational planning allows for equally good solutions reached by different methods, but it could be a battle not worth fighting. Ultimately National Planning Policy is still rational and consistent. That argument could perhaps be won if there is insufficient space to leave site in a forward gear, and providing an in-out driveway (which is unfortunately not what you want as it still needs lots of extra drive), then arguing that it gives safety. Is it possible to argue accessibility? On your options, I think the Council have various ripostes available eg enforce + chargeback, but I agree they may not push it. If you have done no changes - and it is true that the kerb is low - then JFDI and see what happens. If you propose blocking the existing, that could fall foul of them requiring a permanent block (cf easily dismountable disabled access ramps being frowned on in Scotland to try and prevent them being taken away later), or if the new provides less off-street parking. One option you have not mentioned is two tracks of paving from the existing, or using a gridded setup similarly. May be surprisingly cheap. As for how to proceed, I would consider: 1 - Leave the driveway out of your Planning App and get that approved (including the outline new kitchen as I argued above). 2 - JFDI on using the bit on the away-from-the-corner side of the front door. Once your lawn has been trashed by building the extension, consider making what you put there eventually to be dual purpose (perhaps after sign-off ?. 3 - If you need to do a change later, you could apply for a variation to the PP. That leaves the driveway issue separate and encapsulated - as I described here. That means you can proceed with the substantive without it getting delayed due to wrangling about the driveway. 4 - Document your use for future proof of "lawful use" purposes. Ferdinand

Heh. Ordered it yesterday. But there is a five year guarantee.

Weclome. This is how laid back you need to be in your head as a basic attitude - stress management combined with hard work when necessary. My 3 comments would be: 1 - Front load your time budget; back load your money budget. ie Think before anything. The other way round is expensive. 2 - There is always a risk-reward tradeoff eg buy a plot with no pp or outline pp may be appropriately cheaper, but where do you sit on the spectrum? 3 - There is also always a time - money - cost tradeoff. Where do you sit on *that* spectrum? IMO if you feel comfortable with your answers, to 2 and 3, and understand why you are where you are, you are well-placed. Ferdinand

Can anyone comment if these are any good? £34.99 is tempting. My Wilko stick-on battery doorbell just ran out of battery... I see there is also a No No! if any BHers need a shave.

May I add a question. Can I say that dot=and-dab was used extensively from say 1975-present? Is there a time period when dot'n'dab started to be used very widely? Is the 'drafts behind plasterboard' thing becoming less of a problem with new build now that air-seal membranes are used more? I ask because for me renovating, it could be one small factor affecting the ease of renovating properties in favour of older, or even solid-walled, ones. There is a similar time-window calculation for eg asbestos. Two that I have done in the last few years have been renovations of 1970-ish properties. One was traditional plaster, and had cavity insulation so I left the walls alone except for a skim. The other was a virtual rebuild. Cheers Ferdinand

Helmet light, not torch. Or an anglepoise. Drew Pritchard will sell you one for £1234. F

Thanks guys. I think I will be going for the Vent-Axia one at about £95. Here https://www.vent-axia.com/product/lo-carbon-centra-t-timer Unless there are any showstoppers. F

You tease. Any chance of a link?

Someone on another forum has suggested a few of these house removal packer blankets at 2m x 1.5m size, which is a great idea. https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/171821800141?chn=ps&var=470773135762 Pack of 5 is £16, pack of 10 is £23, pack of 100 is £175. A couple kept under the boot floor would be a great idea.

I think unfortunately this reflects the "planning permission is not precedent" rule, whilst the complexity of the system and the 'responds to complaints does not check everything' makes inconsistency inevitable, and the combination bashed you over the head. I think @vivienz has it. Ferdinand

I think the place to ask about that is to email your BC department and ask them. F

Tricky, and interesting, @vfrdave. Two years ago I actually did a survey of porch support poles in our area to see what people used. My favourite was one from a bungalow my dad designed and supervised in 1970 where he actually used a pair of galvanised scaffold poles for a car port. Still there, still unpainted, still with the original occupant in the bungalow - now in her 90s. Here I would leave it until the wall is clad, and some landscaping done, then consider using it as an accent feature on the building, bearing in mind the overall look. To me eye a stone post would be incongruous with the design. If you have something whch is a contrast colour elsewhere, then do something to reflect that - or perhaps to match your downpipes etc. What is at the bottom of the pole? Can you easily put foundations in for a stone or similar post? What does the porch do? Does the wind come whipping down from that side whilst you are fumbling for your key standing in your batman costume after the Christmas Party? If it needs an element of shelter, what about filling the gap to the wall with something permeable. Fill in the bottom half of that gap and you could have a hidden "drop-off" point. Given the clean look of the place, I quite like the idea of afterwards growing something up it where the leaf colour would change, have berries, or similar. So my suggestion is to fill the gap to the wall with something like expanded stainless mesh or Corten or even anodised ally or copper, dressed round or in front of the column, then either leave it as a feature or grow a suitable plant up there. Ferdinand

