Ferdinand

I do not think it is property backed. It is finance for land acquisition and upfront expenses. Not sure if it is a good return, however they have something of a track record and no scandals related to the previous cash raising they did in 2013 afaik. It is not clear whether this comes within your £1000 tax free allowance for interest. Ferdinand

Worth costing piled foundations? https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/foundations-cost-guide/

Thanks for the comments so far. So .. supplementaries :-). I can see that that would work. That implies internal blockwork and a 'cavity' type structure - or a rainscreen (eg cladding or render over insulation) or similar on the the outside so that the joist ends do not protrude too far towards the outer surface, which may not be ideal (cold bridges, rotting). I expect that can be detailed appropriately with ease. Joist hangers :-). I have been looking into this a little. As far as I can see from a cursory survey of what is on sale, joist hangers for blockwork require to be inserted into the blockwork itself, while those for timber seem to be attachable to the surface. For a conservatory roof where access was required for maintenance I dealt with this by putting a chunky - perhaps 8"x4" wall plate on the blockwork with appropriate bolts then mini joist hangers on the wall plate to support the roof. But are there surface attachable joist hangers for use with blockwork? (Though I guess that the blockwork itself could be slotted if necessary). That is an attractive idea. I had mused about if eg ordering a timber frame from MBC and having the floor cassettes for the future inserted floor supplied initially, which could simply then be added in with a block and tackle from the Ridge Beam at some point in the future. The geometry would work. I like exposed tie beams especially as they age, but the numbers vs span vs spacing would have to be thought about carefully to look OK now and meet any likely spec for the future. Type of Blockwork Is there much of a constraint on types of blockwork which can support joists for an upstairs eg I am limited to higher density blocks rather than some of the lighter ones that we can use for walls ? Timber Frame Are there any problems doing this with timber frame? I expect not provided that a conversation is had with the designer. Cheers Ferdinand

Thanks. The intention I am thinking about is to allow flexibility later. One of my inspirations as to the form was the Grand Design known as the "Modest Home" (modest for Grand Designs - 1500 sqft build budget 200k iirc), Hoo House in Woodbridge, which is part 1.5 storey and substantially http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/visionary_family_home_a_work_of_love_1_658404 http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs/on-demand/46761-019 Ferdinand

Heave: Ground heave is the upward movement of the ground usually associated with the expansion of clay soils which swell when wet. As the soil generally cannot expand downwards or sideways, the result is that the exposed upper surface of the soil rises up. .. The most common cause of ground heave is associated with trees which have died or been removed. As the root network no longer draws water from the subsoil, water accumulates in the ground, resulting in swelling that can move building structures upwards. https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Ground_heave

Ouch. 1.3m is seriously close, I am afraid.

Scenario: if I construct a 1.5 storey house with a galleried living / dining space, which construction method makes it most straightforward to insert an extra studio or bedroom when I want to sell, and what is involved? I can say more, but I would like to have a range of answers on likely problems on this one, as I am just musing. Ferdinand

Of course by the time it is through planning and got around to starting on site those 2 years may well have elapsed. F

Surely size of tree is also relevant. eg a 5m tree taken out now has fewer heave implications vs provisioning for the 30m tree it may turn into in 50 years? I also see - spelunking the 2010 regulations - that the foundation depth can be 50mm shallower each 50 miles North or West of London. Surprised ! Ferdinand

You can but ask ... perhaps they want it removed, and if you gave them a specimen somewhere else...

