Redoctober

@Mike_scotland we have our set at 55oc and is plenty hot enough. Probably too hot at times as the nearest tap to the cylinder, produces very hot water immediately and has to be mixed with some cold to be comfortable.

@Mike_scotland yes, we use Finish power ball tablets. 👍 https://www.expresswastewater.com.au/septic-systems/information/is-finish-dishwasher-detergent-safe-for-septic-tanks

We only use dishwasher tablets that the packaging clearly states "septic tank safe" - it's in the small print and if it isn't there, we avoid them because there are others which do mention it.

I can't sadly but from our experience of buying land in Scotland, the legal side of it was dealt with by the "in-house" Solicitor at the Estate Agents.

Never considered "tipping" a delivery driver and not come across one who "appeared" to expect such a gesture. That said, the majority of delivery drivers I dealt with, seemed keen to stop, chat and look / enquire, as to how the build was going. Never dawned on me that they may have been lingering for a tip! As a complete aside, things do seem to be getting out of hand though - we leave our bin men, postie and local courier a tub of sweets at Christmas, as a gesture of our appreciation but our son, who lives in a major residential estate in an urban environment, told me that on his "community FB page" someone had organised a "whip round" for the local postie for Christmas. He was shocked to discover that the organiser of said "collection," presented the postie with a cheque for £1000 - yes £1k!!! Crazy times!!!

Hi @MortarThePoint -" , so quite envious of @Redoctober's connection all for £900." Yes it did wok out well for us as I too thought we would have to go into the "expensive area" due to the distances involved. I hope all works out for you and the increased costs are not too crippling.

We used this on ours and works perfectly - has withstood jet washing twice now - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jointing-Compound-Stone-Joint-Mortar/dp/B010V0U5MG

@Rishard Here is a fairly up to date photo of it upon completion - you should see the shed and also down the side of the car, we use that space for log storage.

Hi @Rishard- sorry for the tardy response but yes the uprights are 8" - the actual footprint of the structure is 7m x 6m - It is 7 m across the front and then 6 m deep - the shed within, is set back a metre allowing for weather protection and is 5 m deep. I hope all this helps.

Hi - yes you seem to hit the spot with regards to your breakdowns - We built in 2018 so I am happy to share some figures with you as to how we "established" a £ per square metre figure. Remember though, these figures are no longer accurate and the £ per square metre figure can not really be measured £ for £ due to the many variables. We never worried about the £ per square metre figure, our financial guidance was simply controlled by how much money I had left in my account !! Therefore the £ per square metre figure is irrelevant to us. Each to their own. Heating and plumbing included our WBS and installation. For the finer details of our build have a look at my blog. Land & fees etc £120,465.00 Utility connections £1,817.00 Construction Costs £154,910.00 Roof coverings £20,131.00 Car port & porch £31,955.00 Heating & Plumbing £21,371.00 Joinery etc £25,806.00 Electrics £5,070.00 Windows and doors £22,214.00 Kitchen etc £17,148.00 sanitaryware £4,653.00 Fitted wardrobes 9,007.00 Curtains £4,080.00 Landscaping £13,092.00 £305,075.00 £305,075 £1848 p.s.m £305,075.00 £120,465.00 £425,540 £2579 p.s.m £305,075.00 £120,465.00 £13,087 £438,627 £2658 p.s.m £305,075.00 £240,930.00 £13,087 £13,092.00 £572,184 £3467 p.s.m

My thoughts exactly - Went with Flemmings back in 2018 so any costings etc would be irrelevant to the OP - That said, no complaints with Flemmings. The Joiner we used said he would have been more than happy to undertake the "stick build" etc. As much as I would explore that route if we were going again, I would have to balance that out against erection time and associated costs of going independently so to speak.

@Adsibob as an alternative you may try taping down a decent sized sit of plastic - leave it for 24hrs and then lift it up to see what if any moisture is underneath.

