So to give you a little background, DH and I have just exchanged on a 2 bed flat in Fulham in need of probably total gutting and a loft extension to take it to a 3 bed flat. Its a victorian terrace, first floor flat with overgrown garden that we are aiming to complete on late September (horrendous vendor but that a whole new thread!).
This is not the first loft conversion we have done, last time it was very straightforward, we just paid one of those all inclusive loft companies to come and pop it on the top of our house and away we went. (SMA Lofts for anyone looking for a recommendation). This time however, I was not planning to be working (had a year off) and the plan was for me to project manage the work, keeping costs down etc. This look like they might be changing as Ive just been offered a job rather out of the blue and I might go back to full time finance in the very near future.
Anyway, I wanted to know if anyone has any advice on project managing this sort of thing and whether you would even consider it alongside a full time job? And if its a bad idea, recommendations in SW London for someone that can do it for us?! (We cant use our previous builders because they don't do renovations, only cookie cutter loft conversions)
Also lessons learnt from renovations/loft conversions (what to do/not to do or what was/wasn't worth the cost) and suppliers of kitchens/bathrooms/fireplaces/bifold doors/garden designers etc that you would use again?
We plan to do it up and then sell it next year so trying to keep cost low but the finish high spec. Oh the other thing was that we were planning to live there during the work - is this a massive no no?!
Sorry a long list but any advice would be really helpful.