Owning your own home

Ridges, Ridges... everywhere!

I'd prefer not to have a flat roof on the bay, but what are my options?

it's horrible.

don't see a massive puddle on theirs.

Puddles come and go. They're stuck with that roof for about 25 years.

Don't diss the dry ridge!

Build a small apex (if that's what its called) similar to next door

I'd prefer not to have a flat roof on the bay, but what are my options?

The flat roof can be fine, yours just looks broken.

Build a massive spire though, that would be cool.

Build a massive spire though, that would be cool.

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/4194870/#/photos/1

https://www.onthemarket.com/details/4194870/#/floorplans/1

(No longer on the market)

Air source heat pumps. Anyone got one? Do they work? What is this wizardry? Is Bojo paying you to have it?

One of my colleagues has just fitted one. His other options was to continue with Oil; he has no gas line to his gaff. He's in the sticks. He had some kind of grant. It was reasonably disruptive as the CH piping needed modifying which meant lifting floorboards and screwing with the joists. I think he had bigger radiators fitted as well, which you need. Apparently. Guess that's what all these over-spec'd massive radiators are for in our place.

They work but they need to be run a great deal because they can only slowly extract heat like a reverse air conditioner, then push that heat in to water that's fed in to your CH system and you presumably need some kind of hot water storage vessel because it can't act like a combi.

Apparently they can be run reverse to cool your place down but this can cause condensation issues in the sub floors which is probably not what you want.

Like air conditioners they can be noisy and ugly. So think hard about where you might fit it. As with all these things, if you do not identify the best place for it for you, the installer will install it in the most convenient place for them, which will inevitably leave you with issues.

Personally I wouldn't consider fitting one right now - we've just had a new boiler put in and getting to our sub floor is a bastard - but in fifteen years time I probably would when our kids have wrecked this place and it all needs ripping out and re-done. They will be smaller, faster and quieter and cheaper.

Great, thanks for the low down. The scout hut I linked to much earlier has no gas (or CH of any kind) but loads of space inside and out for a condenser type thing and HW tank. Plus the walls and floors will need doing anyway.

Pretty appealing to stay off the gas network and maximise sustainability while maybe getting some money for it too. Only problem is the hugeness of it… how many kW for 180m2!?

Gosforth Handyman just did a video about them if it's of use:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azb6LAspCM4&t=133s

Think a lot of folks say that they can work well in new buildings designed for them, and are better/best in conjunction with underfloor heating systems - but aren't the best when retro-fitted into older properties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J52mDjZzto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zrx-b2sLUs

Think a lot of folks say that they can work well in new buildings designed for them, and are better/best in conjunction with underfloor heating systems - but aren't the best when retro-fitted into older properties.

That's the conclusion I came to too. If gas boilers get banned I'm stuffed.

You could make it work, but you'd need to do a lot of work making the building work with it; insulation, heating system upgrade, lifting all the floors etc. Big investment.

It feels like the level of work where it would be hard to live in the house at the time so the extra disruption and expense of temporary accommodation (which there isn't really enough of already).

It doesn’t mean the boiler we have, have to be removed, right?

No but it will be a real pain when that one fails and you can't replace it with a new one. No decent heating until you can complete a 6 month refurb project rather than a couple of weeks while you wait for a new one to be fitted.

Maybe it will suddenly become economical to repair my very old boiler, making new parts if needed? Harder to do with a modern combi where the manufacturer isn't making the control board anymore or something.

I have an air to air source heat pump from Daikin.

Essentially it's an 8kw condenser that predominantly works as an air conditioner but also very effectively provides heat through the same air con cassettes.

Got it installed in April so, so far, it's really only been used for cooling purposes rather than heating but it's supposed to be even more efficient at heating than cooling so let's see as winter draws in. We've got wet underfloor heating on the ground floor and radiators on the other two floors but I'm planning to turn off the radiators / underfloor heating in the rooms with the cassettes and test their effectiveness.

The house is only 2.5 years old so super efficient already. It retains heat extremely well.

I paid for it myself. 4 cassettes and the heat pump was just under £9k installed.

it's really only been used for cooling purposes rather than heating

How's it been for that? Tempted in the near/mid term too

One thing is very intoxicating is being able to rip something off in the house and face no repercussion at all, not even a peep from my girlfriend.

It’s an amazing feeling after renting shitty room after room for the last 15 years in flats.

Ed we don't need to know about your masturbating habits thanks.

Then unfollow this topic.

Is there a way to find out how many bedrooms a house has been sold as having historically? I know with Land Registry you can find out price history. Just need to find out bedrooms too...

Zoopla will sometimes have previous estate agent details going back about 15 years.