Rule of thumb building costs ?

[Stoatman]

Hi guys,


We are wanting to do an extension to our house and are trying to get a rough idea of what to borrow when speaking to our financial advisor about a new mortgage. ANyway spoke to a builder - recommended as a good one from a friend - and he said expect around £1000 per meter squared plus around 1500 for each "opening" into a wall (for RSJ etc).

Does this sound normal ??

[Ayub]

I'm sure they would also depend on location. Round my parts they range from 10k for a floor area of 8sq to 25k for a double 30sq approx. this does not include furniture etc only builing and plastering. the 10k would normally be a kitchen which would include installing of the kitchen + new consumer unit with nicc approved sparky and gorgi registered plumber.

[Stoatman]

Thanks , we are in the north west - cheshire - I suppose its worth a bit extra getting a recomended builder too.

CHris

[Bald Monkey]

I'd say the rule of thumb for building costs is to get 3 different quotes.

[Stoatman]

Yeah thats true , this guy was recommended by our bathroom guy who was a total perfectionist and did a great job so he was our first port of call. We need a very rough figure quite quickly as we have our mortgage meeting on tuesday. He gave me some good advice and had a bit of a chat.

So my next question of the day is :

To architect or not ?

WHat do people think , its not a big project I think , single storey with a nice roof and a side bit. Is it worth the money to get nice plans.

Any opinions appreciated.

[BackBeat]

Quality of specified finish will affect the cost as will the fitments (typically kitchen or bathroom) but as a rough guide for a simple extension your builder is correct at £1000 /sqm.

[Decadence]

We had our single storey, pitched roof extension (new living room) built a year or so ago, 8m by 4m and it cost us £18,000.

[Dony]

When I built 5 yrs ago the building costs from 3 quotes worked out at £45 / square foot, £75 / sq ft, and £125 / sq ft.

The actual building cost finished up at about £60/sq ft.

The prices you have been quoted seem very high if I'm reading them correctly.

Regarding the architect, a good one is definitely worth the cost. As well as doing the drawings, a good one will know exactly what you are allowed in your area, saving a lot of time and aggro when getting your plans passed.

My architect also completed the bill of quantities for the builder, and tendered the job out for me.

[Stoatman]

Yes it does sound a little on the expensive side compared to 60 pounds a square ft. But as there are 11 square ft in a square meter I suppose as a ball park figure it seems about ok.

[Dony]

Originally Posted by Stoatman

But as there are 11 square ft in a square meter I suppose as a ball park figure it seems about ok.

When you put it like that.... I didn't know the conversion from sq ft to sq m.


Take Bald Monkey's advise and get at least 3 quotes. I had 6 quotes in the end, and there was £150k difference between the cheapest and most expensive. The most expensive was obviously a rip-off because the next most expensive was almost £60k cheaper. In the end, I discounted the cheapest and dearest, and chose one in the middle.

[Stoatman]

NIce one thanks.

150K difference

I assume it was a massive build ? . I suppose also when its that big economies of scale come into play.

[shahedz]

i had mine built about about 18 months ago cost me about £25,000
mine included new kitchen and bathroom, but i have a complete breakdown including the cost of flooring, lights etc which you can take out if you don't need, it's in excel and i can email it to you if you want, its 3m by 5m

[Newton's Ring]

Originally Posted by Stoatman

Thanks , we are in the north west - cheshire - I suppose its worth a bit extra getting a recomended builder too.

CHris

I can recommend a builder if you need one. They did my extension in this house and a bit of work on my last house too. They're based in the Stockport area.

[Stoatman]

That would be awesome Shahedz as we want a new kitchen and bathroom in the space .

Thanks alot. If ok i'll PM you my email address.

P.S That was our budget too , co-incidence !.

[Dony]

Fairly big (3000 sq ft), but certainly not massive.

I don't think the builder wanted the job in the first place, so put in a ridiculous figure. His price was almost double the actual cost.