4x3 extension south east... Worth it?!!

[user1477259453]

We've just moved to a house where everything is great condition except for an awful old conservatory. My Mum unfortunately died two years ago and we're coming into some money. We wanted that to be used for a few things,but basically the local quotes are suggesting that almost all of the £44k would be required if we wanted to do a small 4x3 extension. No kitchen or bathroom or anything fancy. We will have an architect and project manager in the family. However to do it right we would need a steel put in and probably a build over agreement for an existing manhole at cost. Why are these extensions so expensive?!! I don't want to fritter away the money but it's the only thing that needs doing on the house and we plan to stay around 10 years so we would use it and enjoy it. I feel like I'd regret doing something cheaper like tagging on another conservatory instead.

Unfortunately most of that cost is labour/ vat , I’m currently building a small extension similar size to yours ( the house is u shaped and just filling in the u bit ). I do most of the work myself and the cost of materials is pretty low compared to the cost of other people’s labour, 44k sounds eye watering for such a small space .

I’ve had to put 3 steels in, 1 for the roof ,1 above some french doors that hold to roof up and 1 above a window we knocked out and I think in total they cost about £450 for all 3.

That’s 12sq metres for 44k? Sounds a lot. Would you be able to go bigger at only a bit more cost? Or is the house a 4m-we’d terrace? How much value would the extension add?

4m-wide

It's semi detached so not much extra room. Basically a similar one to what we want cost £37k without the steels a couple of years ago... So I haven't had a full quote but based on that ball park I'm guessing it'd be more.. I will get my brother (architect) to draw up full plans and then go to several quotes. We are in between Portsmouth and Chichester so presumably Portsmouth companies would be cheaper. Value wise... It is likely to add £15-20k immediately, maybe £25k on a good day. We are hoping that because we will be staying here 8-10 years the rest would be quite easily recouped. It just seems so much money that you wonder how anyone ever justifies it?!

I think the way to think about this might be what are you gaining through it.
EG, allows you to refigure the kitchen so now you can have a table in it, which you will use every day, and then frees up space in another room where the table was etc.

or it will be a home office, used for wfh and chanegs how you can then use other space?

The value of it is partly in the use of it, and what it will add ot your lives.

Thank you steppemum. Yes it will basically open up the front room, provide a play area we can use year round, and we will have a table in it too so it'll be a dining space once toys away. It'll basically flow well and be very versatile. I think it would make a huge difference on a daily basis, it's just quite scary to spend so much of Mum's money ha.

Fyi, I got in touch with a local builder saying our absolute maximum was 37k inclusive and could that be done, and he agreed that it could. So I'm now going out to quotes with him and another few companies to see what comes back. Hopefully at this price or less so we can justify it! Thanks for your advice x