kitch & loft extension - advice please!

[duedec2]

Hello. We are buying a house in London, SW2, which needs complete refurbishment. We are also going to extend a fairly small kitchen into the side return and make a bedroom and bathroom in the loft.
Does any one have any idea how much the architect bit of this should cost? We don't need one to oversee the whole project (as will use builder who can do that), just to get us planning permission - and throught the building regs bit. Both designs should be very standard - all the houses round here are the same design and many have had exactly these extensions done. We need to move as quickly and cheaply as possible - are expecting a third baby in Sept and anxious to move out of rental flat and into house asap.
My other Q is, since we will be renting while this work is done - any ideas of the best insurance policy to insure the house while it is empty/ being done up?
Thank you so much for any ideas.

We're doing a loft and we just went straight to loft companies. A lot have their own architects and the designs will be pretty standard unless you want to do something out of the ordinary. The cost may be included in the whole deal and when they quote they can also let you know if planning permission is needed or if it can be done via permitted development. We've gone with a company that had done other lifts in the street.

It may be worth looking at Stuart James Associates

• they are planning consultants who do drawings/party wall/planning applications etc all under same roof. It may work out cheaper than going to separate people, as presumably you will have party wall issues given you are in London. Good luck!

Hi duedec2,

DH is an architect and he has said this:

"Survey of existing house btw £600 - £1000 depending on size

Approx £1400 - £2400 for design/planning, depending on complexity/scale/etc

Approx £1200 - £1800 building regs depending again on complexity/scale/etc.

All above + VAT"

Hope this is helpful.

thanks all - and Moflo, thank you very much. Really helpful to have those numbers.
Re insurance, I'm perplexed by the need (for mortgage purposes) to have building insurance at exchange (rather than completion): if the locks etc. don't match up to the insurance company's specifications what do you do about that? Gloss over that bit of small print or ask the seller if you can send a locksmith round? This house is in a bit of a state and windows etc need replacing ... We are due to complete about five days after exchange.