I love the idea of going permit; but it's precisely the lack of IFR (essential) and night (nice to have) that has stopped me. I seethe whenever I visit the USA and read Kitplanes or similar magazines, showing proud owners of Experimental types with their Dynon IFR setups.
From where the OP appears to sit within the existing LAA movement, IFR might seem like a waste of resources. For me, at least, outside, it's what's keeping me out.
Tim