Hi, I'm thinking of an extension on the house, and wondered if there was a rule of thumb calculation to give me an idea of the likely cost? You know £'s x mtr = £cost The extension will be two storey, downstairs being a kitchen and living room, upstairs being bed rooms. Roof will be pitched and tiled. Foot print will be approx 3mtr x 9mtr. I appreciate that the final cost will come down to final fit out, choice of flooring etc I have no idea about the cost of building work, only ever had a foundation for a pre fab garage done before. But, what kind of ball park cost should an extension like this cost ?
Thanks this is great. On this basis I think I will be getting an architect in to give me some idea's.
Some points to be aware of 1. The architect will want a contract, make sure you fully understand the wording and the costs in the contract before you sign specially the small print. 2. The planning department are normally willing to negotiate and will come to an understanding so that you get most of what you want. 3. Building regs are a minefield and I'm sure most of it is jobsworth. 4. Builders if they bother to give you an estimate can vary by quite a lot. (the estimates I had for a 6m x 3m ground floor extension top estimate was 30k above bottom estimate)
I had an extension built this year, now virtually finished. As it happened, the sewer pipes were underneath where I needed to build, so the drains all had to be dug up and relaid before doing the building. That made it a bit dearer. But I was able to re-use some old bricks, saving on buying new ones and making it a bit cheaper. The overall cost is bound to vary quite a bit, depending on how factors like this affect your particular project.
No plans at the moment, really just trying to get an idea of costs and options before I start the project.
I was going to give you a detailed breakdown of working out the cost,but seeing as youre in Melton itll cost about 50 quid.
Mmmm...bloody miles away!!! If you PM me your email I will send you a spread sheet template that may help calculate the costs. I could probably do something for you without drawings if we know the rough size and what rooms you are having.
Get several quotes to compare. Then when you have more or less chosen your builder, go through their quote with a fine toothed comb. Just having my extension built now. Our builder reviewed the other builder's quotes and found glaring omissions blantantly intended to reduce the final appearance cost of the quote (but incur more cost for you after you've commissioned them and it's too late to give back-word). Things like quoting for footings to 600mm depth. This very rarely is the case as most footings are a minimum 1m to 1.5m depth now, and if you have leylandii hedges nearby they can be required to be 2m in depth. Alters things a lot when you come to build and your builder comes back to you and says the footings have to be 1m or more and you have to pay for the additional digging and additional concrete. Check your drainage too. I had a soak-away under my lawn that I didn't know about until the patio was dug up. I now have to finance the (unforseen) additional groundwork costs to move this soak-away as it has to be a minimum distance from the building, which is now extending into the garden.
Remember......there is an old adage regarding builders and their pricing.......'Omissions Cost Extra'.........they use it to their advantage both ways...... If you forgot something out of the spec.............It will cost you extra. Likewise, once they have started the job if you knock something out of the spec........It will cost you extra. AL.
Include something along these lines in your specification/order. "Your quotation is to allow for all items required to complete the works to an above average standard whether or not shown on the drawings or in the specification. All works are to comply with current Building Regulations, British Standards and NHBC requirements and your quotation will be deemed to include complying with same." I would also suggest specifying key componants such as sanitary ware, taps, appliances and tiles by reference. Other elements can be by performance specification such as kitchens to be soft close, solid panel, carpets to be 80/20 40oz with cloud 9 or similar underlay etc.
