If this were a bigger job, I imagine you'd call a builder in, you'd rough out what you wanted, he'd tell you stuff you didn't know, such as what size the 'units' are, i.e. it'll cost less, in the long run, to make that wall 3 units long not 2 3/4 units as it'll cost labour to cut a unit down by a quarter, etc etc. That certain sorts of lighting/heating ventilation are far cheaper to be built in, not retro-added. Like a window there wouldn't get past the council, but one here would, that this sort of flooring is way more economical than that, that this will need to be a fire door, that putting the WC there would make the soil pipe far cheaper to dig because we could attach it to that spur (that I wouldn't have even recognised as such!). And so forth.
BUT all the blokes I called have asked 'have you got yer plans drawn up, love?'
Well, no, if only because it might all come in at way more than we are willing to pay so the £500 spent out on plans would be money down the pan- and what we come up with might be rubbish (see above for all the sort of stuff that would occur to me)! A couple have said, well, if you're handy with a pencil, you can do your own plans but how much detail do they need? Wiring diagrams etc? DO any of the walls need to be fire proof? (yes, in fact). I wouldn't have a clue. BUT I don't seem to be able to get a quote, just 'ball park', without plans!
Any suggestions as to how we can proceed?
I am praying our 'odd job' bloke, who's just boarded the loft in preparation for a garage conversion can talk to his mate etc etc and that he'll effectively 'project manage' it all. But a local builder with local planning rules knowledge would be way better, if one would quote!