Am I being quoted *ridiculous* prices for a kitchen extension?

[TuttiFrutti]

We are looking to build a kitchen extension with an extra bedroom and en suite shower room on top - so a 2 storey extension, giving us about an extra 20% space.

We thought this would cost around £70K plus VAT. That's what our architect estimated anyway.

We have been searching for a builder since December and have now approached 9. Some have initially said they were interested, then after several weeks come back and said sorry, got too much work on, don't need any new business. 4 have given us quotes, but none is below £115K plus VAT!!! One even quoted us £140K plus VAT not including any of the kitchen!

So what I want to know is: were we just unrealistic at the beginning? Or are we approaching builders in the wrong way? Or do these builders just not want the job?

We are in the south east by the way (in case you had't guessed).

Your builders are not interested. They don't normally say they aren't interested annoyingly enough, they just send in a ridiculous quote instead!

well I was having major problems getting quotes for my loft storage room, my friends for their flat roof repair. We have both tried ratedpeople.com and people turned up and gave us quotes!! I got one from [email protected] they've got lots of references you check up on them etc - they are in sutton surrey if that is anywhere near you.

We are paying about £50k for a one storey kitchen extension...but that includes everything. Your quotes do seem very high. My builder is not local to the area, in fact he drives 2 hours to get home! So his prices were much reduced on the local builder prices. I am South East too, btw.

I know it is the downstairs bit that costs the money, the foundation digging etc. But I really think your prices are OTT!!

I think that's massively expensive and is fairly indicative of being at what feels like the very top of a cost cycle in terms of property. I have had two friends that have had fairly dramatic extensions done and I'm sure it was cheaper. If you live in Hemel hempstead/St Albans/ watford I could get the name of their builders for you.

Surely your architect can recommend someone if he costed it ? Make sure that you haven't dramatically changed anything since he costed it - gold taps and handmade bisazza mosaics for example

No Lauriefairycake, I'm in Guildford, but thanks anyway.

There are mostly people the architect recommended! That's why I just can't believe it.

Interesting what you say about being at the top of a cost cycle. Do you think building costs will fall next year if house prices fall (as they already are)?

CarGirl, thanks for the websites. I will check these out.

We've also recently had quotes for a two storey extension - extending the kitchen and rebuilding the garage, and an extra bedroom on top. We're in the midlands so probably cheaper anyway but we had about 8 quotes and all are between £26k and £50k (including VAT but not including fitting or supplying kitchen or any decorating). Yours do seem quite expensive - it sounds as though they don't want the work. Actually the three builders our architect recommended were the most expensive so we've decided to use someone else recommended by friend of a friend.

Good luck with it, we're finding everything is always more expensive than you expect!!

I do think it will fall if prices do although that goes against a bit of common sense - ie. if people stay in their houses rather than sell they would improve and push costs up. It is counteracted by the fact that with less money actually less building work gets done.

I have had work done in my various houses during three down cycles - full double glazing, ten windows and a set of doors £3000 in 1995 (very cheap)

Masses of work done in 2001 (about £30k) - same friend had similar end of 2007 (about £60k)

And then in the small downturn of end of 2004 I had a conservatory put in - various prices from £8k - to £20k

I'm having one window (a bay) done next week for £1300 - very expensive in my opinion for one days work (windows only cost £350)

I would wait til next year if I were going to spend that much - definitely.

Good luck

maybe phone a few in the Midlands then, see if any of them want to quote ?? It's not that far a journey.

Also, maybe contacting further out into Portsmouth/Southampton - much cheaper areas.

aSK THE architect why nobody will build it for the price he/she quoted

The price is just about supply & demand of builders. If builders already have enough work on they quote high. The actual costs are just a) materials and b) labour. Neither of which have doubled recently.

Lauriefairycake's "fairly indicative of being at what feels like the very top of a cost cycle in terms of property" doesn't make any sense to me - I don't get the logic of what that means at all ...please explain!

oops cross posted Laurie, you already did! sorry!

there was one builder who quoted who lives locally to me so not far from you - New Haw/West Bylfleet the otherside of Woking. I shall look up his details for you - PCE or PSE builders

Thanks CarGirl, will email you.

Builders are strange fish - probably they have done work for this architect before and are judging you on his past clients' wealth or he was a complete nightmare and they don't want to go near project unless it is really worth their while. Unfortunately, as you move into spring, a lot of builders will be booked up - just keep trying and ask the ones that have quoted how their figures stack up.

That seems like alot, we are near completion of our works, we to had kitchen extension with large playroom downstairs(two seperate rooms) then we had had two bedrooms and ensuite upsatirs, along with all that we had the who;e house re designed IYKWIM, there is is only one room in the exisitng house that hasn't been touched. We have had all reclaimed floor boards put down throughout and all new plastering,plumbing and part electrics. The highest quote for all that was 55K. Obviously we had to purchase kitchen seperately. Our extras list (for the builders) was still only another 18K. we are also in the south west, and our house is now double the size.

A friend in Woodford - zone 4 Central Line East - was quote £200K for her two story extension. I THINK this included the kitchen too....