Many of Britain's four million Victorian and Edwardian houses were shoddily built and often require 'essential repairs'. Problems such as rising damp, timber decay, bowed roofs and subsidence are well-known, but at what point do these common problems become major defects? Forget 'makeovers': this easy-to-use manual shows where to look for danger signs, what's normal and what isn't, and how to fix common defects. Equipped with this book, you can talk the same language as builders and property professionals, and this new edition includes updated rules and regulations as well as guidance on...

Most of us would love to design and build our own home. In fact, more people than ever are doing precisely this. But how exactly do you go about it? How much of the building work should you do yourself? This manual explains the entire process in plain English, backed up with hundreds of color photos showing real self-build projects taking shape.

Each chapter is devoted to a key stage of the build from the foundations right through to snagging and completion. Whether you tackle some of the works yourself, or employ architects and contractors, this step-by-step guide will show you how...