house renovation
I need to reburbish my 19th solid brick wall cottage - knocking down interior walls, adding wall insulation, wiring, plastering, window renovation, plus possibly a small extension for space sake and solar gain (catching sunlight to help warm house). On top of this I'm looking at renewable energy sources - ground source heat pump, air pump, wood stove plus solar panels? - to install in this rural area where there's no piped gas, though there is electricity.
I feel I've done my homework - but now find it difficult to pinpoint the next practical step to plan this as a complete project.
Of two architects I contacted for an initial assessment - one failed to show and the other charged nearly �60 for a very brief (uninspiring) visit and did no sketches.
So, do I first trust to builders' estimates, then choose an architect - almost randomly - and hope for the best?
Or hire one architect first and trust it's the right one?
Or forget the architects and go for the builders only?
Lots of people must have experience of all this - working to a budget that's not infinite. Any advice please?