Ferdinand

Cheers.

Quick one. If a Private Building Controller chappie does a 1st Stage Inspection (Foundation?), is that accepted as evidence for the piece of paper (Lawful Development Certificate?) that a Planning Permission is locked in? Cheers F

Welcome. You eat something scarlet and take a pee.

Is that not in theory what BRE is supposed to have done? Perhaps what we actually need is for LABC to commission the testing. The "construction research" setup has been very ingrown for decades - eg the Partners in Innovation programme where the DTI used to require research proposals from consortia covering research organisations and industrial partners. Which means that everyone knows each other and has to wear multiple hats in different settings. That may be too integrated. Some orgs even overlapped into regulatory or semi-regulatory roles - writing standards etc.

I think there's a further big question here, as the NHBC seems to have possibly caved in to the legal threats (by my interpretation). Also from the piece: BTW Inside Housing allows regstration of free accounts that lets you see the whole article. https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/kingspan-threatened-legal-action-against-nhbc-for-raising-concerns-over-non-compliant-insulation-68732 F

Fire Sprinklers reqd in blocks of flats over 11m. Into force today. Hmmm.

I have Surestops (water offswitch like a blue light switch) in my house.

I am not sure on that. They cover all sorts of unforeseen circumstances as long as it is an insurable risk. So don't get your hopes up but investigate. eg Chancel Tax Insurance is like an indemnity policy, and lack of a FENSA cert of 2G windows can be covered. I have one where someone made a drive from a footpath without having a known right to drive over it, and it covers me against loss of value on the house if for some reason it gets blocked up in the future. OTOH I didn't go for Chancel Tax insurance as I know the church building is relatively modern and am reasonably familiar with the policies of the Diocese. OTOH it may be better to have the possibility there as an ace in the hole in case it gets mentions and you need a sticky plaster to solve the concern in case they are worried about it. F

You now have lots of multiple-choice advice, and need to decide what to do ? . Best of luck with it all. The centipede was happy quite Until the frog in fun asked "Pray, which leg goes after which?" She worked her mind to such a pitch she lay distracted in a ditch considering how to run.

You ask your solicitor.

Would an indemnity policy cover this? Did you try offering one to the previous potential purchaser. I think it would work as the risk is insurable imo.

Yep. All fine. The doors thing is nice if you can do it, but quite liveable without.

If you are going to move washing from one to the other (obv they will be capacity matched for a full wash?), then you want both doors to open to the sides not the middle. ie LH hinge on the LH machine, RH hinge on the RH machine. Otherwise you have to lean back with an armful of washing to get round the door of the one that opens to the middle. On the other point you could gain space by stacking the washer and dryer. In that case you put the washer above so you are moving wet washing downwards. The corollary would be a loss of worktop. Pros and cons.

And put something to help it move under your washer ?

Shiny side of hardboard (either way up - lack of friction may be best against the floor). Or a bit of chequer-plate. Make it deeper than the washer, and perhaps cut a "handle" in it. Or perhaps something with a "spring up lever" at the back? Problem there is if it sticks you won't get it back out ! Once it is out you may have the space to fit a 600 x 600 x 8mm floor tile in the space to make it slippery. eg in white https://www.tiletown.co.uk/en/alaska-white-floor-tile Can be expensive per sqm but you only need one tile, which I get for about £12 from the tile shop. Also under fridges.

Make sure that your tap is high enough to fill the biggest thing you may want to fill. Do you need a tall cupboard for brooms and things? (Could do that by moving sink slightly to right and having a shorter worktop on the left). Think about lighting under worktop if you will be doing close work there (eg topping and tailing gooseberries or gutting fish etc). Make sure that the washer and dryer doors open to the outside so you don't have to troll your items round the end of a door to dry them. Are you having a wash-pulley in it, or drying washing? If so you need an MVHR outlet. F

So your audience to convince is surveyors.

In which case I would probably tidy up the joint (and perhaps apply some dust to the mortar ... think hidden tunnel entrances and Colditz ?), and have a clear explanation ready for when anyone asks. Including that piccie showing where the extra building used to be, plus any maps etc. My usual source for old maps is https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/ there are others. F

Invent a Ripping Yarn about it ?.

Is there another one on the other end of the terrace? I would say it looks like a small terrace or barn that was extended for growth 150 years ago reusing the structure, and for some reason the bit on the end was removed afterwards. May have been a former house or some sort of barn. To make a road? There may be foundations under that bit of the path / side track. The mortar came out over time and someone bodged it with goo. IMO a surveyor should mention that as it is obvious. F

You can use a wooden "Godfather post" or a concrete "Fence Post Repair Spur" - 1.2m metre concrete post with boltholes ?. If there is a hunk of concrete in the ground you get 400mm or so of fence post and use it as a spacer so the Repair Spur is say 100mm away and use long bolts through all 3 elements to miss the concrete in the ground with the repair spur. Alternatively you can try and put the new one in the same hole like this: Ferdinand

I'm just keeping quiet. There are others who know more about tiling.

???

Your house is too traditional for one of those. You want one of these. £75 if you come and collect. Solid oak. 1.8m high. ES bulbs. Comes with luminaire glass covers. The support is in 2 sections, so can be 1m high.

If you want minimal beams you could try curtain wall suppliers.