How to extend on a budget?

[user1499523365]

Just that really. Any tips and hints please. Thinking of having the builder just do the shell and we bring in our own trades for the rest.

Plan to do it in summer so we don't have to pay for a tin roof for the loft in the hope that it doesn't piss it down!

anyone?

No idea! We're trying to cut costs, we're just getting the shell and then doing everything else DIY including flooring (we're lucky as we have floor fitters in the family) but just the shell is coming in at £2,500 per square m

Where are you? I refuse to pay more than 1.500 per square m! That is extortionate. Husband will do all painting, ermmmmm that's it so far!

We're in the middle of doing this. Project managing ourselves and have hired a builder to do the demolition and foundations, we've then commissioned a Timber Frame company to put up the shell in 5-10 days, then hiring a bricklayer to build a single layer of bricks around it. Then we buy sliding doors and rooflights to be fitted and we're paying for a polished concrete floor inside. Two caveats though - DH will be doing most of the internal work (plumbing, electrics, kitchen fitting), we're both project managers by trade (although in IT and social research!) and we've both had to really read up on everything to understand each process. On the upside our double storey extension should cost half of what it would cost if we got a builder to do the whole lots.

Forgot to say, we're in London and hoping for around £1.6k per square metre for project managing ourselves and having quite a high end finish. Builder costs would have been approaching (or probably exceeding) £3k per square metre.

We're just completing our extension where the builder did the shell and we brought in other trades ourselves for plastering, joinery and plumbing. We've avoided trades who are VAT registered to save money (except the builder) and have done the flooring, kitchen and painting ourselves.

Oh wow, thank you for giving me hope Crumbelina. I'm a project manager too so not scared to take it on, but don't have the informed knowledge (yet!) about the whole process.

Would you be so kind to share some further details of the process? It's good you found someone who wanted to do just the demolition and foundations. Most builders round here (very naice part of Hertfordshire) want to do it all and aren't interested unless your build is over 100k.

Can you please expand about the Timber Frame company? I need an idiot's guide to it all. Thank you so much.

I'm a bit pushed for time (juggling a full time job, a toddler and the renovation!) but hopefully the below will help!

For books on the process I can highly recommend the Haynes Home Extension Manual (Ian Alistair Rock) and the Housebuilder's Bible - think it's on the 11th edition - by Mark Brinkley. It's vital to really know the process. We're only using a builder for demolition/foundations. They're lovely guys and very good, but they got the initial measurements wrong for the foundations, wanted to bury an asbestos roof in the ground (we stepped in and organised a free council collection) and weren't going to build the foundations at the correct level. We had to be on the ball to supervise and spot these errors. Good luck with finding a builder though - we got ours thorough CheckaTrade.

Process is as follows. You'll need to work out if you need full planning from the council or permitted development. Either way you'll want some architect's plans ...

Decommission electrics and plumbing to rooms to be demolished, actual demolition, clear the site (massive job!), foundations, oversite (the ground floor between the foundations), build superstructure (load bearing inner walls, e.g. Timber Frame or blocks), external brickwork, roof structure, waterproofing and roof tiles (if you go down the Timber Frame company route they could do the roof), first fix electrics and plumbing (bits you don't see), doors and windows, plasterboard internal walls and ceiling, second fix electrics and plumbing (bits you do see), decorating, e.g. flooring, kitchen installation etc.

Using a Timber Frame company could really help as they'll take on a fair bit of the management for you (structural calculations, design), the frame goes up nice and quickly and is watertight and you're dealing with professionals and architects. Look at the Structural Timber Frame website and have a search for companies/members. We're using Solo Timber Frame based in Sussex who seem very good so far (they're a Which Trusted Trader which is reassuring!). You'll want a company that isn't too far away so they can do a few site visits. Also, you'll need to have an extension big enough for them to take it on. Ours is double storey and around 60 square metres but there's no harm in pinging out an email and seeing if they'll quote.

Thank you so much Crumb, what a helpful soul you are. Do you mean the Timber Frame company essentially does the frame? I don't think we actually want a timber frame? We would want a breeze block frame?

Yep, they would design and build the frame but you'd get a bricklayer to build the external bricks around it. There wouldn't be any timber on show, it would look the same as a block/brick extension.

Block is also fine and probably works out a bit cheaper. If you get a builder to do this then they'd be responsible for the blocks, bricks, roof structure and tiles etc. Our issue was that we didn't have a good enough contact for a builder who we completely trusted so we went for a Timber Frame company with great credentials. Also, the frame will go up in a few days from early September, which is much needed as DD2 is due to be born in mid-September.

We're hoping to do the same! Following with interest, has anyone saved a fortune when doing an extension?

Not as yet, but hoping to in the next few years. I suspect the cheapest option will be to sub contract each individual trade. Groundworker for the foundations, brickie for the inner/outer skin, joiner for the roof etc etc on a fixed price contract rather than a daily rate, unless you are there all day to oversee them.

I got 2 boxes of Fired Earth tiles today for a fiver off a FB selling page. Also got my architect for 1,500.

Don't know where rest of message went, but that's a start! Crumb, I've just ordered those books.

Hi Crumb

How is the build going? Any money saving tips gratefully received? I am paying about roughly 1.5K for architect and that's the lowest I can get!