Biomass boilers and wood burners: fuel, RHI and Ecodesign
Biomass boilers and wood stoves suit many rural homes. What the fuel rules, grants, Ecodesign standard and the closed RHI mean for you, with official sources.
Chimney sweeping and wood burner safety guide
Sweeping frequency by fuel, dry wood rules, smoke control areas, carbon monoxide and looking after old chimneys.
Damp in old stone houses: causes and solutions
Find the cause before you treat the symptom: gutters, pointing, ground levels, ventilation and breathable materials.
Farm tracks and rural driveways: surfaces, drainage and rules
Long private tracks wear out fast. Here's how to make one last, and the planning, watercourse and highway rules to check first.
Fencing and gates for rural properties
Stock fencing, post and rail and field gates, plus the planning limits, rights of way duties and horse welfare guidance to know first.
Gritting and snow clearing for rural tracks and driveways
Councils grit public roads, not your track. How to plan for snow and ice on rural drives, lanes and yards, and what a gritting contract covers.
Grounds maintenance and paddock care for rural homes
How to keep paddocks safe and productive, which plants are dangerous to horses, the hedge-cutting rules, and planning a year of grounds work.
Heat pump grants for rural homes: BUS, Scotland, Wales and NI
What each UK nation offers towards a heat pump if you're off the gas grid, who qualifies, and how to apply without losing the grant.
Heating oil tanks: OFTEC rules, bunding, replacement and theft
Where an oil tank can go, when it needs a bund, how long it lasts, what to do about a leak, and how to protect it from thieves, with official sources.
Japanese knotweed and invasive plants on rural land
What the law says about knotweed and other invasive plants, how long treatment takes, and the strict rules on burying, burning and moving waste.
LPG for off-grid homes: tanks, bottles, contracts and safety
Bulk tank or bottles, supplier contracts and the 2-year limit, switching, safety and the grants to move to a heat pump.
Off-grid heating: oil vs LPG vs heat pumps
The options for homes off the gas grid, the rules for oil tanks and LPG, and the grants for switching to a heat pump.
Off-grid power: generators, battery backup and safe changeover
Keep the water pump, freezer and heating running in a power cut. Generators, batteries, the law on changeover switches and fuel storage.
Private water supplies: a guide for rural homes
Boreholes, springs and wells: testing, treatment, maintenance, the rules in each nation and grants.
Roofing on old rural houses: slate, stone and listed rules
The permissions that apply when you repair or re-roof an old farmhouse or cottage, from building control and listed building consent to bats.
Rural broadband options: fibre, wireless, 4G and satellite
Every way to get online in the countryside, your legal right to a decent connection, and what to ask an installer.
Rural drainage: soakaways, land drains and blocked pipes
A guide to surface water, soakaways, drainage fields, ditches and blocked drains on rural properties, with the rules from Approved Document H and GOV.UK.
Rural pest control: rats, mice, moles, rabbits and wasps
The law on rural pests, which control methods are allowed or banned, how to use rodenticides responsibly, and when to call a professional.
Septic tank maintenance: a UK guide for homeowners
Emptying, the rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, warning signs and everyday habits that keep a septic system working.
Solar panels and batteries for rural homes: costs, SEG and planning
What solar PV and batteries cost, how export payments work, when you need planning permission and how ground-mounted arrays suit rural plots.
Tree surgery, hedges and the law: TPOs, conservation areas and the nesting season
The permissions to check before tree or hedge work on a rural property, with the fines for getting it wrong, from official guidance.
Water treatment for private supplies: UV, filters and softeners
A practical guide to treating a well, spring or borehole supply, from UV and filters to pH correction and softeners, and how to keep it all working.
Winter preparedness for rural homes: a UK checklist
A practical checklist for heating, water, power cuts, snow and ice, with your rights to compensation and extra help.