I wonder if @Sensus can help here? I hope there could be other ways round that, perhaps based on the type of tree and root spread / thirstiness etc. eg What happens if you put in a root barrier or bribe your neighbour to remove the tree? Ferdinand

I'd say that they are either occupied by better off tenants, use something like ASHP, or are good enough energy wise to be acceptable. But I do not think that Councils are guaranteed to be competent enough to check that before coming for you :-) . F

My "But" is that horizontal ducting looks easier than vertical in that setup because the concrete is built up in layers like a tiramisu, and therefore would need more effort for something going up through 6ft say than along for 6 feet. You would perhaps also need to drill all the new holes in the walls before the next layer, as I think they only build the wall a little ahead of the concrete (do they ?). And don't they have to do extensive poking around after the pour to make sure it has all settled? Ducting everywhere would make that difficult. Ferdinand

It may be worth a check with your Council on their attitude to electric panel heaters vs eg storage heaters vs gas. There have been cases where EH have enforced on the basis that "efficient heating" and "controllable heating" must be provided. Tenants views on No Bath depend on the market. eg Older people love showers, especially if it is large enough to shower with a friend and have a chair and drying area in the cubicle. But they don't like disabled or elderly adapted showers (grabrails etc) until they actually need the accessories. And "fuel poverty" is very much a current issue, even though the campaigners' figures tend to be highly manipulated. Ferdinand

Cheers. So what happens if I sell it to another company I own? (I expect that the first company gets the VAT back).

There are exceptions for properties which cannot be realistically upgraded if payback is (iirc) more than 15 years. I don't know what the regulators will do, but I can see certain councils putting actions in place post-April 2018. I would think it will be an easy hit when there are complaints and they will not have to do a full HHSRS assessment / enforcement. Tell landlord to meet x level, and the checking will be by a third party. Many places can get a C with external insulation, but the prop. I have just upgraded had a quote for 14k to do that :-), which would not be feasible without a big grant. Personally i wouldn't buy anything with rooms in the roof unless they had been upgraded or there was money off the price to do the work. I backed out of one before Christmas that had a nice renovation finish but it was still an E. Far better options are places that have already had EWI or ones that are basically sound but need a top to bottom redo. I expect an overhang of hard to upgrade rentals coming onto the market in 2023-5 and 2028-30. I would say that the slum sector will transfer to none upgradeable owner occupied properties where the owners cannot afford to do things ... assuming that Councils go for landlords who are not compliant. It would be a similar process one stage further to the one by which some Councils sold off many of their poorer rental properties in the 90s and 2000s when these could not be economically improved. At some stage energy bills will become important in the market, and at that point price differentials will come in - just as now it is hard to rent single glazed property (unless it is twee and they are hipsters). At present lack of supply is perhaps a bigger factor. Ferdinand

@pocster Just to be clear, the limits will also apply to existing properties aiui .

Perhaps someone has complained?

Just a heads up for people looking to invest money. Kevin McCloud's company HAB have a 5 year investment bond open at 8% AER at present. Usual caveats ... capital at risk, not covered by protections cheme etc. Here: https://www.habhousing.co.uk/news/initial-crowd-fund-target-smashed-in-4-days Ferdinand

Remember that you have to have an EPC E by next year, D by 2025 and C by 2030 to rent it out legally. For a new conversion you should be OK. You should care about tenant bills ... if seriously high they will move and it may be expensive to get a new tenant plus all the paperwork. You already have to give an EPC to the tenant - suspect soon that may be regulated more carefully, because the landlord spankers are always after more canes. I am just waiting for an EPC on a house i have just had some work done for a tenant, and I am hopeful of taking the EPC from an E to nearly a C. It will get a C once I have a new boiler but I am waiting until it is necessary. Plus play your cards right by demonistarting a £1000 pa energy saving and you can ask for £500 on the rent. Ferdinand

Suspect that you are overthinking the sound insulation if you have 300mm of cellulose. Perhaps go and visit someone's house with that insulation, taking your better half, a trombone and something to make low pitched thuds. Ferdinand

That avatar ! And I thought mine was dodgy ... being an extract from Pompeian Pornography.

http://www.ebuild.co.uk/topic/13949-many-many-showers/ Ferdinand

I remember the pugwash icon from ebuild. Welcome. How did your HMO go ? Ferdinand

MY comment s based on penetration of and holes in membranes being a major problem with membranes hidden inside walls. So an exposed membrane in a loft is more vulnerable imo. What happens if they need to mend the roof from the inside? Perhaps others know better. F