2019-07-01 Homebuilding & Renovating

homebuilding.co.uk 27

image: Simon

maxwell (top right)

*homebuilding

&r

enovating Self

&Cu

Stom

build

market

report 2017

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advice,articlesand

buildideasontwitter:

@myhomebuilding

cosy cabin living

A stylish solution to

staying put on site

Although a way to save a

considerable amount of money,

living on site during a self-build

or renovation project can mean

muddy, cramped and cold living

conditions. Portopods (www.

portopods.com), however, offer a

comfortable solution — the static

or mobile buildings start from

£7,250. They can also be installed

in a variety of ‘Shepherd Hut’

designs, which include living and

sleeping spaces, a kitchen and a

bathroom — everything you need

from temporary accommodation.

What’s more, once your new

home is built, they make ideal

garden rooms.

£377,945

...istheaveragecostofa detachedhouse

in theuK, anincreaseof50%(£125,472)in a

decade,accordingtoresearchbyestateagents

housesimple.meanwhiletheaveragecostofa self-

buildis just£305,943*.(findinspirationforyour

ownself-buildwithourarticleselfbuildhomesfor

everybudgetatwww.homebuilding.co.uk.)

simple underfloor heating

The new nVent Raychem QuickNet (www.

nventthermal.com) offers underfloor heating

that is quick and easy to install. The self-

adhesive net mesh also means laying UFH in

small and awkward spaces is a simple task.

microplastic filter

Reduce the risk of ingesting

microplastics with Kinetico, a

reverse osmosis filtering system,

which is able to filter tap water

down to 0.0001 micron.

In October 2018, studies found

microplastics in humans for the

first time and research conducted

around the British coast identified

microplastics in every marine

animal studied (University of

Exeter and Plymouth Marine

Laboratory). Although the long-

term effects of ingesting the tiny

fragments of plastic are unknown,

the UK government and the

WHO are undergoing research to

investigates the health impacts.

A Kinetico system (left) is

priced from £655 (www.kinetico.

co.uk) and for every system sold,

a donation is made to the charity

‘Just A Drop’.