Before you start, get people on board who are enthusiastic about your project. Dump your current crew.

Thanks, we have a meeting with architect as he only got us 1 quote when we asked for 3 and the quote was 100k over his estimation before VAT.We are going to get rid of him and the builder and start again it will take longer but will save a fortune

Thanks for your advice. He is a qualified architect who specialises in heritage restoration projects, we have already paid him upfront (big mistake) to oversee the project to the end but he said he may not be interested if we are doing some work ourselves and using other people also to keep the cost down as he is only interested in dealing with 1 building company as it can be diffucult otherwise. we did ask for 3 quotes but as yet have only received this 1 which has been shaved down but he has taken silly things out like plumbing and underfloor heating which has been changed to radiators, even I know that's a bad idea. We have spoken to some people in the trade who recon the builders quote was way over estimate and the architect doesn't question or give us any reason for this. We have a good roof and the walls are fine so were half way there. Having a meeting today and will probably dispense with his services and get our money back as he won't be projecdt managing it through to the end.I have requested a few other quotes and hopefully they will be more realistic.

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Restoring an older building and perhaps converting it for modern living is not a precise science. Your trust should be given to someone who understands such buildings and I would suggest that this is not a job for a regular builder. Very often, such buildings lose their soul when converted and end up being much like every other new build. Remember also, that without a specification of the work involved, you cannot expect 'builders' to estimate for the project. Better to find someone you trust and see the vision through their experience of such projects and in knowing the realities of such work.

Sounds like quite an unusual situation! It can be tricky to manage this type of project because of a number of factors, which I can elaborate on if you wish.

If you intend to carry out elements of work yourself this amounts to a self build project with specialist input, which is a very different story to a traditional construction project, which may be why your architect is not comfortable with it. At the end of the day most people want to do their job as well as they can and it's likely that his considered view is that his recommendation will give you the best result - one that he can feel is a job well done that gives you the best outcome he can manage.

If you are planning to carry out elements of work yourself make sure that the time you will take to carry them out will fit in with the rest of the works that you are having done for you. Also consider if a skilled tradesperson carrying out those same works might do them much faster and if the speed would have an impact on the cost in a way in which you may not have factored in - for example if you have to rent somewhere else for a longer duration then it may not be cost effective to do it yourself if the money saved is then offset by having to pay more in other costs like rent...

It is always best practice to get more than one quote, however, there are some instances when this can prove tricky due to the specialist nature of the work and the location. Also you need to ensure that you are comparing like for like. Builders come in many different shapes and sizes so you need to be confident that they are going to be able to carry out that particular work to the speed, quality and budget that you are happy with.

I can't comment fully on plumbing and underfloor heating and if this is silly or not as I don't know enough about the job. I would say that underfloor heating is more efficient if it's set within a concrete screed and can use the thermal mass as a lag to heating and cooling. If it's a historic building with suspended timber floors then it may be that radiators are more appropriate. It sounds like your architect has attempted a value engineering exercise for you and perhaps you would find it helpful to discuss this with them in more detail. It sounds like there may have been some confused communication going on. I hope you manage to sort this out in your meeting.

If you have a reasonable idea of the interior look (Ish) you want and you already have a set of architects plans showing the bones,as it were, a good concept planner could help you get together CAD images that can help you shop around for building and supply quotes - ideal for this kind of project ...
Kind regards
OnePlan ( a good concept planner !! - blatant plug ! Sorry !!! ) ;-)