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?

Given what I read on this forum, I suspect that where house prices are lower, so is the cost of building work. The cost of materials is even lower here in the NW of England than in the Midlands where I used to live; it seems to me that in really expensive areas like the SE everything costs a lot more. Pre covid/brexit, when we moved here, it was noticable how much cheaper timber, cement and bricks etc.were here, for example- there are lots of keenly priced independent builders' merchants.

We're trying to get quotes to do a 42sqm kitchen/diner extension in the SW and first quote back is £5.4k per sqm (without kitchen supply)... I nearly fell off my chair.

I paid £1800 p Sq m in Midlands in 2016

6 years ago I paid £90k all in for a side return in London. This included build, bifold, windows, kitchen units, underfloor heating and decorator. I dread to think what it would cost now!

£60k basic build and labour
£30k doors, windows, kitchen units , painter etc

Really hope this is correct 🤞🤞🤞

@Bedsheets4knickers people on this same thread have said it won’t happen. I’m hoping that’s wishful thinking on their part if they’re involved in the trade!

Its like the house prices threads one person says they will definitely fall the next says they won’t.

It's shaky ground for everyone isn't it . Next month will be very telling .

@Bedsheets4knickers why do you hope it’s true? So you can’t find anyone to do your extension as they all go for site work where they’re guaranteed to be paid weekly with no delays, excuses, complaints from home owners and don’t have to do their own ordering, chasing etc. be careful what you wish for.

Calm down ....
not everyone is hoping for huge flashy extensions. Right now people wanting a little less work can not find a tradesman for love nor money . So yeah it would be nice if they had some availability for my little kitchen dinner knock through .

I’ve noticed a few people take peoples wish for building costs to go back down quite personally. Surely they’d feel the same if all of a sudden a long planned for extension was out of reach financially. That’s a massive issue for people and their families.

And the Economy in general so yes maybe they'll be less massive extension home renovation but they'll always be home improvements/jobs that need doing . Trades will adjust to more smaller jobs but more of them . Not everyone will be skint in this crisis .

Well, when a significant number of skilled people in the construction industry were told they were not wanted here (Brexit and subsequent treatment) and return to mainland Europe, the remaining work force slimmed down considerably and now pick and choose and jacked up their prices accordingly. And that was before covid and the supply issues, which jacked them up even more. And now inflation going through the roof, jacking them up yet again.

Sorry .. what question was you referring to ?

We did our previous renovation in the last recession and the builder was absolutely desperate for work. We got through the quote stage very quickly and he was ready to start almost immediately. We arranged to pay weekly so he had cash flow coming through. He was then incredibly loyal to us for years afterwards and would come out to help with little and big jobs as we'd pretty much saved him from going under that time.

I wouldn't want to see people like him back in that situation, and going bust, even though this time it's taken longer than our entire previous project just to get some quotes done!

@Bedsheets4knickers little kitchen diner knock throughs wont pay their bills so still not likely to prioritise you if there is a recession. You shouldn’t be having an issue booking someone at the moment, you’ll probably just have to wait a few months. I was being calm in my pp; just simply explaining what the result of your wish was likely to be from another side.

I disagree , I've read no end of threads of people who can not get a tradesman to even quote let alone carry out the work it really has not been a case of just wait a few months . People have been ignored unless it's been for massive work . Hopefully now we can get our work done that we need and keep traders in work .. I have to say I find your thinking very blinkered .

There will always be some firms who only take the big jobs, usually because they need to. What region of the UK are you? We had 14 of our guys today on similar jobs to the one you’re describing. All of them have been booked before May, but they were told the timescale at the of estimate and were happy to wait. Nice little 1/2 day jobs are good for filling gaps between bigger projects or handy for sending a brickie on while a different trade is on a bigger one.

I will say that what you read online doesn’t always reflect real life and that’s not regarding the construction trade.

Should’ve said not just regarding the construction trade.

I'm in south east

Sorry I took ages to reply.

We planned/managed it all ourself breaking it into tiny steps. Then doing a lot of it ourself.

The main thing we did ourself which I wouldn't recommend is ordering and fitting the steels. We completely underestimated how many people it would take to lift them into place. And then also knocking down the wall to join the old and new, which in hindsight was a purely stupid thing to do ourselves.

If I was to do it again, I'd get a builder in to get it up to the point where the carpenter comes in to do the roof. So foundations, walls, steels, and knock through. Then I'd get a carpenter straight in to do a temporary stud wall on the knock-through.

Then from there I'd do it bit by bit using different trades in roughly this order; carpenter (for roof), roofer, window fitter, electrician, plumber, plasterer, carpenter (for internal fit), tiler, etc.

If you do it that way you need a really thorough set of structural drawings, and to prepared for stress, a lot of researching, decision making, and being let down. You'll also need someone that's home a lot to give keys to different trades, brief them in, and be around for quotes.

How are prices going to come down when it’s not just a labour cost issue? The pound is lower and even before that cost of materials was increasing. Even if they take a hit on labour costs and profit margins the prices are still incredibly high compared to a couple years ago.

This might sound crazy and not be for you but if you are pretty handy you'd be amazed how much you can do yourself and save money. Did you know that generally 80% of what you pay a builder is for labour. It was quite a few years ago but I built my own two storey extension for £25,000 - builders quoted me between £125,000 and £150,00. You might not feel you can do it all yourself but for someone that is handy - and has the time! It's not impossible (even if you only do some of the work) I made a non-commercial blog to help and encourage others. It's not for the faint-hearted so be realistic but here's my blog if that's of any use to encourage you - or maybe convince you absolutely NOT to do what I did. Good luck www.diyhomeextension.co.uk

We have plans passed for double extension it's big at 53sq M £143k Yorkshire but this quote diff builder in April 2021 was £90k!

Phew! That's a massive difference.

Yep @BlueMongoose very frustrating