hello again
Apologies for the delayed response.
I learned a lot on this recent one and also on previous building conversions, and I'd be happy to share the info.
It's obvious, but it helps to do it as quickly as possible. Keeping up the momentum is crucial I think. While one can go without a lot of things for a short time, coping with a shed or a tent for quite a while could be a strain on health and wellbeing, even on relationships (in my experience).
If you have space for it, consider getting hold of a residential caravan to live in. Better than camping and life is better with a shower. Not so expensive, and in essex probably many sources. Ebay is good for purchase and transport. You will need permission from the council, but they will often tolerate this for a limited period on a self build. I would ask for a year's worth of permission or maybe two. That has the benefit too of giving an end point to the project. The barn *has* to be ready before the caravan permission expires.
Budget, and staying on it, is obvious too. Its amazing how much services connections cost - they are monopolies and charge what they want. I saved a lot by getting a road worker with a licence to make the drain connections. The water board may use the same man but will charge you 5k extra on top. In hindsight I would make the connections first. Even electric to the caravan or portacabin. My generator exhausted the patience of the neighbours.
I would not use a quantity surveyor again. Complete waste of space, although he may have been useful for bank negotiations. Perhaps mine was just bad, but I would be careful.
Likewise for architects. Be very careful. The intern on my job was better than all the qualified ones.
If you can plan to do the barn in a short time, the best investment in my view would be a retired builder to be clerk of works. He would keep an eye on deliveries, keep any subbies in line, stop thieving from site, and would be your resident expert. Worth the proverbial weight in gold. My last place I did without, but never would again.
Besides these things, I would focus on the project plan and the budget. If you have MS project it will help. I would get the planning and budgeting book by Brinkley. Can't recall the exact title. If you are in London go to the Building Centre in Store St, off Tott Ct Rd, where they have the biggest collection of building books for sale, and they tolerate a bit of browsing.
For my next project I would design things so that a self-contained part of the building could be finished quickly, just an annexe really, done with cheap fittings but finished and painted, and cleared up and tidy outside. Then would do the rest later with good people and good materials, when the finances have recovered a bit.
Besides the debt and the cold, the most depressing thing about self building is living with mud and trenches and rubble.
All the best with your project.
mumbler