Small side return kitchen extension cost?

[spikemomma]

Have you done a small 'lean to' side return extension, if so, what was the total cost?

I am in a narrow Victorian terrace. I'd like to add a space with a sloping glass roof (atrium style windowed I think- with a pane that opens slightly for ventilation) and a large pane of glass at the wall end looking into the garden.

I don't want much else. I'd like to keep the existing dining room as is, even keep the current sash window as a feature. Replacing the existing outer doors and adding a pane of glass in the new side return section would be fine, if it cost a lot less than full width bifold doors (I presume the supporting wall would have to be knocked out and supported).

How much do you think that would cost?

Any advise/knowledge would be very welcome.

Ps. I know I'd have issues with the floor level, which is (annoyingly) raised in the kitchen higher than the side return, so would impact on levelling and wall height issues etc. Drsin relocation could be a factor, if having them under the floor was s concern.
Any guidance/advise you can offer would be great. I am trying to be very realistic about what options I've got to improve the light and add a small 'garden view' seating area, so your wisdom would be invaluable. Thank you!

[alaska721]

I am hoping to extend into my side return and am currently in the process of reviewing tenders from four builders who have viewed our architect's plans and seen our property. Your house sounds much like my own (small Victorian terrace, level issues with kitchen and existing dining room at different heights).
I am based in London (SE London) and the four building quotes I have received range from £78,000 - £85,000 including VAT. These quotes are for the building costs alone and do not include the kitchen, glazing and floor tiles. In total I am expecting the entire project to cost me in the region of £150,000 - £160,000 (and this includes all the fees arising from the architect, structural engineer, party wall, project management etc.)
I know it's eye watering but my costs are probably at the higher end due to our spec (under floor heating, glass roof, sliding doors with slim line frames, German kitchen with extra appliances).

[alaska721]

Just to add, as a guide you can expect to pay approximately £2000 per sq metre for the building costs (so that adds up in my case - my finished area would be 35 sq metres. So £2000 x 35m = £70,000 ex VAT, £84,000 inc VAT. My architect and architect friends have told me that building costs are rocketing at the moment.

[notagenius8]

That is astronomical for a one storey extension Alaska, am also interested in this thread, hopefully there will be others with lower cost that could share??

[Lucy61]

Watching with interest!

[alaska721]

I know the costs are astronomical. A year ago, if someone had told me that I would be spending in excess of £150k for a side return, I would have told them to get lost! In the last couple of months I realised that my initial £80-100k budget was unrealistic. A friend of mine, who lives in East Dulwich in London, extended into her side return last year and it cost her £110k. Her extension was smaller than what I have planned and she went for a cheap kitchen. A colleague of mine, who lives in neighbouring Peckham Rye, was recently quoted £200k for his side return although admittedly his property is much larger than mine (bear in mind this figure included everything such as premium kitchen, building, VAT). I was expecting a figure in between for mine.
I think one of the main reasons our costs are high is the sheer amount of structural glass we are going for.
Also, I'm in an area where demand for builders is pushing up costs. On my street there are currently three side returns being extended and several lofts extensions.

[vienaa]

I live in Suffolk so prices are so much lower. We are in the middle of doing a 2 storey side extension, garage bathroom with a shower and another living room for the kids and 4th bedroom upstairs and kind of self building, we are on brick work now so far we have only spent £6k as most of the ground work we did ourselves, and getting it to floor level, that includes concrete, skip and 2 grab lorries putting in 2 new inspection chambers and under ground pipes renting out some tools and a mini digger to do the footings, On top of that I have to add 1k for the steals, scaffolding £1500, 5K for the bricklayer, £3400 for the roofer that is with materials and £3k for the chipper (he is also doing all my floor boards joists and stud wall and fire door all the wood for my roof) that is just for the shell, we opened up a Jewson account and we spent 4k on that for materials so far that is also with all my bricks (have not had the bill yet but keeping track) just have to add my windows and French doors have to admit it has been a lot of stress and blood sweat and tears, but now we are going up it feels good and more relaxed..

[Lucy61]

They can't possibly cost that much, surely!!

At £200,000 that's about 40% of the value of a 3 bed mid terraced house in a 'naice' part of my town in the SE.

