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Has anyone here been through a significant home renovation? Extension, loft conversion, full refurbishment, typically £50k or more?

8 replies

HelloCharlie · 18/05/2026 22:41

Hi all - I'm building a platform in the renovation space that came directly out of my own experience trying to plan a significant home project. I had a clear vision of what I wanted but when it came to translating that into a realistic budget, understanding what a proper scope of works actually looked like, and then making sense of the builder quotes that came back, I hit a wall.

Even with a good architect involved, the financial and commercial side of the decision felt very exposed. I didn't know what "reasonable" looked like, and I didn't have a structured way to compare what builders were actually offering.

That gap between having a design vision and being able to make a confident financial decision, is what I'm trying to solve. I've spent the last few months working closely with Quantity Surveyors to understand how that intelligence could be structured into software.

I'm now speaking to homeowners about what that pre-build stage actually felt like: the budgeting, the quotes, what you wish you'd known earlier. No product demo, no pitch. Just a 20-minute conversation.

If you're willing to share your experience, please drop a comment or DM me.

OP posts:
Strandas · 19/05/2026 06:59

I work in construction so it’s much easier for me. My brother doesn’t and had no clue, but found using AI fantastic. I gave it a go and was really impressed. It compared quotes, gave local recommendations for prices, sorted through reviews. It was excellent. The information was accurate and informative. Possibilities are endless!

JennyForeigner · 19/05/2026 07:36

That's a good idea imho. I found lots of things about our two extended projects hard but especially the sequencing - knowing which bit I needed the electrician to do before the plumber and v versa, and having an idea of just how much went into to each stage of delivery. There are some things I suspect we were overcharged for, such as new plasterboard walls, because they look significant and they got wrapped into 'package' quotes from our main builder building in resilience for risk elsewhere.

AI has been absolutely fab, and I think is going to be amazing for the contracts side. It is so scary entering into a big building project and now the contractual clauses and rectification routes are easier to access for everyone.

caringcarer · 19/05/2026 08:56

I had a loft conversion completed about 10 years ago. I had a good architect who went through what we wanted then showed us 2 different plans we could choose from. Then we got quotes from 3 different loft extension builders. We picked the one DH found easiest to communicate with and left it to them to do. It was quite a big project. They had to take off roof, build it up a bit in order to do conversation. We had 2 large roughly equal bedrooms on each side with a shower room in the middle. It meant taking a metre from our second largest bedroom to fit in extra staircase because I didn't want narrow stairs. Project took 11 weeks as run over by 1 week. It involved having a new boiler to service extra radiators.

HelloCharlie · 19/05/2026 21:27

Strandas · 19/05/2026 06:59

I work in construction so it’s much easier for me. My brother doesn’t and had no clue, but found using AI fantastic. I gave it a go and was really impressed. It compared quotes, gave local recommendations for prices, sorted through reviews. It was excellent. The information was accurate and informative. Possibilities are endless!

Thanks for your reply. Do you mind sharing with AI tools you and your brother have used?

OP posts:
HelloCharlie · 19/05/2026 21:31

JennyForeigner · 19/05/2026 07:36

That's a good idea imho. I found lots of things about our two extended projects hard but especially the sequencing - knowing which bit I needed the electrician to do before the plumber and v versa, and having an idea of just how much went into to each stage of delivery. There are some things I suspect we were overcharged for, such as new plasterboard walls, because they look significant and they got wrapped into 'package' quotes from our main builder building in resilience for risk elsewhere.

AI has been absolutely fab, and I think is going to be amazing for the contracts side. It is so scary entering into a big building project and now the contractual clauses and rectification routes are easier to access for everyone.

Yes - "package quotes" are exactly one of the things the platform will address! We're also looking to give users an idea on the sequencing/programme as well as a view what the typical cash flow would look like. Would you be happy to have a quick conversation with me so I can ask you some more in-depth questions?

OP posts:
HelloCharlie · 19/05/2026 21:32

caringcarer · 19/05/2026 08:56

I had a loft conversion completed about 10 years ago. I had a good architect who went through what we wanted then showed us 2 different plans we could choose from. Then we got quotes from 3 different loft extension builders. We picked the one DH found easiest to communicate with and left it to them to do. It was quite a big project. They had to take off roof, build it up a bit in order to do conversation. We had 2 large roughly equal bedrooms on each side with a shower room in the middle. It meant taking a metre from our second largest bedroom to fit in extra staircase because I didn't want narrow stairs. Project took 11 weeks as run over by 1 week. It involved having a new boiler to service extra radiators.

Sounds extensive! Would love to interview you in more detail if you're interested?

OP posts:
Strandas · 19/05/2026 22:12

Yes of course! Chat GPT, Copilot, Claude, but there are loads more. Even the Google one is great for this. Free, easy (just upload or paste the quotes), ask the questions you want. It even gave very detailed information as my brother has a property of non-standard construction. It produced a full breakdown of costs, a construction programme, a procurement programme, snag list (all these things my brother had no idea about, but is suggested it for him). It gave good advice about contracts, how much deposit is reasonable and what to do if there were issues and what action to take.

JennyForeigner · 20/05/2026 06:19

HelloCharlie · 19/05/2026 21:31

Yes - "package quotes" are exactly one of the things the platform will address! We're also looking to give users an idea on the sequencing/programme as well as a view what the typical cash flow would look like. Would you be happy to have a quick conversation with me so I can ask you some more in-depth questions?

Sure - are you able to PM me? I'm not really sure how it works in the non-member request bit.

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