Month: March 2007

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, leaves and other debris picked up from the roof, gutters or down pipes. The filtered water passes into a storage tank. Filtering is an important part of the process as any decaying organic material that remains in the water will consume oxygen through microbial action possibly…

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 them - although I think we're just establishing a breeding ground for stinging nettles. Perhaps just a gentle start to our developments ... ?

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 (an architect or building project manager)? Question: What professionals are available in your locality with the appropriate skills and experience? I think by the time you've worked through those you're going to have a pretty good idea of the way to go and the shape your…

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 to a residence is free of VAT paid on labour and materials. You can reclaim the VAT paid on labour and materials without having to be VAT registered. The relevant legislation is 'Customs & Excise Notice 719 - VAT Refunds for DIY Home Builders and Converters'.…

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 specified insulation. Underfloor heating & a ground source heat pump. Rain-water harvesting I'll post more on each of these in coming days...