[soundsystem]

£30k, and we're in East London. That's for a one storey side return extension, only going back as far as the original back wall. Bricks matched to original (newer bricks would have been cheaper), one wooden sash window (again, uPVC would have been cheaper) and one skylight. That includes everything apart from the kitchen itself (units, tiles, sink, etc). We're in aVocroeian mid-terrace. Feel free to PM me if you'd like any more info - happy to share the breakdown with you if it would be useful

[soundsystem]

(Should say Victorian mid-terrace)

[Baalamooree]

I'm a little shocked at these prices! I've known they would be expensive but have always assumed that was for wrap-around, high spec extensions.

I'm looking for much the same as OP but without the sash window to preserve and no level issues.

Wow, I may have to rethink.

[lalalonglegs]

My brother is having his side return done in a very naice area of south west London - quite a long side extension plus small extension across the whole of the back of the house, new John Lewis kitchen, UFH, bi-fold doors etc. He is using a specialist company and it is coming to less than £80k (which I thought was enormous, I would expect about £50k using sub-contractors and managing it myself).

[Lucy61]

£30 to 50k is a bit more likely, I would think.

[Floggingmolly]

Any chance of a pm too, soundsystem? Sounds far more achievable!

[MrsPJones]

South East London here, not one of the poshest parts, but up and coming. I was originally hoping we would be able to do our extension for £50K all in, figures thrown around in casual conversation were £35K for builders, then £15K for kitchen, fittings professional fees etc. In reality it is coming out at £70K all in, plans drawn by family, sorting out all permissions, thames water build over issues our selves, although we have a main building contractor so not getting all the trades in ourselves but doing a lot of project management. Our original kitchen is about 12 feet long, then going back an extra 8 feet. level issue, minimally sloping site, there were 2 steps down from original dining room to kitchen. DIY Kitchens kitchen, so not gone crazy on that but not absolute bargain basement either. Sliding patio door. Glass roof we have ordered in ourselves and not took expensive, maybe £3K. I would say overall mid range spec. We are having garden fencing and some paving done. I am very impressed someone got the job done to a higher spec for £80K in south west London. Getting builders to quote was difficult, managed to get 5 people in (called more), only 2 quoted. Luckily we liked one of them.

[PenguindreamsofDraco]

SE London here - not quaite East Dulwich but not far We've been quoted 80k basic build cost (VAT on top) - plus of course then the cost of the kitchen, UFH, glass, appliances etc. So ?150k all in seems realistic.

We have decided not to proceed

[Belleview]

lalalonglegs what is the specialist company, please? If you could find out, and share, that would be incredibly helpful.

[Tandemitis]

Good grief. We had a two storey, 5x4m extension (kitchen, bedroom, ensuite)and conversion of old kitchen into utility and WC which came in at under £60k including everything but the kitchen. I am in the north west though.

[CrispyFB]

Why would a side return extension be so much more expensive than a regular extension out the back of a property? Am I missing something?

[Lucy61]

I agree, Crispy. I don't get it.

[babydad]

Alot of side returns coming in quite high because that is where the drainage is normally housed and foundations can be difficult to build without further work. We have been weighing up a side return but it would cost s fortunate for only an additional 1.5m width. Going out the back instead.

[Marmitelover55]

Also I think lots of glazing can be very expensive. Glass is heavy so structural work might be needed to support it. Just a guess though.

[vienaa]

They are more expensive, We had to move 2 man holes so means 2 new inspector chambers and all new under ground pipes, like I said we done most of the work ourselves but just the footing, concrete and underground piping cost us just over £4500k so I can imagine what a builder would cost..

[dulwichquine]

I am in East Dulwich, too. Really shocked by our three recent quotes for our
wrap around kitchen extension, re jig of utility, under stairs loo, and bit of shelving for an office area. Quotes ranged from 167-190k inc vat, excluding glass, sliding doors and kitchen. That's on top of the best part of £20k to get planning, structural engineer drawings etc. We're a big flabbergasted!

[roses2]

I am in North West London and got some quotes from two companies for a kitchen side return. Both came in at around £40k + extra for windows and doors.

Your quotes are far too high! You need to shop around some more.

[Acer77]

I had a quote in 2010 to do a big side return extension on our current Edwardian ground floor flat which included moving drainage but excluded units, doors, skylights etc. it came in at £30k plus vat. I'm in north London. The area was 20ft long and 9ft wide... I was hoping a shorter, narrower side return would be less (we are now looking at buying a small Victorian house which would benefit from such an extension...)
One key thing about that quote was it was to go alongside a single storey area with a flat roof so only rsj / steel needed would be the 9ft wide section at the end of the house (as opposed to also needing support for upper floors along the side wall...)
Shocked at some of the costs quoted here... I guess each house is different!