Ferdinand

Quickstep Vinyl Tiles @ £20 per sqm at B&Q. Here: http://www.diy.com/departments/quick-step-paso-natural-chestnut-effect-matt-waterproof-luxury-vinyl-tile-2105-m/1354904_BQ.prd However they only have one style reduced, the Natural Chestnut Effect. The reduction is 37.5%, from £67.36 for a 2.105sqm pack to £42.10, which is the best price I have seen for these. I think I will have that for the hallway, bathroom and kitchen floating floor at the Little Brown Bungalow unless it is an awful look. If anyone is doing it, you may get another 10% off by taking a 60+ person with you on a Wednesday and joining the B&Q Diamond Club, and some more if you have one of their reloadable cashcards. I would not expect a Trade Discount on this, however. 26/7 Add: Now all seem to say "out of stock" Ferdinand

Been worrying at this one. As you say transport of 10,000l tanks is the difficult bit. I can buy one 100 miles from here for £749 for an above ground tank (you put eg trellis round it), but it will cost £200 to get here (never mind Aberdeen), and at 2.7m diameter it is 6 inches over the maximum limit that can be towed. If it was only a few miles cross-country I might chance that were I needing one. There are ones by eg Enduramaxx that are within the 2.55m, but again - you are back up to your £1000 plus carriage. However, so my last divergent thought anything suitable that is used by aquaculture or fish farming, given where you are? They must store the reserve fresh water for the indoor fish etc in *something*. Or any fish farming establishments going bust? Ferdinand

We currently have large water butts in both gardens, but may need to plan for more :-). F

Two quick questions. 1 - I have Severn Trent wanting to install a smart water meter. It is in the road not on my property - can I still refuse? 2 - Can a Smart Meter be removed after it has been installed? How long does that right last, and can it be done at switch time? Cheers F

A non-freezing outside tap, or two at each location ... one for a bucket and one for the hose. An off switch for the entire house water supply, that is convenient enough so you will not forget to use it when out for a day in winter. Master switch to switch off outside sockets. Socket and light in the loft. Sufficient bin storage (= at least 4 bins) which can be hosed down. Convenient bike storage. 0.5-2% spares of everything .. bricks, roof tiles, floor tiles etc.

Also things such as the switch from town to natural gas would have been tricky without government intervention, perhaps.

^ This. But it needs the government to encourage widespread adoption. Personally I think that solar pv was handled OK eventually ... once they got into reducing the subsidy to spread the same money across more people, however it was at the second or third bite. When I look at Spain or Germany it seems to have paid to wait. Perhaps here it will have something to do with genuine export metering. Ferdinand

The pipeline maps from the linked post. What the official drawing on the Approved Plans said: Where it actually turned out to be: Caveat Aedifex :-) They basically lost 8-12 ft off one side of a tight plot. (That's me done on this topic ... things to do).

On the pipeline, it is not that it was there, it was that the documentation said it was in the wrong place. They believed it was a known known where it was actually a known unknown. Our member @AliMcLeod came off alright when the pipeline wasn't where the plans said it was, but the neighbour had to move the corner of his house inwards by nearly 4m. I do not know how the neighbour identified and managed the risk of the pipeline plan being wrong, but he should have had a clause in the purchase contract for a holdover or a chargeback based on the lost value if the pipe was not as believed, or could alternatively have sat on his hands until the constraint had been properly identified by a survey. The most important thing I ever say on here (apart from about HOGs and construction cocktails, to which I need to add a Harvey Wallbanger to drink when a wall collapses), is the Risk vs Money vs Time tradeoff. When you choose not to spend adequate time now, you choose to spend more money later. Your job is to find all potential risks to your build, and eventually get to the point where you are confident that the money you are offering is an appropriate number vs the initial price given the risks you have identified, and your strategies that will manage those risks and the related cost. It is a very old principle that a risk or elephant trap not identified until one further stage in the project will cost perhaps an order of magnitude more money to fix. eg Has the existing building got asbestos? Is there a neighbour dispute, a covenant or a ransom strip? Do you have the right to drive out onto the road? What is past use and is the ground full of contamination (b****y expensive)? Are there trees with TPOs that will add 15k to your build costs? Are there birds, bees, bats or brown bears in the trees that will stop you removing some first? Are there any substations around - where do the wires go? You need to decide how much money and time you will spend on identifying risks, and eventually - just like those 10 word slogan competitions, use your skill and judgement to make your decision. You cannot negotiate the price wrt to something that you do not find until later. There was one on Homes Under the Hammer recently where some romantic people bought a site of a set of former Council Garages, and after purchase found about a dozen electricity supplies crossing where they wanted to build a house. Pricey to move - like 10k+ . Tip: as well as FOI-ing the entire planning file, also FOI any material talking about the potential sale. Who knows, a Planner may have warned to Head of Assets that PP was unlikely (or likely) on the record. F

