How to approach this project? Do I need a GC?

Hello All,

We are about to close on a brownstone in PLG that needs significant work. We are TOTAL novices and would love some advice about how to approach this.

THE CAVEATS:
The first thing to say is that we have NO experience with construction or DIYing. We are not handy (yet!). As embarrassing as it is to admit, we do not even own a drill. We are competent enough to learn how to do things you can easily teach yourself, but not foolish enough to imagine that we can do much of this work ourselves. And at this point, we don’t even know how to tell what might be reasonably attempted, and what is best left to the pros.

Second thing: While we have a good chunk of cash put aside for this, we nonetheless have much more time on our hands than money. My husband works from home and can oversee things at the house if we decide to not use a GC, or even if we do. He is also game for learning how to do whatever he can himself if it saves money–but of course the main thing is to get it done right, even if it costs more.

THE QUESTIONS:
Our main question is, for a project like ours, do we need a GC? Or would we be better off hiring workers for individual jobs? And do we need an architect? We are not changing the floorplan at all, but we are hoping to do one thing that’s pretty major (see #11 below). And whatever we decide, where do we start? What are the steps to follow?

THE PROJECT(S):
We have a long to-do list, but this work does not all need to happen right away. Mostly it’s cosmetic. If it were more economical to do everything all at once, we would–but we could also space it out a bit if it would save money and sanity.

The house is three stories. We will live mainly on the upper two, so those are the priority. The kitchen is on parlor floor. There is a bathroom on each level.

This is what needs to be done, roughly in order from ‘Very Urgent’ to ‘That would be nice someday’:
1) Upgrade electrical system (inspection found several mystery wires “piggybacked” on existing circuit breakers)
PARLOR FLOOR & SECOND FLOOR:
2) Rip out wall-to-wall carpeting covering every inch of floors and stairs. Install hardwood floors.
3) Rip out atrocious faux-wood paneling covering every inch of walls, and prep walls for painting. (The paneling was installed in the 70s and we are aware that there may be lead paint underneath–is this something we can do ourselves?) Likewise, de-popcorn the popcorn ceilings.
3) The house is replete with archways to nowhere. One archway, in a hallway, we want removed (so that the hall is just a hall), and another, to a bedroom nook, we want filled in to make a wall (ie, we want the nook to become a room)
4) Put in doorway between ex-nook and the adjoining room
5) Three bathrooms: remove and replace toilets and sinks. Plumbing is (we think) okay, but we expect that we may have to deal with pipe surprises.
6) The aforementioned nook will become a master bathroom. It is above the kitchen, and the pipes are in the walls already. We will need: plumbing, fixture installation, tilework…anything else?
7) Kitchen: Install new appliances, countertops, cabinet faces. Build an island. This is one thing we feel pretty confident we could mostly do ourselves, with the exception of cutting the counters and hooking up the oven and dishwasher.

8) GARDEN FLOOR:
This is a doozy! The garden level is a big open space with a ghastly linoleum floor. It is sealed and dry, thank heaven for that, and almost completely above ground (it has full-size windows). We need to put in walls & doors, wood or “wood” floors (this will be a rec area/guest apartment–we are wondering if it is smarter to do the floors at the same time as we do the upstairs, or cheap out and do click and lock or something. And while I’m on the subject–do the walls need to go up before the floors?)–basically, we need to make it a livable space. We plan to put in a wall to create a hallway running from front to back of the house, between the front (under stoop) door and the backyard door, with the staircase to upstairs in the middle. And then a perpendicular wall to separate the living space into two large rooms. There is a bathroom already down there that works fine.

9) Yard: Currently covered in concrete. WHY did people do this? We want to break that up. I guess for this we just need a dude with a jackhammer?

10) Skylights: There are three, and they are totally black with filth, but they are not open-able, and there are sealed domes over them on the roof so they can’t be reached for cleaning. I guess we need to replace them. No idea what this entails.

11) Currently the only way to get out to the backyard is via the garden floor. We would like to turn the kitchen window into a door, and put in metal steps (with maybe a landing, but probably not a full-fledged deck) down to the yard. We have heard a lot of conflicting advice: You need an architect! You don’t need an architect! You need a permit! Permits are for wimps if your neighbors don’t hate you! This will cost a million dollars! This will be cheap and easy! Anyone think they can shed some light?

12) Convert from oil to gas heat. Install separate water heater (currently there is just the boiler.) Also: oil tank is buried in front yard (and concreted over, naturally). Better to fill with sand and forget about it, or have it dug up?

13) Turn non-working fireplace into working fireplace. (Yes, we are now in the realm of “That would be nice someday.”)

SOOOO…what would you do? Any and all advice will be much appreciated! (And any and all insults will be bounce off of me and stuck to you, as I am rubber, etc.)

Sooooo….
our question is, for work that doesn not inv