Extension cost insanity!

[FManc]

We’re looking at doing an 18m2 (6x3m) single storey rear extension based in the Stockport, just outside Manchester. We want to go down the Design & Build route just for simplicity and the fact that materials/prices are changing that often a builder will be more aware of what’s going on. We’ve just had one company refuse to come out to have an initial visit/meeting as basically we can’t afford afford their prices; she was extremely rude and condescending which didn’t help either. She said for the most basic build you’d be looking at £75k and that’s WITHOUT a kitchen so we’re touching the £4k+ per sq!!! If this is really where we’re at now then with prices then jeeeeeez! We had in our mind around the £50-£60k mark but ideally that included a kitchen. Either we’re really out of touch with what we were expecting or we need to save a lot more! Anyone got any recent experience of pricing etc just to get an idea?

Interesting @SpidersAreShitheads. Just did a quick Google. Are you worried about issues around selling and the extension making it unmortgageable??

Blimey prices have gone up so much!

We had a similar extension some years back and it came to about £65k including new kitchen.

Now we are looking at £16k and a bit more for a new bathroom and a new roof was £19k🤯

Back in 2012 we had a 6 x 5m single storey kitchen extension but with a vaulted ceiling and wall of glazing up to the eaves built in Wiltshire. Our architect reckoned we'd be looking st £20k!!!

To get it to an unplastered shell actually cost £45k. DH -who wasn't a builder by trade but has always been very handy - did the plastering, tiling etc and our kitchen (in-frame shaker style from an independent joinery co) was a further £10k.

We now live in Wales where labour tends to cost less - for example DH (who now runs a small building/decorating business) can't charge more than £180 per day. Some people we know recently had quotes for a slightly smaller (6 x 4m) extension and the most expensive was £80k to a plastered shell.

When our joiner came round to do a minor job for us he said now was not the time to be building a new home due to high cost of materials. He reckoned it was better to buy a fixer- upper and do it gradually as and when you had the spare cash.

Was talking to friends last week who are renovating a bungalow and doing a second storey. They have two steels in which he sourced and about £1800 for the two. I think he said they had other quotes that were something like 6k per steel.

I paid £55k for 8x5m 8 years ago to plaster. I think people are out of touch with costs. I'm including planning, architect and structural engineer in that but not the kitchen, that was £9k without fitting

6 grand for steels !!!!!!! What are you building ST Pancras….. 😀

I’m way out of touch…… first one for the roof was reclaimed, twice the size I needed but was free ( looked new after a coat of paint )

second ones were £130 complete with bolts spacers and an extra 2 inch welded on the inside one. Think I’m living in the past 🙁

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Reclaimed steels are a good bet , you can save a lot.

This is what we did. Ended up coming in at under half the cost the all-in builders wanted to charge. Plus allowed us to do it more gradually, as and when we had the money.

That said it was hard work and took longer than expected. Don't underestimate the effort of making decisions and finding trades. We were lucky that my dads in the trade so had lots of contacts that he could call up and get to be reliable.

Reclaimed steels a good idea. There’s a reclaim wood place near us I’m going to look at. We aren’t extending but have plans to renovate the whole house, knock a couple of walls down build a new bathroom, replace microbrew, rewire, insulation etc .

Have decided to do things that will keep us warm such as the windows and order solar then stick rest of money in bank now interest rates are increasing, relax a bit and review in a bit.

Microbore not microbrew!

We had a pitched roof single storey 5x4, NW coast, 5 years ago at just shy of £40,000.
thanks to Brexit, building materials costs have increased substantially since then, as has the cost of labour with far fewer European workers.

You’ve David Cameron to thank.

I’m interested to hear more about self managing a build trade by trade. I understand it more than likely would be an actual nightmare but if it saves money it could be worth it. Especially as a way to legitimately avoid VAT by using smaller trades.

I can’t remember which poster mentioned that.

@kegofcoffee would love more info!

steel prices have gone up massively. We were just quoted £28k for ours (think that’s for 4 beams + steel needed for other parts of the extension) 🙀

I’m in Switzerland. The prices here are 2 to 3 x 2019 prices. Brexit?

Steel has increased a lot , I was paying £30 each for 70 x 70 x 3m ( fence posts ). They went up to £72. Shopped about got them for £49 cash. It pays to spend a bit of time shopping around ,builders won’t do this.

live noticed timber is on the way down , but steel is still high .

EBay is also I good place for low cost rsj ,

Don't despair. We also know our PP is going to expire before we start our extension. I have decided it isn't the end of the world if we have to re-apply for planning. It will cost a little over £200 and that is a small amount compared to the overall build. I don't imagine planners will change their minds and refuse PP after they passed it the first time.

We decided when we are ready to start the next stage, to add a garage as we shall lose the shed for the extension. this means we are changing the look of the house from the front so PP is required anyway.

It's not a good time for building work. The trades are amongst the first hit by recession so they'll be pricing more competitively soon. And the government are making it easier for shortage skills to come to the uk from the eu.

@Flockameanie No, I'm not worried, primarily because this is going to be a very long term home for us. I've got DC with significant SEN/disabilities (twins) and for at least one of them, I doubt independent living will be on the cards. We're building an annexe for my elderly DM and stepdad, and then in later years when they've passed, the annexe can be used for DC.

Also, the main house will be traditional construction, it's just an extension which will be non-standard. So that should make be more palatable to mortgage companies. Having said that, there's a real rise in steel/metal/wood extensions and more and more mainstream lenders are willing to consider. It's a really standard form of construction in other countries - it's more eco friendly, quicker and cheaper so it ticks all boxes. It's starting to be used more and more in this country. Oh yes, and they're better insulated too! So with all of this cost of living crisis and energy rocketing, that should be a help.

Non standard construction got a bad name because of the concrete houses built after the war. These crumble and don't last and aren't the same thing as modern SIPs at all.

I spoke to lots of different modular firms and settled on one that is really rigorous, has their own architects for building regs etc. With DM's poor health and the difficulties of my DC, not having months of building work will be an enormous help. Having spoken to a few people who have gone down the modular route, they seem really happy with it. But I do appreciate it's not for everyone. I didn't know anything about it until I stumbled across it by accident so just thought I'd mention it in case it helps anyone else too.

@SpidersAreShitheads

Please can you pm me the name of the company you are using? I'm desperate to find a way of building my extension, one had delays out of my control in the last few years and now modular looks the only way I can afford it (plus I'm really interested in the greener way the buildings are created).

Thanks!

“I’m in Switzerland. The prices here are 2 to 3 x 2019 prices. Brexit?“

no idea about Switzerland. Crippling shortage of skilled labour is a direct result of Brexit in the UK though, yes.

The cost of materials is one of the biggest factors.