Guess how much....

[PickMeUpOffTheFloor]

Just got a quote for an extension to our detached bungalow. It's doubling our current footprint, building up, not out so no new drainage or rerouting of gas pipes or anything.

Extension would be 83sqm and add 3 bedrooms, a terrace and a 4 piece bathroom. 7 windows, patio doors and a skylight.

The exterior would be a mixture of dress brick and composite cladding.

No works to the existing house othan knocking down 1 (non-loadbearing) wall and breaking throught the existing roof to put the staircase in.

Flat roof.

Were in Scotland.

I've tried to give as much detail as possible. Anyone want to take a guess at how much we've been quoted?

Definitely get more quotes

When we had work done to our house we got quotes from two very reputable contractors and one quote was double the other

Work all done now, with the cheaper of the two and couldn't be happier with how it turned out

Discussed with the lower priced contractor how much higher the other quote was and they said they knew of the other contractor and said he was very inexperienced with pricing and had reached out to him a few times with help on how to price jobs

My friend had a not dissimilar quote pro-rata to pre-pandemic prices. Standard rectangular 4 bed former agricultural bungalow (smallish rooms), building straight up. However she had an architect recommended who would not listen to the brief (of NOT having every bedroom ensuite, and NOT moving any internal walls other than the one to get the staircase in). SO was then pandemic and now they cannot afford it this way.

Look at SIPS extensions - sectional, they basically build a lot of it off-site and crane into place. Better insulated, quicker to build and much, much cheaper. I think she said it'll now come in about half the previous quote, but that's with them doing a lot themselves.
Also look at how much you can do yourselves. eg https://www.sipsecopanels.co.uk/building-with-sips/sips-extensions/

Perhaps! I know a few people who have struggled to get builders to quote for smaller jobs. Maybe they all prefer 'medium sized' ones. I guess they have the luxury of being picky these days 🙄

I don't think it's picky @CellophaneFlower , I think it's more about cash flow and materials are going up so quickly their quote can only be valid for a short period. So better to have lots of smaller/medium jobs that you can crack through rather than one large one that has to keep being adjusted and where the owners could decide to halt the work for a while (because of the price hike or whatever) but you have no work to go to as you blocked that time out in your diary
Could be wrong though

Thanks @Ariela and @pinkthree I'm definitely going to get more quotes. We've got the plumbing and electrics covered so hopefully that reduces the cost some. We also won't be going for the aluminium framed windows that the architect added to the plans as they are 3 x more expensive than uPVC.

DH and I almost finished renovating a completely derelict property. Structural work all done now- just need furnishings, final paint, patio, garden etc.

IF you can wait- I would. I'm not in the trade at all, but feel it must stop. We started towards the end of the pandemic- when everyone had the money from no holidays, to spend on their homes and gardens. We saw prices go up astronomically. The price of our steels was only locked in for 7 days- before prices rose yet again 😱

All our trades were, and still are very busy- but all weren't about later this year and beyond- now that people are resuming holidays and a more 'normal' life. Obviously people will still be renovating, but you 'might' find more availability of trades if you leave it a bit, and fingers crossed, 'maybe' better value.