2 bed flat building work in London

[ChocolateMama]

Hello, I am hoping for some good advice from fellow Mumsnetters as seem to have got in a bit of a pickle to say the least! Basically, we have asked a builder that we know to quote for re-wiring our two bedroom flat and doing a few other jobs. Namely putting doors/tops/shelves in a couple of alcoves, plumbing in a new wash basin and toilet in the bathroom/re-tiling the bathroom floor (1.5 sq meters), moving the kitchen plumbing to a different room (still outside wall same side) and laying a laminate floor in one of the rooms.

It has been really hard to pin him down on a price. He says £2500/3000 for re-wiring and £4000 labour costs for the rest. I will have to pay for all the materials. I think that this sounds really really excessive. I am ok about the re-wiring costs, but today when I queried the overall costs, he said that the electrician would need someone to help take of skirting boards/take up floor boards etc. Am I right in thinking that this labour cost should be included in the £2500/3000 re-wiring quote??

I guess I feel that he is taking advantage of us. Help please!!!

[Variousrandomthings]

The electrician will be used to taking up skirting boards and planks on his own.

Personally I'd ask him how many days will he spend doing each job. If his daily rate is 200 (no idea but it might be in London?), then 4k is 4 weeks work.

Get other quotes. At least 4 others. Get recommendations.

[Variousrandomthings]

I can see that 2500/3000 would be fine for the London electrician. That should include labour.

Moving plumbing does cost. Also a bathroom fitting company would come in more expensive than a builder for fitting a new bathroom.

[ChocolateMama]

Thanks for the responses so far. I also thought that the quote from the electrician should include taking of skirting boards/taking up floorboards etc! I feel a bit caught out by this if I am honest.

[grumbleina]

Re-wiring depends quite a bit on what you're doing I think. If you're adding loads more sockets, and moving light fittings, need a bunch of ceilings chased, then maybe £2500/3000, but it sounds quite dear to me if you're not doing anything major.

As a comparison I had a 2 bed flat rewired this year also in London. We went from a total of six double sockets in the flat to 19. In the same positions where there were sockets before but obviously in some new locations too. Only one entirely new switch position but all switches replaced, new consumer unit, and bathroom lighting. Other lighting stayed in the same place, but new cabling throughout. All ceiling wiring is in conduit which made life easier though.

It was £1500 for labour which included taking up boards, chasing walls etc where needed, and we spent about £500 on wanky switches, sockets and the bathroom lights. However we didn't get him to replaster afterward - he filled with bonding and did the finishing ourselves. So I guess that would've saved a few hundred.

I don't really get it if you're paying all materials - does he mean cable etc or just switches/sockets? Because if you're paying for everything and he doesn't consider lifting boards 'labour' then what exactly is your £3k paying for?

What I would do is split the jobs. Get an electrician to rewire. Get a plumber/handyman to do the plumbing and toilet stuff. And a couple of able bods to do the floor. I think that might turn out cheaper tbh.

[grumbleina]

Oh and unless your floorboards are made of granite or held down with six inch shards of diamond or something it is not a two man job to lift them. Unless you're lifting all of them for some reason I suppose, in which case whatever you're doing probably needs two men to do it anyway.

[Variousrandomthings]

Yes I would get a couple of electricians to quote, a couple of tilers, a couple of plumbers. It's a bit of hassle but it might be cheaper that way?