Could someone give me a ballpark figure for the cost of a renovation?

[NeverBeAPart]

DH has come up with a Plan to extend our house, and he thinks it’s brilliant. I think the house is big enough as it is, and that we’d be spending a lot of money to give ourselves more space to clean & heat. He’s convinced it wouldn’t be all that expensive compared to the value it would add to the house.

Now, I’m not convinced we’d even get planning permission, but I’m more interested in a ballpark figure for the cost, because he seems to think it would be about £20k (this is not really based on anything other than that’s that’s what he’d like it to cost) and I’d like to give him a more accurate idea (and hopefully put him off the entire idea).

The plan involves removing the entire front of the house and changing the staircase. Currently it goes (from the landing) down a few steps and then a little “landing” and then down to the right, so it’s L-shaped basically, and runs along the front wall of the house. He wants it to just go straight down from the landing, into the new extension (so perpendicular to the current front wall).

He’d then basically rebuild the front of the house around that, 2 storeys, to create an extra room on each floor.

Could anyone give me a ballpark figure of what this would cost? I’m thinking that the £20k wouldn’t even cover moving the staircase (even if it could magically go through the front wall). Would we be talking £50k, £100k? We’re in the north, so building work possibly slightly cheaper than if we were in London.

Google ‘extension cost calculator’ and no, 20k won’t be anywhere near enough.

£20k won't do anything.

There's plenty of calculators and things, but for a dormer to be added to an already converted attic two years ago, we were quoted £95k. We are in the Midlands.

My in laws did something like this, minus the taking the front of the house off part, and it cost them £50,000 in 1999/2000.

Inc fittings, furnishings, making good, architectural drawings etc, 120k to 200k.

Let him do all the research and decide it's a bad idea for himself.

I am clueless but even I know that's not £20k. My guess would be £100k and a shit ton of inconvenience. I also think in the current market you are lucky to get back in house value what you pay. For these reasons we are thinking of moving rather than renovating and we really need more space. Your DH sounds sweet and mad. Like Tigger being put in charge. You need to Eeyore him. 😂

£100k plus

A very very rough cost can be guessed around £2400 per square metre on each storey. Plus you'll need to guess the costs for the demolition and new support for your front wall and the changed staircase. Add on professional fees. You will certainly need an engineer as well as an architect based on your description, plus planning and building warrant. Add on 10% to final figure for contingency.

Extensions are only worthwhile if you have a clearly defined use/need for the additional spaces. Do you need an extra bedroom for an extra child, or does one of you WFH and needs a downstairs workspace? Etc.

We are in the north west and have been quoted £60,00 to £80,000 for a single story side extension.

20k for the scaffolding and waste removal probably. Why doesn’t he contact a builder for a rough estimate?

I think he’s forgotten a zero.

20k - is he a builder or something and planning to do all the work himself ?

Minimum
2k per m squared so a 5 by 5 meter extension would be 50k

for 20k woukd give 10m squared - say a large porch 3 meters by 3

Didn't anyone ever tell you not to argue with stupid? They'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

Let him talk to builders and get quotes in, I'm sure they'll laugh in his face with his budget.

He’s insane! Without any idea of sizes and finish it’s hard to give anywhere like accurate figures but it will be AT LEAST £100k. Plus VAT obviously….
If he wants to get an accurate cost he can have the plans designed by an architect then send them to somewhere like Estimators on Line.

We’re in the north. We had a singe story extension, new kitchen, 1 external wall demolished, drains moved to accommodate and new kitchen. Can’t remember exact cost but no change out of £100k. That was pre-brexit and prices have gone up. Might get the new staircase for 20k. Best thing to do is get quotes as he doesn’t have a clue. Bless him.

We spent £90k
That was one internal wall taken down , new kitchen and bathroom
New boiler and radiators
New windows
Some new flooring , we painted the wall and ceilings ourselves
So , quite a lot of work
I believe moving staircases is very pricey ( luckily we live in a bungalow !)

Very dusty , very noisy but worth it for us as it was a 1980s show piece , that needed updating

Watch some grand designs and renovation projects on the telly together

Plan for £100k expect it to double

Absolutely no chance. We've just partially converted an internal garage, took a single storey internal wall out, replaced the kitchen and a bifold - so no actual extension as such - £65k..

Then get pregnant as that seems to be a mandatory feature of any renovation!

😆

20,000 will not touch the sides. Materials are very expensive now; minimum wage for labourers has gone up.

My dh is a builder and I don't think he could do that for 20,000 - the materials alone would probably cost more! Get some quotes. You dh will be shocked. Building work is really unaffordable at the moment.

We are in the midst of a single story ground floor extension (2 meters at the back and 1.7 at the side and a partial garage conversion), no complicated steels required, but our building cost is £110k. The foundation work alone cost 14k, so unfortunately it seems your DH is massively wishful thinking!

My parents paid 30k for a single story extension in 1998 so I think he will be surprised

Oh what a sweet precious man!

We recently had the most basic of staircases installed by a measure and build company and that was £5k. If he can do the rest on 15k he’s the greatest home renovator in the world today.

We are doing a single story extension. Basically extending the kitchen and one more living room. It's costing us 100K. 😢