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LadyBuilder

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  1. LadyBuilder
    I am a builder so you would think that I’ll be able to do it cheap, but I ended up at £2,200 (boys only!no land) for per sq m for a 550 sq m house in London . This includes fittings and furnishings and everything is top end. Still, I was expected to come in under £2k...
  2. LadyBuilder
    Quick question, I am struggling with a decision. How much insulation should I have on the ground floor for the underfloor heating. I really would love to put it in the slab, but the slab extends to both front and back garden, so I don't fancy heating the whole lot... see elevation plan attached I am also thinking that I need to get the SE to step the ground slab, so that the bit inside the house is higher and the outside is lower so I can stick the EPS on top. DR 05_SECTIONS.pdf
  3. LadyBuilder
    Dust magnet!! i know it looks nice, but from a practical point of view (I am a woman after all), absolute nightmare to keep clean
  4. LadyBuilder
    https://www.homebuilding.co.uk/does-triple-glazing-make-sense/ thought of you
  5. LadyBuilder
    Pm me on easements if you like, I am absolutely not a lawyer but have spent a lot of time on the subject
  6. LadyBuilder
    ha ha... not quite that. I am excavating the garden, putting a room, then backfilling the soil above the roof of the basement so that I still have the garden... like this
  7. LadyBuilder
    I saw that but in green roofs you normally have between 70-150mm soil. My garden basement requirement is a minimum of 1000mm which should actually have some sort of impact Thanks!
  8. LadyBuilder
    Thanks! this is the one I use too, but i am really not sure how to add the data from the link @Onoff gave me...
  9. LadyBuilder
    I am not sure how to calculate the U-value of the roof of the basement part which is under the garden. The 1 m of soil on top must have some insulation effect. Does anyone know how to calculate that effect?
  10. LadyBuilder
    We tend to use Expamet Internal Plaster Stop Bead 13mm x 3m and then fit architraves and skirting with a 10mm gap. Try asking a builder to price for that without providing these details and see what comes back...Silly prices
  11. LadyBuilder
    'Shadow gap' is the contemporary/architect's way of saying 'spend double than what you intended to on something nobody but arty people will notice' all the rage in most of the refurbs i do in london
  12. LadyBuilder
    From TW: What are private sewers and lateral drains? Private sewers and lateral drains are the sections of sewer pipe or drain that are shared with another person’s property, or run through another person’s land. It’s estimated that up to half of properties in England and Wales are connected to, and the owner is responsible for, a private sewer. How will you benefit from this change? This is good news for you as the change in law means the ownership and maintenance for private sewers and lateral drains will be transferred to us. This will bring peace of mind to customers and clarity regarding ownership. The change will take place from 1 October 2011. You will still be responsible for the sections of pipe between your property / building and the transferred private sewer or lateral drain.
  13. LadyBuilder
    To be honest I am only going by what TW is telling me, I am by no means an expert. They were adamant that the moment it crosses over to my land, it becomes a public sewer. IF that it not correct, I'd be so happy to be wrong...it would certainly make my life a lot easier
  14. LadyBuilder
    I have a situation where my neighbour's drain pipe is on my land. They require a new connection to the sewer so that I can build my basement. Apart from consent and adoption application with TW, a demarkation chamber is required on my land close to the boundary. Further we need to apply for adoption and then create an easement over my land.... I would keep mum about your neighbour's pipe in your back garden... You would require consent from whoever your water company is to do anything within 3 m of it... and you would have to pay for that consent
  15. LadyBuilder
    Th That would be my solution too.
  16. LadyBuilder
    https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/pipes-and-drains/responsibility-and-ownership/sewer-pipe-responsibility good drawing here. law changed in oct 11
  17. LadyBuilder
    Didn't read the whole chain on this thread, so sorry if I am repeating what somebody else has already said. It is just that I am currently up to my neck with easements, drainage and public/private sewage... Looking at the diagram, even if you don't connect your parents, the moment your pipe (serving only your property) crosses over to your parents' land, it becomes public sewer and all the conditions and restrictions will apply. You will have to apply for consent and that will be identified. I can't see how it wouldn't, based on the diagram
  18. LadyBuilder
    I would say on the glass. The difference between 0.15 and 0.13 is negligable on the bills or how warm/cold it feels. A lot of glass will have a noticable difference to the temp inside, even if that is somehow offset in the bills
  19. LadyBuilder
    I realise that I am ranting a bit, but as I am in the process of sorting out warranty, it is a sore subject. I happen to have a really good relationship with the local Building control officer. Done a few jobs together and he knows me and trusts me. All of the quotes charge either 2k for site inspection (if I chose to have the LA Building control) or 2k with their own building control but no site inspection fees. So they essentially bully me into having theirs, as the council charges 1k for it
  20. LadyBuilder
    I do however wholeheartedly agree that it is not worth the paper it is written on... Proving whose fault it is, is impossible. Materials blame builder, builder blames other trades or materials, etc. Then ripping out stuff and making good again never seem to be covered by any material warranty and builders don't want to know. Insurance rarely pays out and only after years of chasing Essentially it is either useful to the bureaucracy or to the people who are not interested in building and falsely believe that the piece of paper entitles them to have somebody ‘fix’ it for free…
  21. LadyBuilder
    (a) An approved claim from HM Revenue and Customs under `VAT431NB: VAT refunds for DIY housebuilders' (c) Proof of an approved Self Build or Custom Build Mortgage# from a bank or building society for your development. (b) Proof of a specialist Self Build or Custom Build Warranty* for your development This what you need to supply at the end of the build for the CIL exemption. In our case the CIL liability is 214k. If I mess up the VAT return, then I stand to not only be without a VAT return, but also CIL liable. Hence the warranty as I can't get a self build mortgage....
  22. LadyBuilder
    I assume that this is only relevant for a handful of people, but we have to have a warranty in place precisely because we will not be getting a self-build mortgage To gain CIL exemption as a self-builder, you need to either have a self-build mortgage or a warranty
  23. LadyBuilder
    I have this in my living room. I did it about 5 years ago and it was low U-value for glass (can't remember precise value). Building control was not happy, but after a very thorough SAP report, it was passed as SAP thought that it actually adds heat to the building. In actual fact, despite it being quite air tight, temps are always about 2 degrees lower in that part of the living room in the winter and in the evening I have a blanket. In the summer it is impossible to sit directly underneath. I love the look of it though, so I am happy to use that blanket in the winter…It is down to a personal choice more than building regulations IMO
  24. LadyBuilder
    Well, my biggest problem in handing over the money is that I believe I can do a lot of it myself, plus I KNOW that I will change things later. On the other hand, I deal with builders all day long and I know the importance of having something in black and white (and red). Always easier to have drawings and details. And as @recoveringacademic says, what if I am forgetting things or not doing them optimally simply because I am doing it, instead of a professional. What if there is a cheaper/better/smarter way of doing things and only if somebody had told me I would have done it their way...
  25. LadyBuilder
    Hmmm, may be I expect too little hence it seems too expensive I thought they just would to spec the electrical wiring and the plumbing routes. I'm pretty much done designing the basement drainage...
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