Ferdinand

In the past I have colour marched Farrow and Ball at Johnstones Decorating Centre .. adqeuate For a non-magnolia requirement for a renovation. Now I would still do the colour match (though the names of whites have now reached psychedelia .. my latest was Natural Calico, which is nothing like natural calcico), but it could have been about 40 names all of which are nearly the same off-white with an x tint. But I seem to have detected quite some variation in mixed paint prices. I think Valspar looks promising. ONe key req for me is now that paints be sprayable.

If only that was on video somewhere .... :-)

Unless I suppose 79 of you fall out with the other 26, as you then have the requisite dominance necessary for an amphibious assault from the sea.

Good stuff. So you are now in the exquisite position where the main thing you can do is wait and drink cocktails. Or Guinness. Life's little moments.

Looks really good and generous. But I admit I am slightly suspicious of these universally sunny pictures from Scottish Islands ! If we were to believe the "sample" it never blows or rains, and you would all be in wall-less grass huts wearing loin cloths to help you tolerate the searing heat. I feel a distinct echo from "see the seals" seal tours I have been on in various places, when the only seal you see is the one in the promotional photograph. Ferdinand

Don't worry ... he is just heckling. I think The rest of us will join in in a bit .

Down our way they do not start until the comment dates have passed. Also perhaps phone then up after that point to see how it is going.

That is looking potentially like a lifetime product for the UK 60-80 year house lifetime. What is the predicted durability of the other systems inside the unit, and have long-term lifecycle costs been estimated? Cheers Ferdinand

This is the video.

Welcome to the forum, @success1980. Delighted that you have joined - you are perilously close to being member number 1000. Personally I quite like fence panels from a practical viewpoint, but some alternative opinions will be along in a minute. You will not be cladding your house in larch, then . If I have ever wanted an alternative to panels, it has been a different sort of panel or bricks or hedge. Most recently I did a whole wall out of blue bricks.

@Cambs Glad it is helping. It will take a bit to get my head around your piccies. I think I need a plasticene model :-). Could you post a stack of plans at each of the 5 levels? That would help us, I think - particularly on vertical alignment of the various stairways. Check Q 1: Have you got space at bed 3/4 level to walk to the small bedroom door without compromising the size of the other bedroom too much? Check Q 2 : Might it be better to make the two QT landings into a single larger one without the single step between, rather than require people to go up stairs, turn, go up a single step, turn, then go up more stairs? The loss would be either your stairs *up* from the kitchen/living level protruding 9" more or so into that area, or your stairs to the top level and the Bed 3/4 protruding 9" more into those. I think if I were thinking about walling, the most likely candidate would be to wall the steps from the kitchen to the 'snug' off from the main staircase. But how you do that will have a large effect in look and feel. A good idea might be to design it such that wallings-off can be added later anywhere. Let's see what other BHers think. I would say now leave it alone for a few days, focus on something else (like the study, which I might try and make a triple aspect front-to-back 'studio' with big windows), then come back and have another look. I probably have a couple of comments but I also want to mull it over. I think considerations of how to make the kitchen area and basement a perceived single space are important, as are the look and feel and flow of the staircase such that it feels natural and easy, You may need to check (at some stage) suitability requirements for stairlifts or alternatives, to check against current requirements. Ditto fire alarms and potentially sprinklers. Maybe. Ferdinand

Welcome. When we get around to it I would be interested in exploring the relative utility of small and large PV arrays (say 4kWp vs 10 kWp) combined with a device such as a Sunamp. But I am fine to wait on that until someone who needs the answer at that point asks, rather than ask you to respond to my "merely interested" wibblings.

I replaced about 60 GU10 recessed 240V downlighters with the LED version from Ikea (approx 4W) in 2013, and I think only about 1 or 2 have gone since. Another data point. The exercise cost around £250 so they had better last... Ferdinand

One of ?

Do those tiles not need to be randomised a little more? Or is that the planned effect eg dark ones along the near edge? Quality looks excellent.

+1 HI @oldkettle We have chatted quite extensively before, so I have little more to add, except: - Can you get comparative data for nearby houses on roof height relative to your proposal (thinking of some sort of skyline cross-section sketch showing that in fact yours is not much higher than theirs). If you need to you can rule of thumb their height by counting rows of bricks and roof angles, or visually. IT is interesting that the statement is 'as not been demonstrated' .. it is a lack of information not a rejection. - Probably important to emphasise variety in the street and locality. It is about showing that you fit in, and have a coherent scheme, not that your design is less horrible than some of the others. 6 eyesores already there will not justify a 7th, unless it is demonstrated that it fits in with the locality. ARgue the positive in relation to specific policy. - Ditto floor areas. There are measured floor areas in the EPCs (though some on BH are skeptical). THat may give you additional data that minimises the size differences. - What does the Planner actually want. Do they mean 1.5m, or would 0.8m be acceptable .. it could turn partly on where you think you could win an appeal. CAn you move some way towards that by changing your roofline a little and losing 200mm of ceiling height, or floor buildup depth, for example. I think I would have a conversation, and confirm after by email to document, about what their objections are .. just allow them to talk. THen have another one about possible ideas a few days later. - Or can you play with levels by sinking the whole thing 300mm into the ground on your sloping site? Can't remember how far down you are digging. - 'Incongruous' is a marvellously subjective planning word. Perhaps email the planner to explore how it can be made "congruous" or "harmonious" with the street scene'. IT may also be about finishes as well as scale. COuld you tile-hang the top half, or even use bricks or a blending-in paint or cladding? Cues would need to be local or vernacular. or could you articulate / break up the frontage visually a bit more, and split it vertically or band it by material. ONe idea would be brick on the RHS and render on the left, to reflect the materials of the two neighbour's, or have a column if windows or cladding up the middle. I suspect he thinks it feels big and white and stark. - When it comes to communication, you may be better communicating by ghost writing letters for your architect to send. - It may be worth asking a Local Councillor to take an interest with the planning officer. Again you need to give them enough source material to cut and paste and edit to make it easy for them. - Finally I am sure there are policies about encouraging family life. TIe that into a Planning Statement if you do one, Adequate bedrooms for my children to grow up in in the area where they have friends and schools etc. F

