The builders have started work on the roof today. Straight away we've found out that we aren't going to be able to salvage as many slates as expected. Apart from that, it's so far, so good.

I finalised the Velux window specification, including adapting the internal studwork slightly to accommodate the 1m2 smoke vent window. I took the rainwater header tank to the house and went through the design of the tank cupboard etc with the builders, in the space.

The MVHR units arrived - physically, smaller than I was expecting (even though I knew the dimensions!). I'm still to figure out and then order the ductwork. I've pretty much settled on siting the top floor bathroom unit in the to-be-formed plant cupboard.

Meeting electrician and fire alarm guy on-site next Saturday (6 July).

Spoke to the letting agent for the house next door, having had no contact from the owner after the initial phonecall; he was similarly disinterested, and suggested I email the landlord once more (which I duly did).

I was considering a very impressive 1.5 litre vacuum flush toilet called Propelair, which I'd seen at Ecobuild. The downside, apart from cost, is that they only currently do a concealed cistern version - but if we are going ahead with the smaller top floor bathroom, a concealed cistern could be used. However, when I spoke to Propelair, they didn't seem to have a distribution channel set up, and the guy on the phone was quite short with me when I pointed out that neither accepting credit card payments nor offering credit yourselves was not conducive to getting business! Seemed like a startup company (apparently the toilet was only launched at this year's Ecobuild), and although I really like their idea, I was reminded of the risk of buying immature technology, and of buying from a startup company, who could easily go bust/discontinue the product/etc (I was told last weekend at Old Hall that they had to decommission their solar hot water collector because the company had gone bust and they couldn't get necessary parts).