I was in the same boat. broke it down into chunks. Got quotes. Created a budget. I save for each chunk and get it done, then start saving for the next. It does mean living in an unfinished house for a looong time but also gives me loads of time to have ideas and make decisions, which I like. FYI I started with a full rewire. Then downstairs plumbing, then structural work to kitchen, then new windows, then repairs to floors upstairs, then structural work to chimney. Still lots to do and it's cost far more than I ever imagined but it isn't as stressful as I imagined either.

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Many thanks for all your comments. Really good food for thoughts. I had a few “loft specialist” quotes and we almost went for it. But the reason we did not is that all those specialist lofts companies were not willing to do the rest of the house (eg electric and plaster/painting in living room/dining room, installation of wooden floor in ground floor, reroofing...) so we would have to employ a separate company for this; which obviously make the project more expensive and not streamlined. I think our project is “small” but maybe it is not :) And does deserve a proper architect /design to start with... I will keep you updated ;)

I think a lick of masonry paint would be a good idea. You could go down the cream/white route, but I wonder if a pale terracotta would look nice? A grey-green door seems to sit well with the abundance of red pavers. The wall on the right with the missing capping is quite high. I wonder if it could be lowered a little, but I understand you don’t want anyone tipping over the edge! Here’s some colours. Of course you may hate the pale terracotta so I’ve added a sage green which is a Sandtex masonry paint shade.