@SjkIt was more services going elsewhere through your plot that I was warning about. There's a member here with a major oil pipeline going through .. but this is more stuff they might not have told you about such as sewers and electricity going to other people. Councils sometime have form here. That is about mitigating risk as far as you can before sinking money into a potential hole of indeterminate size. If they aren't out to screw you then they will relax the 7 days if asked when you have provided a reasoned justification. GIving you 4-6 months should be quicker than marching all the way back down the hill and up again. If they have sold off other similar plots then I would also consider going and knocking on a few doors and having a few candid but cautious conversations about the Council's approach. If there are people still in residence who bought the plots they will enjoy telling you how well they did or may take a grim satisfaction in telling their war stories. You may need to be circumspect about the particular plot, but it should be possible to find some things out. IF you find your local property professional and pay them for some advice they may well know some background; if the Council are acting aggressively the property grapevine will know - another reason for finding a HOG with deep local roots. That is also about identifying unknown unknowns.

if the seller is the Council,then I am left wpondering why they would do the 7 day thing, As such, they know the law and how long things take. Perhaps they are trying to force a cash sale. FOI them for the full planning history, including requesting details of any crossing services etc, and go and read the complete planning file. Hmmm.

Welcome to the adventure! Where are you - law and planning policy varies hugely but geography and land designation. Yes there are all those barriers, and yes it is difficult and complex. Others will come up with ways and means, but can I be Murphy sounding a warning bell about rushing. Yes you may be able to do a self-build mortgage with the land as part or full deposit, but it will require a specialist provider. There are threads on here with links or search online for self-build mortgages, or in magazines or weekend newspapers. THat way you get a rain check on what your broker says and the experience to begin developing a 'knower', which will help you 'know' whether you are being played or not. I think the biggest hole in your setup is that requiring completion 7 days after PP is RIDICULOUS. It will take perhaps 10 times that amount of time to arrange a mortgage, never mind the 6-8 weeks a rapid solicitor will require to get things ready to exchange, never mind complete, on the purchase. DO they have a right to pull out if you fail to complete in 7 days? Can you do all that in advance. In my view you probably want an agreement that will give you 6 months to complete after getting PP and perhaps let out clauses in the purchase agreement too. In a just world you would also want some of your Expenditure back if he sells to someone else, since you will be increasing the value of the land for him. There are people here who will tell how long it actually took in their case. To my jaundiced eye that agreement for 7 days might say they saw you coming, and are setting you up to fail, and save themselves the cost and hassle of PP - since once PP is granted everyone can use it on that plot. (If I am wrong on the above I will be delighted.) GIven this, I think you need to review the agreement, and also make damn sure there is nothing else that will let the seller renege after you have PP or exploit your hard work and sunk costs. e.g. Is there anything that says that they have a right to use reports you have done. in standard contracts with e.g. a ground testing company you may have to pay several hundred £££ to reassign a report to your seller, and if you have agreed to do that and they pull out or it falls through, then you could be a couple of thousand down as well as gifting them PP on their plot. My strong suggestion is, if you have not done, is to pay somebody to audit all the arrangements you have in place, or call in a favour. You will need either a Specialist Solicitor from the property dept of a local / regional firm of solicitors, or some like a member of the RICS from a local independent estate agent who has oodles of experience (I call them HOGS - Hoary Old Gits). You perhaps want the well-lunched one from the back office with the greying hair and the cynical coffee mug. £250 to save £25000 or £250000. Do not be scared off, but please take care and perhaps read a book or two on plot buying if you have not. Ferdinand

Thanks. Will have a look ... I did not have them down as a good place for gates.

I am looking for a supplier for a 1.8-2m high side gate. Does anyone have any recommendations eg favoured ebay supplier. I really need a turnaround time of just a couple of days. I want 12-14mm boards rather than featheredge, and a ledged and braced gate. Width needs to be custom, since I am adjusting the gate to avoid having to meddle with fencing panels, which are slightly heavy 6' double sided palisade. Recently I have been using the Wickes kits, which are fine if put together well and come to about £70 plus time. Does anyone have any alternatives? Cheers Ferdinand

