Static caravan, proper log cabin or zone house - renovation

[mogernator]

We are buying a project house. It will probably take about a year to do up. What do you think will be best? Buy or hire a static caravan on site, invest in a proper log cabin type annex or zone the house and do it in phases.

The property has lots of space for a caravan/annex.

If we zone we plan on living in the front kitchen/living/upstairs while the garage and utility are converted (there is another access point) then move there will the front of the house is done. Then finally upstairs.

The roof probably needs doing and we'd like dormer windows put in so that's another job too.

We have two kids 7 and 9 and two cats. Plot is good that they can run free - enough space away from house. But is the caravan going to be a mega hassle. And should we buy or rent? Or should we just invest in a proper annex now? Or are they more time consuming than I think and too small for 4 people?

What would you do?

We're mid-way through a massive renovation/extension project and opted to move out. We rented somewhere walking distance away. It's really small, which is challenging at times with 2 DC, but cheap. Overall, it won't cost us that much more than a caravan, which we realised would have been even smaller and a nightmare in other ways. Builders are very happy that we're not on site as they can crack on without us in the way, which makes everything quicker (i.e. cheaper) in the long run.

The only real downside is paying two lots of council tax/ bills (council tax on our actual house is reduced, but only by half, due to the work and I think for only a year max).