My Barn Conversion

Rainwater harvesting is one of those simple concepts that reminds us of old-fashioned sensibilities. Basically, it entails the collection of the rainwater that falls onto a roof, the storage of that water and its utilisation for domestic purposes. The water is collected by normal roof gutters then passed through a filter to remove dirt, leavesContinue reading Rainwater Harvesting

With a big shed to convert into habitable accommodation, you’d think we’d have plenty to do without gardening. Regardless, we’ve spent the last few weekends clearing brambles and establishing footpaths through the piece of scrub woodland that we bought along with the barn. Very satisfying when liberating trees from the brambles that have engulfed themContinue reading Brambling

Answer these: Question: So once you’ve started, who will bring it all together? Question: Can you handle the potential loss of control of the project of delegating some responsibilities? Question: Do you have the experience to bring together such a complex project? Question: Will the role be fulfilled by you or someone you pay (anContinue reading Step 5 = project management

That’s what’s great about the outdoors you know, it’s like one giant toilet. Jeff Goldblum, The Big Chill, 1983. …dedicated to Cheryl, she knows why.

There is an update to this post at … VAT for barn convertors update December 2007 Having been confused by the VAT treatment around barn conversions for some time, I thought I’d better get the situation clear before going any further. This is a summary of the VAT situation currently: Conversion of a building toContinue reading VAT for barn convertors

We never really had any great green aspirations when we started out on this project. Our design priorities were mainly aesthetic rather than practical. Our goal was to build a beautiful place to live. As the design has taken shape, it has grown to incorporate many features that are considered green or ecological. Highly specifiedContinue reading Going Green