Ferdinand

This may interest some, as background data. An analysis of NHBC claims- unfortunately it is 2010 data, but I cannot find anything more recent: http://www.nhbc.co.uk/NewsandComment/enewsAug10TC/filedownload,41322,en.pdf

That has to be a "no", surely. It would require the relevant certification to be within the "zone", unless it was 12v. F

In the circs, in England (is this devolved?) there would seem to be a potential market opportunity for "100% inspection" .. if it could be hgh on the priority of customers (see EPCs and energy saving!). What is the position in Scotland and Wales? Are Private Building Inspectors available? Fishing for evidence, so we have similar "cases" from SWNI? Flying a kite: could 100% inspection be a Planning Condition? The six rules say a PC must be: On the surface, that is a "maybe" to me. That would not address the "Private Inspector" issue, however. Ferdinand

It is a very mature setting, isn't it, the huts having been there for nearly a century(?) ? In which case, I think it could be down to management of mature trees in the areas where there is a risk, particularly those at the end of their lifecycle. Wildcard: Does the Scottish Government have money available to help hutters with continuing costs? Given their desire to reform landholding etc it would not surprise me. Ferdinand

Trying to build a timeline. AIUI Private Building Inspectors came in in the 1980s under Thatcher Reforms (together with more acceptance of increased fees etc). Possibly 1984 Building Act. Can you point me to the Regs that control the "sample size" of inspection? Thanks Ferdinand

Where are the inspection requirements driven from in housing? is there eg delegated legislation that can be amended? I would be quite happy to write to my MP on this. Can a local authority decide to inspect more estate houses more thoroughly off their own bat? IIRC the services are supposed to be run on a cost-recovery basis so scope may exist. (Aside: what is the equivalent quality for social / council housing - I have horror stories of repairs etc in that sector, and in people breaking things so eg they get a new 'x'. This could easily turn into private bad ... public good if the politicoes get a hold of the issue). Do we know how recent this is .. is the start date say coming out of the recession when pressure was deliberately relaxed, and we can argue it now needs to be back on since the volume is well on the way to recovering?

I am pleased to see the media taking this up. How to fix it? I think we need some institutionalised detailed analysis of defects along the lines of "Show Stopper, Important, Urgent" (borrowing from time management ideas but I recall that manufacturing industry has some good schemes for classification). I am concerned that "98% had some defect" rhetoric would lead to a general demonisation rather than cost-effective improvement. We need to distnguish between a missing light-bulb and missing insulation. Others will argue that a general demonsiation is what is needed. We could have a "lemon law" right-to-reject? But that would not work in a supply restricted market. We could have a rebates law for fixing faults, but that could potentially would weaken suppliers (a good thing?) - and would potentially open opportunities for fixers to price-gouge. What do we need to be arguing for with our politicians? It needs 2 or 3 points that can be done easily, understandably and now. There are quite some hundreds of local Councillor seats up for grabs in May ... and some County Councils may be changing hands eg Derbyshire. I am teetering ever closer to starting a real blog again :-) . Ferdinand

For me I assume. I have not taken up the tiles so cannot comment authoritatively but that is my assumption, and there is electric ufh which would aggravate temperature cycling. We are living with it until we partly redo the bathroom in a year or two - and in fact one inexpensive option would be simply to vinyl over the top wit a thicker than usual foam underlay. However the adjacent landing is chipboard and I am thinking it will be the same stuff, since there are a few signs of some corner-cutting elsewhere, or perhaps a realisation that extra spending would not be reflected in sale price. I really can't fault people for being prudent, but this one did not work. Ferdinand

@jackI think it is a different thing, but I have floor tiles cracked in my bathroom on 8"x4" lines. I think the cause is the use of the wrong type of chipboard to cut a corner (ie the same chipboard as the other upstairs rooms), which has swelled. I can post photos if you like. Ferdinand

Suddenly one sees the attraction of ICF :-)

When all added in £2.00 per length of CLS. Just under £13.00 per 18mm OSB3 sheet 25 off plus delivery. As it happens I am dry lining so my 1220 x 2440 vs slightly smaller celotex 1200 x 2400 sizes should fit exactly with 38mm CLS while 45mm should be too tight. Famous last words perhaps ! Interested to hear of any better prices. I think that is OK but It can always be improved. I couldn't find a way to get the 50mm celotex sheets much below £20 so that will probably be a delivery from the big two, since I reckon I may need well over 50. Given sheds, a better offer may be along tomorrow. Round here, B&Q are making a serious effort to compete on price with Wickes, which is relatively new - but I have been caught out a couple of times with items not turning out to have the the Trade Discount be applicable. B&Q do do free delivery on bulky items over £250, which Wickes do not, though. F

Just flying a kite to see if anyone has done similar, and with which suppliers. This evening I ordered a quantity of CLS (200 off 38 x 63mm x 2.4m) and OSB3 from Wickes, because my local branch had a special 15% discount running until the end of March following a shop refurbishment and related confusion. And to avoid any imminent price rises. With Wickes, because their CLS tends to be banana shaped after moving from the yard to the retail floor and changing with temperature and moisture (I assume), I like to go in first thing and choose the straight ones for the guys to fit that day or the next. This time I have not quite exchanged on the bungalow to be renovated, so they said I could pay now and collect as needed over several weeks, and would just put a tally on the chitty each time. I won't take the P and will pick up 30-40 at a time, and make sure it is cleared in 3 weeks. Has anybody else done this at other outlets? What were the arrangements? it seems useful - though it may just be my local branch doing me a favour and locking in The business. Ferdinand

