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Yeah, it's sort of that. So much of our house needs redoing (it's barely been touched since the 50s) that we know it's going to be uninhabitable for a while, so we know we'll have to be out for a bit. But there doesn't seem to be a sensible way of doing only part of it. We seem to be stuck in a situation where we can't get firm answers in what different options (e.g. ASHP Vs boiler, metal vs. single-ply roof, natural vs. synthetic slate + many other choices) so we can't make the necessary decisions to get the build to budget where we can do it.
It seems to be more a problem of project coordination, we just don't seem to be able to get a decent grasp of all the hurdles to clear and all the information to get together to make it happen, which is why we might have to pay someone £15k just to make it all happen.
ffm-
Are you wedded to the builders? It seems like losing your builders is the thing that’s pushing you do to it all in one go, but nothing you’ve listed seems like it can’t be done in stages.
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find £15k then or cut down your ambition, or sell. It sounds like the idea of doing it incrementally isn't something you'd consider.
Also your architect is a dick.
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I’d be making decisions like that based on my own research + phoning suppliers and installers. Architects will have a good overview but may not have worked with half of what they’re suggesting, or they're only suggest things they have used, potentially missing newer or alternative solutions. Builders even more so.
I don’t want to tar everyone with the same brush but architects often seem to have the budget pretty low on the radar when specifying too.
If you need more detailed build drawings you could look for an architectural technician rather than full architect. I designed our extension then had it drawn up by an AT. Can share the deets if you want.
Pantsmaster
Howard
dbr
Yeah its a cashflow issue isn't it. So for us, the kitchen definitely needs doing but we can live with it being fairly scrappy for a couple of years.
So we did the floor insulation/floor sanding, various other home redecorating ourselves, got an independent plasterer in to do a few rooms that needed it, similar for a plumber and electrician to do various bits. Lived with a shit bathroom for a year but now have builders in putting a new bathroom in and doing stuff like changing room configuration and getting rid of a chimney breast (we are saving money but doing all finishes ourselves except tiling). Theres still tons we need to get done but we don't have the money so thats going to wait until we do.
So for your thing as Hugo7 said, it might be better to try and work it out sectionally. So instead of doing a full rewire and a full replumb etc maybe get people in to do a couple of rooms at a time as work like that is pretty invasive so you want to do it at the same time as the other work. If you do the finishing yourself (floors, painting coving etc) then you can save a lot
Windows you normally want to do before invasive work as it can disrupt the finish and you might end up having to repaint the whole wall but maybe that can wait until next winter?
Reroof: do you definitely need a full reroof? You might be able to patch it and extend the life by 5-10 years before you shell out for the whole thing...
Etc