How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

VAT for construction is hugely variable which is why costs are presented ex-VAT. Your design team should have been able to tell you what VAT applied to you and ultimately worked to that although the whole designing to a brief vs designing to a budget is a common issue.

No disputing that your circumstance is bad form and I would have been miffed in that situation! Did you budget work up in the end, or did the design work down?

My partner is from NZ where builders quote inclusive of taxes - the whole +VAT thing over here had her raging!

For our extension/knock through we're having done at the moment we've got a fixed price with the builders for xyz being done but everything else that's down to us to order is creeping up in price every day but we can't order some things until we know how things are looking in the house - it's a bit annoying!

It was always there, it was just how it was communicated and the fact they somehow thought when I said I had 75k I meant I had 75K +VAT.
So architect fees etc, which are a fixed VAT.
Anyway, went with someone who understood that in the end and came in bang on budget (but got less than we had hoped for and everyone had said was possible).
But we are happy with it.

But we are happy with it

This is the main thing and great that you achieved your budget. I would say the pain lessens but you always seem super keen for ongoing works so maybe some Stockholm syndrome (tongue firmly in cheek!)?

Probs just the builders and architects were most used to dealing with businesses or new builds that want the price ex-vat and weren’t thinking.

Nope, all residential.

Just daft then. Good you found that out early.

On a single story rear extension of a terraced house where you have the downpipe from the main roof guttering; would you expect the rain water to dump out of the downpipe onto the new lower roof, trickle over the new slates then go into another gutter then along to another downpipe into the ground/drain or would you expect some kind of linking pipework between the two gutters?

would you expect the rain water to dump out of the downpipe onto the new lower roof

This is fine

Ok thanks - was torn as it seems lazy but then a long guttering pipe going along the top of the roof would look rubbish!

It would also allow all sorts of shit to build up around it. You want your roof surface clear so it can shed water and debris as quickly and efficiently as possible.

And the pitch would restrict the flow and make it more likely to block.

You may need something on the lower gutter, to prevent water spaffing over the top of it, when it rains heavily.

I had these in my old place and in my current and it seems to be the normal way of doing it. Bit of an issue in my current place though in that when it is windy and raining it dumps a load of water on the windowsill and the wall which I think may be causing some damp.

For those with small houses / tight lofts - here's what my old man is doing to his morally reprehensible second home at the moment. Knocking out the ceiling over the front bedroom and making a mezzanine space above the rear. probably work quite well for family stays etc. Many lolz about rinsing the inheritance and all that... ok boomer.

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oooo this is very intriguing - i know it's a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' type question - but is this likely to be a fair bit cheaper than a full loft conversion assuming it's done to a similar spec?

OH you would just have to share things like that...
Looks super interesting though! What size is that Velux? UK10?

@Howard, @TW & @aggi - thanks! It'll be running over my new office & entering the guttering above my window so I'll keep an eye out for if it splashes over the edge.

My dream is to go up into the loft, use some of it for storage but mainly open up the ceilings, maybe get a mezzanine over the stairs or something, definitely get an openable rooflight over the landing for summer ventilation. It's a kind of idle musing that comes way down on the list after insulation, fixing the bathroom, kitchen etc. I worry about moving the thermal line to the rafters and fucking up the roof. This looks great - keep us posted.

is that an example of the horror story spray-on insulation in the rafters?

Hmm - not sure, no plumbing, but have removed all ceilings etc. No main stair extension. He's doing a paddle stair up to the mezzanine - but a ladder would be cheaper. No dormer etc too so no outside work (except flashing in the rooflights) . I expect it would be less than a typical loft convo.

I think it will be quite good.
UK8 1340 x 1400

Wow, interesting idea, but zero privacy for anyone?

Indeed - he's adding multifoil quilt under it (with air gaps both sides) and then 50mm insulated PB over the rafters.

nice. partly asked so I know what to look for, and partly for exactly what you just said there haha. This mezzanine thing could be a v handy option in my next place

Well yes - but on the basis that the floor plan is too tight to do a proper stair up to a separate room up there, this brings the loft space into play. You could consider it as a luxurious master bedroom with a sitting / study loft over (nice for reading etc) or a room a family with kids are happy to share for a week or two.