I have not reached a view yet, but i do wonder about the impact of complex control systems on the next owners of a house. I have seen some on BH that would scare me off from buying as my perspective is that really I just want something I can leave alone except for twice a year, and has no moving parts if possible - while delivering perhaps 80-90% of the performance that would be achievable by adjusting very often. I think that a degree of complexity delivers, but that then needs a maintenance and repair strategy that is sufficiently simple that will last the lifetime of the system. Alternatively there could, I suppose, be an easy "strip drown and simplify" strategy for when it comes to be sold. For me, buying custom controllers from China, whether with custom code or not, may be a step too far. I appreciate that many on BH build with a "house for life" (*) expectation so that does not apply. Ferdinand * (Favourite anecdote.) Or, as Lord Morris of Castle Morris put it in the early 1990s after he bought Foolow Manor in Derbyshire in preparation for retirement: "I have bought a small manor house in Derbyshire to decline and die in" - and he did. Matthew Parris is now doing something similar.

Will the garden room have its own bathroom? What about a hot tub and big TV? That would keep them out there.

Having written the original Wayleave thread after our experience, I would be interested in the situation under Scottish Law. Is there a similar process where they can apply for a "compulsory" wayleave, for example? Best of luck.

Recorded delivery is the usual proof of serving a letter, but a Certificate of Posting (free from post office if it is like England) can also be used. Ferdinand

Edited.

@AliMcLeod I am not *totally* convinced by that 40-50k extra cost of the extra basement, but I am not well placed to critique it since I have never built one. However, I make it about 5% larger than the double garage, at 38sqm or so. All the structural work is there, and you would have access from above, so it should be down to spoil disposal, drainage (and the system is in for the garage), waterproofing, finish, access and fitout. One option would be to leave it as an empty ventilated void without fitout but with the basic structure in just in case for potential later. I am not convinced by £1250 per sqm for that extra work; others may know for real. And there is all the stuff around builder relationships, and also how you are doing your insulation etc on the whole fabric, and how much of it, and how an extra basement room would change that.

Can I politely disagree with that? Maybe not much time, but in my experience they do look. If you have tiles of a different colour they (especially buyers) *will* notice unless they are hidden (inner valley for example, or facing the back of a chimney, or under solar panels), and they may need to be randomised. Or it might not be a problem. (Have to admit that I love the thought of a future person taking the solar panels off a house and finding that the tiles underneath are germoline pink or lime green !). @Dee Do you have any in less prominent positions that you could move around, or where the quantity you need could be justified as a one off "contrast feature" (eg line along a dormer that is a single not a pair, or at the side), and buy some not-quite-matching or different? I am sure you have considered that, though. Ferdinand

Time for the asbestos underpants and the tin helmet methinks. All the best.

Good time to buy this; coal is being phased out by 2025. Though you could be on the HS6 route :-) .

I love the "Servitudes" . Are the Vikings coming back to catch us?

Top hung are rather more difficult to clean outside, especially on a shallow pitch - particularly compared to "Scottish spec" windows (ie are designed to be cleaned from the inside). Bear in mind trees, leaves, access etc. Are you sure Z-Wave is available with Top Hung windows? F

No problems at all. It is always a useful exercise for me as well. I am currently musing either starting a blog or maybe even doing a design qualification - though it may be urban design - so I enjoy chattering and assessing designs from plans.

@AliMcLeod Thanks for the reply. I think your account is really well written. Having marched half way up the hill like that, I had better summarise my basic thoughts here in case there is something useful amongst the maunderings. There is never any issue if you disagree on buildhub ... that helps all of us. Comments: 1 - If your plot faces south towards the sea, then imo the living set rooms of where you spend your time should probably face the sea - especially given that here they are at first floor level and above the road. Here that may give a swap of Bed 4 + Bath and the Kitchen, and a front door coming into a 'dining hall'. IMO that would be OK. Or move the door to the side - more drastic, or entrance ground floor then come upstairs to the main floor inside. Rather than having the kitchen buried at the back facing North and next door's side wall. Given your mother-in-law moving in, I think the balance may be against that. 2 - Main bathroom directly off hall inside the front door does not work for me.Family bathrooms are, in the public ... semi-public .. private succession of space, for semi-public or private - not public. 3 - Kitchen as is, and bed 3, are rather denuded of light - slit windows notwithstanding. Bed 4 does not perhaps really merit a huge chunk of your main floor floorspace with sea views, nor does the bathroom. 4 -That is a huge amount of potential basement space not to be using, given that you will likely have to build foundations round it. 5 - Equally that family room balcony steals a lot of room space and is designed to prevent you looking along the coast without going outside. 6 - The plumbing seems to be very spread out. Lots of pipe noises, complex maintenance, and your plumber able to afford a bigger house than you. Juggle some ensuites etc and save a few thousand (?). 7 - Does it need provision for a future lift given all those steps outside? And to help you and MiL (?) to move in and out. Those steps may be the thing that forces MiL into a home a few years early. 8 - The reasonably generous spaces between the houses do not seem to be used to their potential. Suggestions to follow.