Building DIY Gardening

New Government self-build scheme to help people building houses. This was announced by Grant Shapps the Housing Minister on 7 July 2012. Kevin McCloud is involved.
The idea is to release Government land so people can build houses on it. To build a home is admirable but a large project for a young first-time buyers, which [...]

There is a new ‘web portal’ for all things self-build. This is created by The National Self Build Association (NaSBA). It is independent of Government and has Kevin McCloud on the front.
Bit short on actual advice. In Technical Documents, there is one pdf on Health and Safety in the Workplace.
Information is general, as is expected [...]

The Conservative government’s decision to more than halve the FIT (feed-in tariffs) for electricity put back into the grid (from sources such as solar power) from 43 to 21p per kilowatt hour, as reported here on Building DIY previously, has been attacked by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry) as disastrous for the solar and [...]

This is to update the blog about the companies that fit solar PV panels for free.
The Conservative Government is reducing the FIT rate by half from December 12th 2011. Any solar PV panels installed and also registered with an energy company will qualify. So it is no good booking it in as the waiting times [...]

Like many households in Britain, we have received leaflets through our door about fitting free PV (photovoltaic) solar panels, with free use of the generated electricity.
This sounds too good to be true as even a small system can cost well over £10,000 so what is the deal? Is it a scam? How does it affect [...]

Went along to the installation in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Modern, Bankside, London SE1 9TG. The building is an old power station converted into a vast art gallery – a bit like an Art Mall – styled to be a bit modern, a bit industrial, a bit futuristic.
The Turbine Hall is the [...]

David Snell is a Contributing Editor to Home Building & Renovating Magazine, and he and some other experts are giving some talks at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre off the M4 in west Swindon.
So if you are worried your new extension might fall foul of some local Inspector, you’d better get over [...]

This is an interesting competition with good prizes, to get ideas for renovating or replacing a large low cost housing development on the edge of George Town Penang, an island off north west Malaysia. It is open to architects, town planners and also students of the above.
It is jointly organized by the Penang State Government, [...]

Visiting a Home Depot in the US recently, President Obama said “Energy Efficiency is sexy”.

Clever use of buzz words to get his message to the American people (and us, thanks to the internet).
Insulation is slightly erotic as it is a type of blanketing… if you find that sexy of course.
This phrase will wind [...]

The public can get a look at the new US Embassy to be built in Wandsworth London.
It is at NLA (New London Architecture – a front for The Building Centre a Council and commercially sponsored educational body for building and DIY).
Go to The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London WC1E 7BT, between Friday 26 February [...]