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Original poster

Quote much more than expected - are we unrealistic or is it too expensive?

54 replies

PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 18:07

We have a £25k budget to do the following (and more)

• Removel of chimney breast and associated support installation/making good etc
• Removal of kitchen and relocation of kitchen works - plumbing/gas/ etc into adjacent room
• Stud wall to be built
• Archway to be squared off
• external Doorway and window to be cut in
• Dining room floor to be levelled
• Patio doors plus five new windows to be fitted
• Ceilings skimmed to remove artex upstairs and downstairs of three bed semi.

This is the bulk of the work, what would you expect to be quoted? The quote includes electrics for the new kitchen but crucially not the kitchen itself. I can't decide if we are woefully unrealistic or if the only quote we have had returned to us is too expensive.

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OCSockOrphanage · 04/07/2017 19:59

I hate telling you this but we have just had two elevations of our 1970s house re-rendered (because the original was coming off in chunks... lots of weather here) and over two years, we have spent more than £20,000 doing just that and bringing the (nice, wooden) window frames back to as new condition. That's not really going to go on the value of the house, but the cost of doing it would sure as heck be deducted by anyone making an offer when we come to sell it.

Maintenance not done, or done badly, will cost someone long term.

Don't ask about chimneys ... I am leaving that to the next owner.

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 19:59

That is interesting, Dawn. The chimney is in the middle of where the new kitchen would be and it is in a room far too small for it to actually be used, such a strange choice!

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Dawnedlightly · 04/07/2017 20:12

Think about putting the oven there and save £8,800!
How much of the cost is floor levelling? I'd imagine that's expensive and could you get round it?

monsieurpoirot · 04/07/2017 20:14

It is the chimney and new widows and patio door where the majority of your money is going- can u cut back on any of these?

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 20:14

The floor levelling hasn't actually been included in the quote Shock

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Original poster
PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 20:15

I kind of want to do things properly, if I'm going to do it. The house is perfectly fine to live in how it is, just not ideal.

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glorious · 04/07/2017 20:21

Pippa I can't really comment on the price for that job but I am wondering whether you're in the same city as us. We're about to start a major project costing more like 180k all in and even getting quotes has been a nightmare. It is also more expensive here than where we lived in London Sad

PM me if you want any recommendations (checking whether it's the same place obviously!).

Dawnedlightly · 04/07/2017 22:16

By levelling do you mean making it not bumpy- that's essential, or removing a change of height which could be made a feature of?

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 22:18

I mean a change of height, it is currently a step down. That needs to be done otherwise the new kitchen will be on two levels. So many botched jobs by previous owners, I'm starting to think we didn't come here with our eyes open!

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fannydaggerz · 04/07/2017 22:33

Chimney breast removal around here is between £9000-£11000

You will be hard pushed to get all that work done for £25000

WhatwouldOliviaPopedo · 04/07/2017 22:35

We're buying a house in north London that needs a similar amount of work and we've been quoted 25k for a kitchen reconfiguration/chimney removal/floor levelling (units and fitting not included). The sum you've been quoted does sound very high, so definitely shop around.

Although, now that I've seen the picture of the range cooker set in the fireplace that Dawnedlightly posted and looked up more examples, I've convinced DP to scrap idea of removing the chimney and do that instead! Looks amazing and will save us thousands! Thanks Dawned!

Justaboy · 04/07/2017 22:36

That does seem higher than what I'd expect it to be. Problem is builders have plenty of work on in your neck of the woods and can quote what they like if they were twiddling their thumbs you'd see that come down a far bit. The big variable here is that chimney breast, its not that much of a job removing the beast the problem is what is above it some steel-work can usually cope with that. I did this on our original house all DIY some 38 years ago now and its still standing, three bed end of terrace.

I bet you'd get that down a bit with a combination if some DIY and getting the respective trades"men" in if you can find a good one they usually know of others problem is finding the right one to start with.

That's of course if you and DH enjoy DIY some of that isn't that difficult when it comes down to it a lot of time is spent tidying up removing old stuff etc.

Have you got an itemised breakdown of it at all you can put here?.

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 04/07/2017 22:37

WhatWould, send over your saved cash then please as it is my thread that hosted Dawn's photo Grin

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Dawnedlightly · 04/07/2017 22:52

😉
Will it be all kitchen? Or kitchen diner? If the latter a change of level isn't ridiculous. And do get a quote for the levelling- it wouldn't necessarily be a net cost as it could simplify running services- they wouldn't need to disturb the floor, just run services to the wall and lay new wall on top.
And don't y'all be too jealous of my stove in fireplace. Here it is at the moment- you can almost taste the noise and dust!

Quote much more than expected - are we unrealistic or is it too expensive?
Squishedstrawberry4 · 04/07/2017 23:17

How many quotes have you had? Get 4

monsieurpoirot · 04/07/2017 23:22

From what she said that's going to take her 2 years squished!

Donhill · 05/07/2017 06:44

This is a really interesting thread as we are wanting to do similar type of work to our house, moving kitchen to adjacent room, moving electrics, new windows and doors, removal of a wall - and are getting nowhere fast! We would like to spend £25k but could to £50k if we had to. Can I ask, did you get drawings done before getting the quote? And if you did - who did them and what was the cost?

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 05/07/2017 06:51

I can't get four quotes! This is the first thorough quote we have had. There is another firm that has been recommended that DH has been trying to make an appointment with that we will chase again.

Donhill, we saw architects and because the work is quite straightforward even they said we didn't need architects plans.

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WhatwouldOliviaPopedo · 05/07/2017 08:25

Ha ha, PippaFawcett, are you after commission?? 😉 But it really is a good idea if you look into it (which I did last night, till really late! Pinterest is my new BFF). Here's another one we liked.

Quote much more than expected - are we unrealistic or is it too expensive?
Original poster
PippaFawcett · 05/07/2017 09:05

I am fed up today and starting to question whether we should have bought the house at all. I will go and look at our ill thought out chimney breast later (WFH today) when I can face it to see if we can repurpose it but it is really in the way in the centre of a room. I need Theresa May's Magic Money Tree!

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MinniesAndMickeysNeedCounting · 05/07/2017 09:27

We're currently doing work very similar to yours.

Moved kitchen to new room
Removed chimney and steel work
Full room plastered
All associated electrical work, sockets, lights, induction range
Flooring
Kitchen units
Worktops, We did more windows and added a roof lantern and we're paying just over 50k

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 05/07/2017 09:32

Thanks Minnies. Roughly where are you? Ours doesn't include the kitchen units/oven etc and lots of other stuff.

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VeryPunny · 05/07/2017 09:40

You're not in Cambridge, are you? If so I sympathise, it's a total nightmare trying to get anyone to do anything. We paid about £15K for some replastering, rewiring, sorting out some doors and lifting an old floor. Our decorator was saying that trades at the moment can name their price and still have more work than they can cope with.

Original poster
PippaFawcett · 05/07/2017 10:12

Yes we are and I had some PMs from others in the same boat last night. A friend of ours brought her school friends down from up north who are now tradespeople to get her work done! Bloody nightmare. Lots of people wouldn't quote because the work is too small for them too. Angry

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whatsthecomingoverthehill · 05/07/2017 11:09

Are you taking all of the chimney out? If it was a new addition rather than original to the house I wouldn't have though you would need much structural work, just some making good.

Can you separate some of the works out rather than getting someone to do all of it? e.g. shop around for patio doors/windows yourself.

The price seems very high. It doesn't seem like a huge amount of work to me at all.