Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think £80k + VAT on an above garage extension is extortionate!

55 replies

Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 17:27

Just that really, we bought our standard 1930s 3 bed semi 5 years ago for £220k in North West England. We've been considering an above garage extension which is adjoined to our house for a few years and finally go round to the plans. Now we have a quote for £80k plus VAT. The room isn't massive, about 4m x 4m with a small en suite 2m x 2m. We have the foundations already under the garage from a fairly recent garage build.
I was just a bit shocked and equally gutted as we had approval for £50k from the bank which we thought would be enough to cover this. Our architect/structural engineer who drew the plans never gave us an estimate of likely costs despite knowing our budget so I'm a bit peeved that we've gone through this process, paid him more than £4k and now can't afford the job itself!
Was I being totally naive to the cost of extensions, is our builder over pricing or is this the result of covid prices?

OP posts:
AwkwardPaws27 · 11/12/2021 17:31

A quote, or several quotes?
Get three more.

Also, what finish is it to? Full decoration, flooring, tiling & bathroom suite, or just a plaster finish?

Blahdyblahbla · 11/12/2021 17:32

Materials have gone up, loads of builders have left the UK due to Brexit, builders are backed up due to covid. Perhaps the builder who quoted you doesn't actually want the job so threw off a super high quote.
You'll have to get a few more and see.

Original poster
Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 17:34

This is the first but we will look for more, I was just completely taken back by this one!

They've not gone into the full details of the quite and what it would / wouldn't include.

I'm a complete novice to house builds and never had any building work done on a house before so feel totally out of my depth on the process! Sad

OP posts:
mygenericusername · 11/12/2021 17:35

Have you seen the price of basic things like wood?

Ask him for a materials break down. You will be shocked. That said it is pricey so I’d get at least two more quotes.

Furrydogmum · 11/12/2021 17:37

It is very annoying the way build prices have gone up! We're wanting a loft conversion with bathroom and have decided to wait a while and see what happens post Brexit/covid etc.. DH is pretty handy but we'd hoped to get it fully done by someone else for once :-/

IncompleteSenten · 11/12/2021 17:38

Holy fuck. That is a fortune!

We had an extra bedroom built on top of the side extension and it was around £30,000. It doesn't have an en suite but we did have a wetroom installed on the ground floor and that was £10,000.

£80,000 is eyewatering!

I can only assume they've quoted that because they don't actually want the job!

Treacletoots · 11/12/2021 17:39

You say above garage. Perhaps your garage doesn't have suitable foundations for what you're proposing, which will significantly add to the cost if they need to be rebuilt/dug further etc

hangsangwitch · 11/12/2021 17:40

All building materials have gone up massively. A tile my roofer husband uses nearly everyday were 50p each in 2019 and are now £1.75 each.

AwkwardPaws27 · 11/12/2021 17:42

They've not gone into the full details of the quite and what it would / wouldn't include

That's a bit concerning. You need an itemised quote really, so you can compare (not nitty-gritty detail, but at least categories like walls, any foundation changes, electrics, plastering, roof, windows etc)

Original poster
Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 17:42

@Treacletoots

You say above garage. Perhaps your garage doesn't have suitable foundations for what you're proposing, which will significantly add to the cost if they need to be rebuilt/dug further etc
The builders are aware we have foundations for two story so have quoted based on this and not needing more foundations, I drrad to think what the price would be with new foundations....Sad
OP posts:
Original poster
Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 17:44

@IncompleteSenten

Holy fuck. That is a fortune!

We had an extra bedroom built on top of the side extension and it was around £30,000. It doesn't have an en suite but we did have a wetroom installed on the ground floor and that was £10,000.

£80,000 is eyewatering!

I can only assume they've quoted that because they don't actually want the job!

Oh good, I'm glad it wasn't just need who had that reaction! After VAT were close to £100k and I could buy another house in this area for that much! I had thought and based on friends experiences between 30k and 40k Confused
OP posts:
Buildingthefuture · 11/12/2021 17:49

I own a construction business and, to be fair, that does seem a bit expensive. But the things you can’t see are often really expensive (drainage, insulation etc) Any quote should come with a FULL breakdown of exactly what is included, otherwise you will definitely be hit for extras. We quote with a full breakdown of labour and materials for every element of the job and a provisional sum for items like tiling and bathrooms suites (since they are personal taste and could be a grand or 20 grand) Having said all that, prices are soaring, up more than 20% on this time last year and we are looking at another 12-15% rise in January,

thecherryontop · 11/12/2021 17:51

That's a fortune! Prices have gone up and builders are busy but I don't think they want the job hence the price you got. (Husband is a builder in London).

Buildingthefuture · 11/12/2021 17:52

And definitely get at least 3 quotes. We always recommend customers do that. But make sure when you compare them that you are comparing apples with apples. We can often seem more expensive but when we point out what we’ve included (which is everything) we are nearly always cheapest. And get references too!

SandandSplashes · 11/12/2021 17:52

The cost of building materials and work has gone astronomically crazy since Covid/Brexit. We've just had a ground floor kitchen extension which has come to £125,000. It's the worst possible time to have building work done at the moment.

For a general comparison, the same builder built our loft extension, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom, 5 years ago for £45,000. He said it would cost more than double that now.

Soontobe60 · 11/12/2021 17:54

My DD is having extensive building renovations done - one being a 2 storey extension at the side. She’s been quoted £50k for the build, which includes all internal plasterwork, electrics etc, but not heating or anything fancy like custom built windows or bifold doors.