Yes, just to underline what has been mentioned already as I have picked up on this thread somewhat late in the day - we too have an ASHP and a stand alone Log burner. Our water is set at 55 degrees and trust me, that is more than hot enough for baths etc. We also suffered a loss of total power for 6 days recently and it was the log burner that kept us cosy and warm. The other thing worth mentioning as part of any forward planning - we have now invested - cheap as chips really - in a camping stove and kettle. Our neighbours lent us theirs and it was a real morale booster and well worth its weight in gold.

What is the sequence of work to be carried out? It appears two builders are happy to continue without, so presumably whatever work they are going to undertake can be managed alongside the weather. Why is the favoured builder requiring a roof covering? Is it simply to ensure he can get your project done in a suitable time that suits his agenda? Is the roof structure the first thing to be tackled? If so, will that allow you to shorten the amount of time the"roof covering" is required?

Hi @Dan1983 have a look at the attached photo. Picked out from our build archive - shows what is being said above. I too thought it strange at the time but had noticed other windows sitting on stone sills to have have had similar "gaps" which gave me confidence to accept them so to speak.

I can understand and relate to this comment. In a way, it also helps one come to terms with the fact that perhaps your end "costs" are or will not be leading you into a "massive" negative equity situation. But even my own comment has to be considered on an individual basis. Are you building a house which will be up for sale, within a short term period, or is it a much longer term / forever home? In which case any "precieved" overspend will hopefully be addressed by market forces over the coming years. Just for completeness, we approached our plot purchase and subsequent build, with a "pot of available money" and tried to keep within that, regardless of what we were achieving per square metre. Thankfully, I was able to come out the other side with enough loose change to buy a bottle of bubbly at the end of it all ? Our £ per Sm figure documented in my blog was for others to get a "feeling" of what could be achieved etc. It mattered very little to us as the main focus was on the "remaining" cash available!!

Loving the oak frame garage ?

I do - and it's not just because it reduces the amount of space, in which Mrs W can fill with toot!?

@jdiggy For me, I prefer the top image - Just to underline the point that Sharps are probably factoring in their marketing budget in your quote, our son was recently quoted £1700 by a local joiner to supply and fit something very similar.

I have to agree with @Tennentslager but can't help thinking it was a missed opportunity. The build looks impressive and not without its challenges. The amount of work undertaken by @JohnMo himself, is commendable but here's the rub. Whether or not it all went without a hitch, I'm sure the experiences, progress, decision making and supply issues would been useful to the collective also undertaking such a project. In addition, it would also have been useful to know what if any knowledge / advice / tips, one may have picked up from the forum during any given project. Having been one of many who have benefited from the knowledge, skill and advice shared on this forum, I would urge others to do as I did, and that is to share your experiences - This forum should be treated as a "two way street." I'll get my coat!!

Welcome to the forum - What is your expected start date for the build? Either way, keep us updated with progress and feel free to ask for any guidance / advice or answers to questions you may have. Can't gaurentee a smooth ride but hey - that's all the fun of the fair! Enjoy.

@scottishjohn - Exactly that - here I am using one for that very purpose back in 2018 - under the watchful eye of our builders who insisted I wore " L " Plates for H&S reasons ??

We went for the belt and braces approach with our new build back in 2018 - Wet UFH upstairs as well as downstairs operating via n ASHP. So. a couple of years on, would we do anything different? I can see the benefits of electric UFH in the bathroom and en suite BUT I wouldn't opt for rads in the bedrooms, simply because of the wall space that we would lose as a result. So, from a personal point of view, I probably wouldn't change anything because I'm not sure no heating in the bedrooms would be the way forward for us. I can at least control the UFH within the bedrooms when not being used by guests etc. Finally, the other factor to consider in this equation is budget - we were fortunate enough to be in the situation whereby our budget didn't impede our decision making, so went for the belt and braces approach as mentioned.

Yes I agree, but not sure about all that lead flashing on top of the stones. Could they have dealt with it differently?

OK - it transpires it had nothing to do with the ASHP - He failed to tell me yesterday that he also has an array of solar panels which he received on a supply basis only. He fitted them, had an electrician wire "them up" but failed to get them registered with whoever he should have done. Therefore the energy being "created" wasn't being recogonised. He says this will be corrected and hopefully will see a reduction in his usage. Thanks again.?