That proposal to build overhand concerns me. AFAIK it reduces the visual quality of the work substantially, especially if you have to make like Mr Tickle to build it. Can you maintain it, and will you neighbour have to look at it? For me, negotiating access would be a better option for appearance and relationships, or even better leaving enough room so you can get to the outside of it. Ferdinand

A well-chosen AT should not be too expensive, and I expect that you can save more money by putting the same amount of effort into other areas of your build without the extra overall risks. F

Thanks. Looking at that I think I may want more a "tray" type of thing, but it's useful to see - a I don't carry bundles of ladbradors. F

Returning to this thread - I have the new car. The car he is here: And the house door she fits: There's a snazzy underfloor storage method for that luggage cover that I have not yet got to grips with, and apparently some sort of divider net too. I need a couple of protective products for when I am carrying things: Protector for the top side of the rear bumber. Come sort of robust boot liner. Protection for the passenger seat when folded flat. And I need to give a little thought to a stronger 'variable boot floor', as the OEM item is limited to 75kg. A couple of battens sat underneath might do it, but I want a decent answer for the long term. Ferdinand

Serious question ... what temperature are these tested to? I ask because the rubber multisize saucepan lids I have claim they are OK at 260 C, ditto the plastic fish slice etc. Obvs it will be a combination of load and temperature that they can endure, but it will be one hell of a disruption to the manufacturers. Ferdinand

Didn’t that get screwed up?

I am ready to order my background-trickle fans for the 2 bathrooms. Does anyone have specific recommendations? I need 1 - 100mm size. 2 - 240V supply 3 - Trickle + boost timer that can be wired to the lightswitch. I have spotted a few options, all priced at around 80-100. Vent-Axia https://www.vent-axia.com/product/lo-carbon-centra-t-timer Nuaire Faith https://www.nuaire.co.uk/residential/extract-fans/faith Aitflow Iconstant (need to find 240V version) https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Products/ADICSTT.html Comments would be very welcome, as these are all new to me. Ferdinand

Leaving that one for @newhome.

Accrding As a Welshman he has good cause, according to the Super Soaraway Sun: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4429826/welsh-blokes-are-the-best-endowed-in-britain-but-east-midlands-men-deliver-the-most-satisfaction/ Around here it is the favourite word of the ladies. We do not need the extra 0.55 inches. F

I do not know of any other obvious sources, btw. One option is that you could use 600mm and a capping or bead at the back. I have one where I built a set of custom small shelves with a bottom to the bottom shelf.

Welcome @Jenni. That last barn photo looks like several houses built by Buildhubbers, albeit not in quite such good repair ?. Will you be maintaining the look? Make sure to enjoy the challenge. It'll be like "After Henry", but horizontal. Or the 1st Episode of Grand Designs this series, where they were into the third generation building on the same farm, and Kevin McLoud's wrap-up homily was about the fourth generation.

My comments. 1 - Echoing @recoveringacademic, the main thing that could mislead you here is that you are looking at detailed things, before the more contextual questions about orientation on the plot, responding to nearby features, direction of sun etc have been considered. On this thread we cannot comment on the more fundamental things as eg we do not know which way is South. 2 - If you brief your architect with too much detail, then you stifle their possibly brilliant suggestions that you have not thought of. Give them space, and use what you have learnt on this thread as knowledge to resource the questions you ask about details and practicalities. See what happens if you keep your brief down to one page. 3 - I would deal with the offset door vs offset porch thing by adjusting the relative sizes of the two front rooms ie study vs lounge, and the ancillary rooms around them, so in effect it is your hallway and staircase which are offset internally, not the porch and front door. Though there's nothing wrong with an offset porch - it just means that 4 year olds will not get drawings of your house quite right. 4 - I think the downstairs loo needs to be off a communal area not a study or bedroom, though there could be an argument for 2 doors. I think a shower would be good in there for frail visitors or guests. Two things worth reading that are examples of the optimisation process: This thread This blog (all of it) - a well done, modest project Ferdinand

They look a touch tricky to get at later. But presumably not as hard as it looks.