TinySaltLick · 11/12/2021 18:04

As others have said - you don't have a quote, you have a high level estimate. It would likely end up costing you over 80 as inevitably there would be items you want which they will not have accounted for.

You need a fully detailed breakdown of every single component and spec, then use that as a basis to take to builders so the quotes are like for like. Down to the paint, lightswitch face plates etc, otherwise most builders will supply the cheapest possible component and then charge the difference for any upgrade

If you are unable to do this you might need to pay someone to write it for you, it will save you money, stress and time in the long run

BlusteringBoobies · 11/12/2021 18:08

As others have said OP, prices have gone up massively!

We've had plans and permission for 15m squared extension with no plumbing or kitchen or anything.

When we first looked into it we were roughly quoted £25k (2019). Post planning stage now we had estimates ranging from £45k-£90k

At first we tonight builders we're having a laugh but then quickly realised the cost of materials has increased dramatically and labour is more expensive.

Do keep searching-do you architects have vetted contractors they could recommend? This is what we have found helpful and are now mid build-and have just accepted it's going to cost us nearly double what we originally planned

PS, glazing lead times are mad-24 weeks in some areas so factor that in too!

LIZS · 11/12/2021 18:09

Materials costs have increased significantly in last year or so with less availability.

BlusteringBoobies · 11/12/2021 18:09

Excuse the typos!

LittleDandelionClock · 11/12/2021 18:13

That sounds HEAPS too much, but as a few pps have said, everything is so much more than it used to be. Depends on the value of the house too obvs. If it's a £75K sink estate house, then it's not worth it as it will not increase the value of the house much. If it's a detached 4 bed in a fancy area worth £375K, then yeah it's worth it.

A £225K 3 bed semi in the north west? I am not sure if it will add £80K value by spending £80K on an extension. If you are going to stay there forever, then go for it if you can afford it.

In answer to your question. YANBU. It does sound a lot. £40-50K may be a bit more reasonable. But that is just my opinion...............

Original poster
Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 18:23

@Buildingthefuture

And definitely get at least 3 quotes. We always recommend customers do that. But make sure when you compare them that you are comparing apples with apples. We can often seem more expensive but when we point out what we’ve included (which is everything) we are nearly always cheapest. And get references too!
It sounds like this is an estimate rather than a quote then? It just a figure with no breakdown at all. I'm really conscious of wasting people's time and feel guilty asking for detailed quotes only to not then go with them, but is this the norm? Someone mentioned to me you could pay for someone independent who would give a breakdown of the materials you would need to ensure everyone was quoting for the same thing, I can't remember what they said this was now. Or are the plans sufficient?
OP posts:
Original poster
Glitterlikeawinner · 11/12/2021 18:29

@LittleDandelionClock

That sounds HEAPS too much, but as a few pps have said, everything is so much more than it used to be. Depends on the value of the house too obvs. If it's a £75K sink estate house, then it's not worth it as it will not increase the value of the house much. If it's a detached 4 bed in a fancy area worth £375K, then yeah it's worth it.

A £225K 3 bed semi in the north west? I am not sure if it will add £80K value by spending £80K on an extension. If you are going to stay there forever, then go for it if you can afford it.

In answer to your question. YANBU. It does sound a lot. £40-50K may be a bit more reasonable. But that is just my opinion...............

Our bank valued our house currently at £285, our neighbour either a similar extension, albeit a bit dated, is on the market for £320k so ours could be worth this and a bit more as ours is a bit more modernised. In all honesty I love our area and neighbours are amazing so I don't want to move so the value isn't something we intend on benefitting from. On the other hand if our house could sell for close to 300k and we have an extra 50k on the mortgage is it easier to move to another property which already has the 4th bedroom (they are snapped up so quickly in our area though!) Such a confusing time!
OP posts:
BlusteringBoobies · 11/12/2021 18:35

When we got quotes OP we sent

-existing plans
-new architect plans
-planning approval confirmation
-structural engineer drawings and calcs
-scope of works (eg lighting, joinery, any landscaping etc)

This way we knew it was apples for apples as others have said.

Every single builder bar one sent a breakdown of the costs so we could compare. I would expect most reputable builders to provide this breakdown as a matter of course. Only one didn't and instead he sent a two line text! Sorry, not gonna spend £60k on a builder who says he 'reckons it'll come in at £60k, so do we want to go ahead'!!

Buildingthefuture · 11/12/2021 18:48

@Glitterlikeawinner it’s the norm. People are spending vast sums of money, they want and deserve to know exactly what they are getting. If it’s an estimate, they should say that and also specify exactly what they’ve excluded as well as included. We price (in detail) a fair few jobs that never happen because the cost is just so much above what the customer expected and they can’t afford it. No one’s fault, it is what it is. It seems, in America, customers go to the contractor first, then the architect….I do think if we did that here, customers would have a better idea of cost and could get the architect to design out the really expensive things if needed….
There is a company called Estimators on Line. We used them years ago when the business was small and we didn’t have an estimator….but you can send them your drawings and they will do a take off and breakdown of expected costs. They are NOT always accurate in my experience and you have to give them LOTS of detail (eg if you want an Oak & glass staircase, say that, if you want painted timber windows rather than upvc, say that, if you are having render is it sand and cement painted or monocouche, specify your internal doors etc) but it would give you a baseline to work from? I think that the public can use them and, from memory it’s around £250? When you look at what you are considering spending I think it’s worth it.