Price of loft conversion , 100k to 150k ???

[tutumax]

Hello Everyone. We just bought a 1950s house and looking to do loft conversion and rear extension. Discussed with architect and was shocked to know that loft conversion will easily cost us between 100k to 150k for approx. 80 sqm We are on M25 SE.

Is this correct estimation? We have a budget of 300k, if the loft conversation costa 150k, we won’t have enough left for rear extension and remodelling of the whole house!

Thanks for your advice!

Online suggests 35/50K for 2 doubles and a bathroom

Ask a few neighbours who did theirs and get some quotes

Check the trades online and get references

Ours was more like £50/60k in zone 2 SE London and that was with the roof entirely re-done. Without roof would have been £35/40k I think. That’s only 1 bedroom with en suite and a mid terrace Victorian house, but quite high spec. £100k sounds very high. We got one quote which was vastly higher than others so definitely shop around.

Thank you GreenTulips. This estimation is from our architect not a builder. Why architect would overestimate the cost....Thus we were worried that we don’t have enough budget to do all the work we have in mind.

Thank you JW13,would you mind to tell us how big is your loft? We are expecting to do some roof repairmen as well. But still couldn’t understand how it would cost us 100K ! And it’s from the Architects estimation. He suggested us to give up on loft basically which we don’t want really. So frastrated. one architect said everything is achievable with our budget and the other one totally opposite.

Seems a lot. Currently mid loft conversion - Dormer one bed and tiny ensuite. Not sure of size but it's a smallish Victorian semi. Outer london expensive suburb. Costing approx 48k all in. Most expensive quote was 25k more for same spec so a lot of variation. I'd be very surprised at 150k unless it's bloody massive and very complex ie raising roof or similar.

Depends how your architect is charging and whether they think they’re going to project manage the build. If so, that’s sometimes a percentage of cost. That’s a ridiculous estimate though. 50k reasonable.

That seems really high! We are paying 70k for 2 double beds and a bathroom (full dormer) and that includes a 6k new boiler, full roof retile, new porch built and new hallway created downstairs. I am in the south east near the m25 so if you need a builder recommendation I have a brilliant one! They are just coming to the end of our build and have been amazing.

Thank you SmellTheGlove! Exactly what we thought, way too expensive. The thing is we haven’t received the Surveyor’s report yet so not clear of any costly problem. But our architect warned us it will be easily 100k to 150k. Can’t figure out why.....

Thanks ourkidmolly!
Yes we appointed architect as the project manager. But the fee is charged based on the length of the project not the % of the total cost. And he will recommend us some builders. Just got the feeling that he doesn’t want us to do loft conversion. Is it particularly complicated interms of drawing building control application etc....

No way £150k unless you have a very complicated, massive roof line and you basically need the entire roof structure replaced.

I recon £65 for a ‘standard’ semi-detached hip to gable and dormer and I could see that gettinguo to 80 if there were problems and with bathroom fittings and stuff. But no way 150.

Hi Titsywoo, thanks for this information! Very useful. It proves we are right to doubt! Yes it would be great if you could PM me your builders details. Much appreciated!

Titsywoo, please send me details of your builders. Will be getting similar done soon. Thanks.

Say whaaaaaaa?? Do you live in an enormous, rambling place with a colossal floorplan? Do you need to replace your entire roof? Because if not, that is one hell of a lot of money, and I'm struggling to see how it could cost quite so much.

Get three quotes from builders in a tender process, and maybe consider doing this yourself rather than with your architect. To be honest, if you are living onsite for the works, a good builder will project manage and you don't need to pay extra to an architect to come every two weeks and nod.

Thanks whiskyowl
Not that grand... it’s a four bed detached house.
We haven’t got the planning permission yet. It’s still in a very early stage. Just trying to figure out what we can do with our budget.....:

That is hugely expensive. What is the assumption re bathrooms - these can vary hugely in price.

Ours was about 50k including bathrooms, decorating, fitted wardrobes etc. Was 2 bed 1 bath and dormer in a mid terrace house. My sil was quoted similar to you though, but her layout is a lot more complicated and needed basically whole roof redoing and all sorts.

I don't think £100k sounds outrageous...Our mid priced builder says round here W.london - zone 4 standard edwardian semi 50k
we will hve to have our ceilings lowered so proabably another 5k or so that would give us 1 big bedroom and bathroom.

friend has bigger edwardian semi and her slightly higher price builder said £100k for a 2bed + bathroom

your house is probably bigger than either of ours so £100k doesn't sound mad!- however you also probably dont need an architect to project/manage or design a loft extension-

If you don't want a fancy design then I would look for a loft specialist company most of the ones here design and build..
the cost of an Architect one will probably be higher but may have fancier design..

Thanks averythinline
We didn’t ask for anything fancy really. The whole house need remodeling, we thought it’s better to work with an architect to draw an overall plan.

Do you think it worth to split the job and give the loft part to a loft specialist?

Thanks!

Thanks firawla looks like the cost does vary..... now not sure what to do

Thanks ThreeWheeledCar
I don’t think that 100k including cost for bathroom.

Sisters was £20k for just a room. No ensuite.

7 years ago. £42k large double, ensuite, landing, new stair case, redesigning 1st floor walls, new boiler, work on ground floor also including taking the whole hip roof off and rebuilding a new apex one. No dormer.

Yes £100k is extortionate IMO.

That’s all in, including architect, fees, tiles, flooring, decor, the works

Thanks PollytheDolly that’s a lot of work!
7 years on I wonder if the price doubled

Is it definitely 80sqm Tutu? If so, that does seem very big! At the top end of the range of £150k you'd be looking at around £1.9k per square metre which sounds about right.

A nearby friend in SW London is having a loft conversion which is costing £65k for around 37 square metres (on a detached 3 bed) which works out at around £1.8k per square metre.

Just to add that building work has got really expensive over the past few years! Supply and demand and all that. Extensions in London used to be around the £2k a square metre mark and some friends have been at quotes coming in at around £3.5k. We're currently project managing our own extension build because 60 square metres would have cost us way over £200k!