MortarThePoint Posted March 25 Posted March 25 We are itching to get in and I know that there is a significant downside to moving in whilst work continues, but we are struggling where we are at the moment. What are the minimum requirements to be able to start living in the build? I can think of the following possible items: Staircase and landing has appropriate fall prevention A working bathroom and toilet Finished bedrooms that are to be used (painted and carpeted) No exposed live wires (shouldn't be anyway) Agreement from BCO but that would depend on the above What have I missed? Is running water a must, I could install a tank and low pressure feed in a day and use bottled water. Coordinating mains water connection takes a long time. We are already connected for electricity. I don't think we need a fitted kitchen in the short term to make do.
Mr Punter Posted March 25 Posted March 25 6 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said: Is running water a must I think it is. When is the connection due? It is normally one of the first things I would set up on a new site. Are you connected to foul drainage?
MortarThePoint Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 7 minutes ago, Mr Punter said: I think it is. When is the connection due? It is normally one of the first things I would set up on a new site. Are you connected to foul drainage? Water connection has been an oversight since we have a semi-convenient supply for the build and I have procrastinated over sorting the proper connection. No date yet arranged. Good point, that should have been on the list Sewage treatment plant commissioned
JohnMo Posted March 25 Posted March 25 Depends if you ask, depends if you have a main contractor. Main contractor my tell you to get out, depends on the agreement in place
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 You have some sort of up stand / outside tap? If so, now the weathers broken, you can just run 15mm push-fit pipe to that for potable water. Baby Belling cooker and a microwave, with a bit of worktop with a sink in it for wash up, and slide the washing machine under the side of that for some clean trolleys. 👍. 1
MortarThePoint Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 Just now, JohnMo said: Depends if you ask, depends if you have a main contractor. Main contractor my tell you to get out, depends on the agreement in place I am the main contractor 🙂 😱 1
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 1 minute ago, JohnMo said: Depends if you ask, depends if you have a main contractor. Main contractor my tell you to get out, depends on the agreement in place Yup. Nobody wants you in there before completion, prob best not to ask the BCO unless you get on very very well with them. Just say it’s fitted out so you can use it for “welfare” and hope everyone ‘looks the other way’. Insurance’s will be in no man’s land obvs, so don’t put valuables in there as you’ll have no property protection for goods, only site insurance for the purpose of construction. Very grey area there, but plenty of people must do this to stop haemorrhaging money on rent and commuting.
MortarThePoint Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said: You have some sort of up stand / outside tap? I have an upstand about 20m from the house but it is on the same meter as the house at the front
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 16 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said: I have an upstand about 20m from the house but it is on the same meter as the house at the front Which you don’t own? Buy a cheap water meter and pay for what you use?
MortarThePoint Posted March 25 Author Posted March 25 17 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Which you don’t own? Buy a cheap water meter and pay for what you use? We do own the house at the front and it is where we are living at the moment (cramped etc). A 'bodged' water supply is easy though (I don't mean that rudely) 1
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 5 minutes ago, MortarThePoint said: We do own the house at the front and it is where we are living at the moment (cramped etc). A 'bodged' water supply is easy though (I don't mean that rudely) Whack a tap connector on, waters solved, move on to next problem 👍
nod Posted March 25 Posted March 25 You will find that BC don’t really care when you are in and will be reluctant to get involved They are there to make sure the building is built to there rules Nothing else Certainly not HSE Just the council tax bods will be interested in order get paying as soon as possible 1
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 38 minutes ago, nod said: You will find that BC don’t really care when you are in and will be reluctant to get involved They are there to make sure the building is built to there rules Nothing else Certainly not HSE Just the council tax bods will be interested in order get paying as soon as possible If the temp water pipe is disconnected the no CTax as it’s classed as inhabitable? You can push your luck and just say it’s all there for welfare. You can also remove rights of assumed access to the site meaning CTax bods cannot walk onto the site.
ToughButterCup Posted March 25 Posted March 25 2 hours ago, MortarThePoint said: ... What have I missed? ... Keep the HERAS up and secured. And if possible a time lapse camera - to evidence who has - and who says they have (but hasn't) - visited the site. The BC is irrelevant: but the District Valuation Officer is relevant . How I wish I'd known that four years ago. 1
nod Posted March 25 Posted March 25 1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said: If the temp water pipe is disconnected the no CTax as it’s classed as inhabitable? You can push your luck and just say it’s all there for welfare. You can also remove rights of assumed access to the site meaning CTax bods cannot walk onto the site. But BC won’t get involved with that
Nickfromwales Posted March 25 Posted March 25 2 hours ago, nod said: But BC won’t get involved with that Yup. Just some I’ve spoken to have expressed an opinion on moving in without certain things in place, like MVHR and electrical test cert plus smoke / heat / CO1 detectors etc.
MPH243 Posted March 25 Posted March 25 We moved in before sign off, but we had kitchen, 1 en-suite and 3 bedrooms finished. The stairs were just finished. The electrics were not signed off but we're tested. I got the Bco to come out and he said he was not worried, but offered a letter if insurance company wanted it. I did have to get separate contents insurance.
ToughButterCup Posted March 26 Posted March 26 The point made above about water supply is correct. No water no habitation. But the District Valuation Officer who visited us never saw our water supply. She did see a sink (through our kitchen window) and assumed we had a water supply. I asked her to substantiate her claim. Silence. As I understand it, Valuation Officers appear to be becoming more assertive. And that fits the pattern of increased pressure on Local Authority budgets.
DownSouth Posted March 26 Posted March 26 On 25/03/2025 at 09:01, MortarThePoint said: Good point, that should have been on the list Sewage treatment plant commissioned My ground worker reckons connected but not commissioned is fine for a few months if the tank is big enough and the house is under occupied - in our case 6-9 person STP for max 3 people to start with. It’s an interesting concept…
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