Or these people http://www.ecosure.co.uk/storage-tanks/index.html

Pond or bathing pond. As a pond you only need it to be half metre by 4m by 5m or similar. If you are worried about kids etc make it shallow or with a grid or raised at waist or chest level. Can you take inspiration from the Tank Court at Folly Farm, the r have a reflecting pool on your best facade? I love ponds which are high enough to sit on a wall top bench at the same height as the water. If you insist on underground then can you combine it with your rainwater storage in some way say under the drive, and even use it for watering the garden as well? Obviously 10 cubic m becomes your standing level. I think a 2m section of 2.5m concrete pipe sunk in the ground with a liner will hold just under your volume. So Large size drainage pipes and inspection chambers might be one place to look. Retailers like Buildbase Civil or the correct suppliers to utilities or a relevant bit of St Gobain may help. I guess that aqua-berms are not permanent enough. But us there anything else made of fabric? Anything along these lines: http://www.molatank.com/china-mola_tank_flexible_and_portable_pvc_plastic_scaffolding_water_tank_700l_10000l-7705981.html Ferdinand

That one would cost me a hundred or two to get from Rochdale, so it is off the list. We are limited to 1.5m as we think 1.8m might engage PC Plod when on a roof rack. F

Just reflecting. Yesterday I picked up a set of 1.2m x 2.1m Rosewood finish (I think) French Doors on Ebay for £130. They turn out to be 3 years old, replaced because the lady of the house wants white, and to be significantly good quality. But we brought them back on the car roof no problem. That is without the "french widow" or "pvc" mislisting mistake. That is approx an 85% saving on the cost of a new white one for a nearly new brown one which would be 40% more. I need another set for the other end of my leanto, but these could be a good option for self-build summerhouse as we tend to have access to some reasonable transport kit. There are lots of solid upvc front doors for next-to-nothing. Option for shed? These patio doors - 2.4m wide by 2.1m high in Mahogany with side panels sold for £9.50 at about the same time. I am guessing because it will need a high top van or big trailer to transport, and because the listing was "pvc". Would be good for a summerhouse or to save that 3-5k on bifolds. Ferdinand

Also, Spain is different to the UK wrt security of tenure etc, and just as you can lose a house or plot, or gain one here by doing xyz ... the same can happen there. You need someone who has been in and of the elephant traps and can explain it to you, as well as just Spanish professionals. I know little except horror stories and happy stories and the need to manage risk, so I will drop off now. Are there courses for aspiring expats? There are definitely expat forums like this. I guess we should also ask the awkward question as to whether you are better buying a new one, and if a self-build would be a money pit. Spanish house prices are still some way below their peak in 200x, and it is not clear the the economy is anything like reformed, and the euro is still a political plaything. http://www.globalpropertyguide.com/Europe/Spain/Price-History Is Mallorca different? Does it matter to you if it is not? THere's a Mallorca-booster here with a different angle https://mallorcapropertymarket.wordpress.com/tag/mallorca-property-prices-2016/ Best of luck. F

Suspect the key is to find a very experienced (10 years or more doing similar to what you want) Person from the UK who moved out there to be a Project Manager or other professional, and can recite explicit examples of the problems you wish to avoid, and how a later project avoided the problem. F

YOu have got me there. I meant hollow clad. Sorry. So that looks like horizontal planks. And the price for 300mm x 5m is 7.92 inc VAT, which is just over 6.00 per sqm. Is that a good price? My source is the local branch of Tru Plastics.

Can anyone suggest attractive types of cladding which will come in at £10 per sqm or thereabouts for the material and any trims etc It is cladding for an outbuilding attached to the house, and needs to be: 1 Reasonably attractive. 2 Essentially Maintenance free. 3 Available coloured. ideally terracotta, dark brown or blue, or grey etc. 4 My support posts are at 1.8m centres, so if it could span this it would be good, but I can put intermediate support in if needed. 5 Ideally able to be acceptable on the inside too - the space is an enclosed walkway and needs no insulation etc. Options I am aware of are A Plastisol coated corrugated. About £10 per sqm. B Decking boards - wood. About £8-10 per sqm. Hackneyed theme now. C White plastic ship lap. About £6 per sqm in 5m x 300mm sections. Coloured is at least double or treble the price. I would like to think about plastic decking boards etc, but none of those come near on price. Any comments welcome. Ferdinand

Corrugated is an obvious lightweight one. Some of us have corrugated roofs at less than 10 degrees. And I think some tiles can go down to 10-12.5 degrees or so. eg https://www.roofingsuperstore.co.uk/browse/pitched-roofing/low-pitch-solutions.html And polycarbonate. And shingles can go that low. Or roofing felt a la shed . Or EPDM. Ferdinand

5m x 7m section of Terram Geocell in Kings Lynn for Starting bid of £25. Local collect only. No bids so far. 2 days to go. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_odkw=terram&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xterram+geocell.TRS0&_nkw=terram+geocell&_sacat=0 F

Valspar paint mentioned in this thread turns out to smell of cat pee sometimes. Avoid until you know it is OK, or if you like cats A LOT. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40655163