Another how much will this cost thread...

[DialsMavis]

We are remortgaging soon and really need to do some work on our house but also need to kepe our repayments as low as we can due to household budget. How much roughly would following cost?

Install tiny downstairs wc under stairs (window in situ and soil pipe runs in correct place on outside wall). We were thinking we may be able to add door, panelling and additional storage under stairs ourselves as we have done bits and bobs of DIY since we moved quite successfully.

Recarpet stairs landing and 3 beds (typical 30s house 2 good size bedrooms, 1 single/box room). I would like reasonable/decent quality carpet but would to need to stand up to shoes etc.

Knock through separate wc/bathroom upstairs and steal a square of landing. Fit new suite and add a shower cubicle and extractor fan and tile.

Replaster/skim one bedroom ceiling and move light fitting, it is currently swirly artex with a small hole and bubbled area from a leak.

We can do any paint if required to keep costs down.

I know it's v tricky to estimate but have never owned a house prior to this one and have no idea how much these things cost!

Gah typos galore!

Would you be looking at one person to do these works or are you happy to organise various trades people ? Generally if your happy to search your find better prices per trade and you can get a couple of quotes for each area of works. Looks like your need: plasterer (although we used a handyman for a patch repair to our ceiling?), carpet fitter, plumber, general builder/handyman (depending on how complicated it would be to nock through the wall ? and install extractor etc)

Price will vary a lot depending on where you are. London is more expensive than anywhere else and the south east is more than northern England.

Thanks both, we are in the South West and definitely happy to arrange multiple quotes and people to do the work.

I am just trying to figure out what is achievable for how much £££

We are going to sand and varnish the downstairs floorboards ourselves (I have done it before and know what a horrible job it is) & tart up the kitchen with lino and paint until such time as we can extend. We are gradually decorating the rooms as and when.

I carpeted most of the house in one go.

It cost just under £3k in all for 3 bedrooms (I double, one very small double and one large) , 1 small living room 2 flights of stairs, downstairs hall and landing.

I'd say that was ok quality but nothing fancy / expensive.

We did a lot of work ourselves ie tiling and laying, lifting out old carpets etc. But for about 5000 we stripped out old bathroom suite, put in new with flooring and walls kept layout the same, re carpeted 1 bedroom and stairs/landing, laid laminate floors in entrance and 1 bedroom, decorated (paint) replastered 5 rooms walls and ceiling, put in French doors, minor electrical improvements (bathroom extractor, USB sockets, new fuse box) for about 5000 (South East) we found I we did the prep work (dirty work) and we're flexible that we got better cash prices from local people - kept labour costs as low as possible.

Re under stairs WC. We have just completed this project as DIY. Firstly, if the electricity intake is there you will need to have it moved by the main electricity provider. This will be around £1500. You will also need to use a qualified electrician to do link up from mains intake to your consumer unit, which may have to be moved and upgraded. If your window is non opening you will need a fan. We have both. The rest of the costs will be running hot and cold water to the basin and toilet, boarding out the walls, we used finished plaster board, the standard and style of fittings and finished.
All in all ours was about £5000, but it could have been much cheaper.

Meant to add, you will need to apply building regulations inspection and sign off.

Thanks everyone this is v helpful. Our electricity fuse boxes etc are in a horrible cupboard in the living room and the window under the stairs does open so hopefully that will keep the costs down. I was hoping to do it all for around £12k so it sounds like we might need to choose which jobs are most important to us

We found we saved lots of money by usinh local independent carpet company who stock plenty of room size roll ends, we actually found matching ones that worked so same carpet but way cheaper and better quality. Avoid the brand names. Our last carpet we ordered online from a designer remnant website and found a fitter who provided rods, underlay etc on a 'post a job' websy. Again, saved loads.

At a squeeze I would guess somewhere around £17k if you were careful with budget. £12k seems definitely too low to me.
The carpet with decent underlay alone could be £4k, bathroom £7-9k plus the knock through, skimming £650-£850 plus painting, no idea about downstairs loo ! As with everything you could do it cheaper, you could spend more. I think you need various quotes.

Just finished doing the bathroom. 1930's house.

Walls were appalling and had to go back to the bare walls. New floor, walking shower (best money can buy pump system) new toilet and sink (moved to another wall), full tiling, new radiator (moved slightly) plastered walls and ceiling, new door.

Fixtures and fittings 4.5k
Tiles cost 1.2k
Labour 4k

London