Ferdinand

Thinking of resale, your existing layout could easily become 4 bed, even 4 bed 4 bath, with minor tweaks. Good planning. F

I think you can do either, but it s just a matter of doing it well for that orientation. Do you have an indication of orientation on your plans, and might the Planners flap? (Imo approx zero chance of them making you change it after the fact, though.)

We had a family bathroom that size but wider perhaps 16x14 at the old house .. and we had a steam room in one corner that could take 2 garden chairs inside the steam room. You could consider something like a wickerwork sofa, which are always luxurious in a bathroom, or a generous counter. Agree with Peter on the two bowls.

On space, if your ensuite is the same size as most people’s lounges I am not sure that space efficiency is a relevant criterion ?. I would put the bath fac8ng the window, if you have a view, and perhaps consider a sauna or steam room ... or leave space for one later. Or a drying closet for washing? F

The rain in Spain stays mainly on the chain. We hope. (Gets coat) With those trees think about how you will manage leaves. Hedgehog from the start?

unfortunately I have given it away. Will ask.

I can? https://www.scottishepcregister.org.uk/

I have just had a 60% off Trade pack of Reisser screws flyerfrom Howdens. It may be this one, which seems to be their only one: https://www.howdens.com/hardware-collection/fixings/screw-nails-and-anchors/reisser-medium-assorted-box-of-woodscrews/ Whether they would give you the offer should you ask, I don’t know. F

At my last house (a small Derbyshire Hall), the assessed floor area was 385 sqm - they ignored several of the attics , the EPC was 17, and the assessed energy costs were £24,915 over 3 years. But they ignored all the insulation of which there was some. Did not matter, as it was ready for someone to throw £100k+ at it and then some, as the renovation was basically 1980s, and anyone with the money to sink in would not worry about current energy bills. This was 2014. Gas was at least half a mile away both ways. Out structural survey was done by a National Trust Consultant chappie, who said that the NT would spend a million if they were to restore it, due to their methods. Fun days. F

parakeets can be shit. Just don’t get the chinooks by mistake .. they shoot back.

Herd of cows to be sound monitored in neighbour dispute. Something strange ... a farmers barn is before planning committee. Thought that was PD. https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/cattle-moos-recorded-bitter-row-noise

Depending on the size and distance to boundary building regs may require substantially non-combustible materials. F

Welcome. I am not particularly impressed by the firmness of the lines your Planning Consultant is drawing ... sounds a bit too much like a gamekeeper turned poacher who has forgotten he is not a gamekeeper. Has he internalised the idea that you are the client, and the Council are now the dark forest through which you will navigate with him as your native guide? I don’t believe that planning guidelines are enforcible in such an uncompromisingly firm manner, and he should be explaining that the P.O. should be approving unless the balance of all the factors makes the development unacceptable in planning terms , and it is not always the P.O. who makes the decision. On the garage you could potentially do something like a cheap 2.1m porch or similar under Permitted Development to make the gap 4.9m,in advance of going for PP, which may give you your extra space, or even extend under PD to the max. That should be bread and butter to a PC. You could get a dismantable and reusable porch for later if you put your mind to it. Possibly I am being unjust here ... however we find it better to flag up Ideas firmly. Don’t worry, and take time to collect the knowledge, the guidelines, and the large bag of tricks. Try reading some of the blogs, which will convince you of the nebulosity of everything in planning. Perhaps read them like a book, one at a time at one sitting each. That way you get a lot of the stuff by osmosis while engaging with the stories. Have a meeting with the Wise Owl consultant, and explore his attitude, then perhaps think carefully about changing horses. It is not so much tricks, as oodles of experience. F

Does the German flat roof practice of having pools of water on the membrane help with this? That was demonstrated in an early Grand Designs in doing up a semi in London, and it leaked :-). I trust that they usually work better than that.

The first thread I just linked has all the info and links in it.

I admire his (presented) attitude. He said they were running dehumidifiers; I wonder if they overdid it. The only time I have seen plaster come off the wall in sheets was at our old house, but that was Victorian or Edwardian plaster in a house that had been empty for years. Kudos to @Dreadnaught for the exact deep link.

Ahem, (said the elephant) . OK ... nearly this time last year. It is is actually quite interesting how the conversation has moved forward. I am managing better this time by more thorough stack ventilation whilst having a 6am breakfast. Being still unable to sleep properly after my hospital episode has at least one advantage. ?

Butterfly net, preferably extending. Or just leave a window open and close the door. It will probably find its way out soon enough .. they have sonar. We have had a few in in the old house, and that usually works.

Acetone stores for a decade or more in my experience if kept sealed.

If you see blogs with live sites, just email the blogger .. if here just PM. Most of us would be happy to take a visit. Welcome. It would be useful for you to put your approximate area in your profile. F

(Going quiet for a bit ... trying to think of ways to help make this more complicated.)

So paint it black if you are worried about your hats... but that only shows the mistake in not painting it all one colour to hide the join. Or do it polish style with the join 50mm down the wall. There’s something to be said for a flexible ceiling paint .. Wickes do one ... and also for easiclean bathroom paint. Insist on the right rAnge and you can restrict the boss’s choice of shades.

Looks good. Artificial lawn is an interesting approach to a no-grass garden. I took mine out and have ended up with something more like a traditional cottage garden. Love the hit and miss vertical fence. I will be interested to see how those decking structures survive. Did you line the planters? How did you handle the ones against the house wall?

Would a 6k heat pump do it, as you will need something chunky enough to do the whole thing not just your one room? One key variable is how long you plan to stay there.