If you don't have downlighters your charge-by-points lecky will cost you less and you can put more insulation in the gap.

Your Council office or website might go back 15 or 20 years.

If you want something even more fun, then go with Tommy Dorsey and the Clambake 7 doing "Shoot the Sherbet to me Herbert". Bell with 8 uploadsble tunes: https://www.clasohlson.com/uk/Wireless-MP3-Doorbell/36-3998?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-Ii2msPN2AIVrp3tCh3FGwZdEAQYAyABEgKGLPD_BwE Can dance to that.

Isn't it @DeeJunFan who knows about Dormers? Or were hers too different.

OK @mike2016. Promised some more constructive thoughts. I am assuming you can get a self-build mortgage and looking at ways to smooth the process. 1. You are in Dublin where the rental market, should you need to rent out, shows signs of being tight for some years .... as the Irish Govt have only just started to withdraw the suppressive measures they brought in in the late 1990s which undermined new investment. 2. I think you want to (perhaps informally) risk assess your Planning Permission prospects given the plot space, entrance, policy etc. If you can do pics like that you may be able to do it all yourself for perhaps 2-3k (Euros?) rather than 12k. 3. If you want a lower risk process with some willingness to take your time I would think about keeping the build as 2-phase - initial build to regulatory / acceptable to you and girlf/boyf "move in" standard, then add your extra kit and finishes later. That is something like: a - Look at increasing current mortgage. That is probably the cheapest money you will get. 3-5 year fixed (with 2-3% cashback?) and flexibility to pay back after 3 years may be a good borrowing / risk reduction strategy. Probably the cheapest money you will get. b - Do *minimum* refurbs to your current house to make you not-uncomfortable, and make it saleable / lettable (regulations, minimum market requirements). This is usually a lot less than we think. When the House Doctor dresses things for sale, it is usually only hundreds of £££, not thousands. Focus your spend (and your *time*) on where you are going, not where you are leaving which will benefit somebody else. c - Do the build rapidly to what is acceptable to you (and no more). d - Move in, and rent out or sell the existing. Either pay back mortgage or get permission to rent out (criteria when choosing lender in 4a?) 4. Remember that if you have moved in there is nothing stopping you taking 10 years to finish it. This is how people used to renovate houses - apply to gold plating your newbuild. 5. Based on the plan above, suspect you need to spend on fabric (Irish Building Regs), but there is plenty you can delay on, for example: - Delay at least two bathrooms. Put a door through the utility into the Master 1 Ensuite and make it family bathroom, leave Ensuite 2 as storage, leave downstairs as a loo. - Use cheap 20 Euro doors and replace in 10 years. - Get a secondhand kitchen of ebay for <!000 Euro. Replace in 5-10 years. - Choose window spec carefully .. usually a big chunk of budget. - Turn that posh viewing window over the living area into a framed hole with a balustrade until later. - Simplify corner window? - Turn that fence into a post + 2 rails. - Forget the decking for now. If you must, get some concrete slabs for a patio and make paths with them later. - Finish your downstairs floor as painted concrete plus rugs or roll vinyl. - Similar upstairs. - Front drive gravel + kerbstones. And so on. So your 100% spend now might become 60-65% now then 35-40% over 5-10 years from income. Or the sale of the existing might let you blitz it. Ferdinand

Sorry ... thought it was an existing roof. My bad. Could you also or alternatively do a brise soleil like this to shade your windows, which would give you more solar panel area and perhaps fill an energy gap? Would give you 6-10 or so panels, perhaps 1.6-2 kWp or 3kWp+, depending on density of panels. It is at a Grand Design called Underhill House. Possibly the 1st certified ph in the country. More info. http://www.seymoursmith.co.uk/underhill-psv.php Just an idea. Attachment to the wall might skirt some Regs.

Can you fit an in roof system which is flush without pd? Would that retrofit? Or you could apply for PP.

Good counterpoint .

STOP GOLD PLATING !!! If it is as tight as you say you should be stripping stuff out, not putting it in. Pretending that we must have WIBNIs (wouldn't it be nice if...) is the worst enemy of all of the enemies of the formerly cost conscious self-builder who is soon going to be broke. There are lots of ways of making this possible and less onerous, but you are going to need self-discipline as the foundation. GO and enjoy window shopping in posh shops, and look at all the things that are only bought by people with too much money that you do not need to buy to enjoy your modest new house . (Outburst over) Will return tomorrow with some ideas. For a start you perhaps only need one bathroom not three, and a downstairs loo, for the first 5 years. Probably a 6k saving right there. I will comment from an English perspective, but the principles will transfer to Dublin.