Extension Questions..

[Amtheyest17]

Hello,

We are about to move in to a new house and the space isn't ideal as it's a small galley type kitchen with a seperate dining room, I would like to get an idea of rough costs for an extension as to get the size I would want I think we would need to go out the back. What are the steps to do this? We already have a side extension off of the kitchen which we can't knock through to as it is one of the external walls so would also need some advice on how to configure the space.

Just to caveat we absolutly do not have the money for an extension so probably wouldn't be moving forward for a few years so if possible wouldn't want to spend out on architect plans but not sure if that's possible....

Moving on to my next question, how on earth do people afford extensions? haha it would take us YEARS to save the £££. Assuming people have savings for building costs, DIY, and then things like kitchens etc on payment plans?? Just curious if I am missing something. Or how much would we need to save to get started?....

TYIA

Lots of people take out loans or add to their mortgage. I used a substantial redundancy to pay for ours.

As to the cost, its impossible to say without detailed drawings. Builders won't be able to give you quote without them.

Thanks @Hotcuppatea makes sense about the loans!

Ok so kind of impossible getting an idea of costs without getting the arch drawings then I guess?

We wanted an extension for over 10 years before actually getting it done. Combination of saving over that time and also paying lots extra off the mortgage during those years to ensure we could borrow money for the extension and be comfortable with the total borrowed.

Also we had a builder round for an initial look before going to architects. They gave a very ballpark figure, but so much depends on the choices you make. Once we had architects plans we got prices from various builders.

We've just recently completed a full renovation of downstairs. We used an architect technician for the plans for the builder to estimate from and use during the build. It was way cheaper than an architect, they know all the building regs plus ins and outs of doing certain things. Linked us up with the structural engineer at a great price etc. Only thing is, he wasn't creative so did no suggesting of layout or cosmetic aspects, but could rule in or out our design ideas and factor in things to consider. We changed our design a fair few times prior to the build beginning and he amended the plan whenever we wanted, paid one fixed fee. See if you have one near you.

Your first thing to do would be have a builder around so you can discus what is feasible, what options you have and a (very) ballpark figure. From there you can decided if you want (or can afford) to take it further.
For this type of meeting (where you are really just using his time, skill and experience to run through the various options and may not be proceeding) I would not be surprised if there was a small fee but even if there was, IMO that would be money well spent.

How you finance it is up to you.
If you don't have the savings then an extension to the existing or a new mortgage are far preferable to a bank loan.

Hi, I would suggest initially working out the size of the extension you require which would then allow you to apply a price per m2 to build. You can google build cost calculators or find one here https://carter-designs.com/how-much-does-a-house-extension-cost/. The worst thing you can do is go direct to a builder especially if you have a tight budget, this is almost like writing a blank cheque for them. To have control of the design and your budget employ an architect or architectural technologist to fully design and detail your scheme for you. They can advise on planning permission, if a structural engineer is required, or any other consultants. They should be able to add value to the project by producing a creative practical layout that meets your budget and be able to squeeze every penny out of the design that exceeds your expectations. Furthermore, once you have a detailed drawing set you or your architect should approach a minimum of 5 builders for a detailed breakdown of costs. This needs to be an itemised list from the builder with a description of the work and cost against each item. I would not accept or engage with anyone that provides a one-liner or ballpark estimate. you will quickly find your budget goes out of the window. For further control, I would suggest using a standard building contract by JCT. https://www.jctltd.co.uk/product/building-contract-and-consultancy-agreement-for-a-home-owner-occupier These are simple contracts at only £37 +VAT and will refer to the drawings as part of the contract and offer protection for the work for a period of 6 years from the date of completion. If you employ your architect to oversee the work and certify what work has been done in relation to payment they can often pay for themselves within the 1st month of construction. You only pay for work completed by the builder, never make payments up front. The reason this is important along with the detailed quote is that it reduces your risk of being overcharged by the builder. More often than not the builder will come to a client saying they haven't charged for x because they didn't realise so you need to pay them an extra £5000 for example. If it's on the drawings and you have a contract then your architect can step in and stop the builder from charging you those additional costs. This could happen numerous times over the course of the project adding tens of thousands of pounds to your budget. They can also check the work as it progresses and be on hand if any unforeseen issues crop up. The key to a successful project is being fully prepared, ensure planning permission is in place, have a good working drawing package that allows builders to price and construct from, allow time to find a reputable builder, and use a JCT contract. By not employing an architect or architectural technologist to produce drawings and oversee the work you have no recourse if anything goes wrong with the build or the builder. The drawings are a fraction of what the build costs will be and can potentially save you tens of thousands whilst maximising the potential of the design. Hope this helps and best of luck

Why not just save up as much as you can for a couple of years and then get quotes? Prices of materials etc change all the time, there doesn’t seem much point getting 5 builders to quote (if you can even get them to come in the first place!) when you aren’t even nearly ready to proceed.

I think you need to live in the space for at least a year to really understand what you need from the layout. Save up and do your research in the meantime and have fun coming up with ideas. Then do as @judeOtis describes above. I agree that not using an architect is a false economy.

As regards how you raise the money, I've used a combination of additional mortgage and hard saving (no holidays and strict spending curbs) in the past. For my current project, I'm using some inherited money combined with savings / investments. (The hard saving turned into a habit, so I kept going after the previous projects were completed.)