Cost of an extension. PLEASE come give me your estimate!

[gaussgirl]

How much would it cost to do the following?

Existing house: Ordinary, 1975+ estate based, 3 bedroom, one largish living area, kitchen/ diner, family bathroom + a garage.

ADD:

2 storey extension out to one side which would increase the house's footprint by half again, comprising of another living area downstairs +/- study room OR utility, plus a good sized bedroom + ensuite upstairs?

Am I talking 20K or 75K? Or more?

We are in southern Hampshire.

ANY ideas about what yours cost or what you think would be helpful!

We're doing something similar, extra large baedroom with two dorma windows, on the bottom storey (as it were) a large open plan kitchen which will look out into the back and into the front gardens. We are also adding a front porch and replacing all windows in the house.

Our quotes range from 88k all the way down to 43k if we do all the interior work...we're going for the 43k as DH can put his hand to anything!

We are in Scotland so I don't know how the estimates vary....from what I've heard alot of builders are desparate for work so the cost may be going down....hope this is of some help

Thanks! Any other experience also welcome!

depends where you live but would guess somewhere around the 60k mark, with basc finish (electrics, plastered etc but no decoration & only basic skirting/doors etc).

Don't be fooled into thinking there's more builders out there - for the work you're looking at you will need someone with a team, rather than a one man band, and they are all busy as everyone around here is extending rather than moving!

Dh (who is good at these things as he pays for people to have their properties rebuilt) reckons 50k or so, depending on the standard you want it done to (esp the bathroom) and your ground conditions.

A good tip for finding a builder is to see if your local Trading Standards have an approved tradesman scheme. It's a really good indication what they will be like

All great advice! Many thanks and any more?!

Me? Needy?!

I had a two storey side extension done on my house in West Sussex 7 years ago (obviously prices 'should' have gone up but in the current recession you might get a good deal as builders are desperate for work)

My extension comprised a dining room/family room with integral garage in front of it and then upstairs a bedroom with en-suite shower and vanity unit/sink (no toilet) and a very large bathroom with corner bath, walk in shower, toilet and vanity unit with storage. Cost was just under £45,000 but that included demolishing the existing garage which was detached with a footpath between that and the house, all the building, plastering, bathroom fittings, plumbing, electrics, tiling and basic decorating, ie a coat of white/magnolia. I would recommend using a builder who is a member of the Federation of Master Builders

I would estimate about £60k for a relatively basic finish.

broadly estimate £1500 per square meter I think. Will you get planning permission to extend by 50%? Don't forget all the hidden costs - landscaping after the event (paths etc in the wrong place now), new furniture curtains etc for new rooms. Would seriously consider architect or project manager to help you on something this size.

if possible go for wet underfloor heating. the one thing i really miss from my last house.

You probably already have loads of copies of Housebuilding and Renovation - full of fab ideas

Actually we're at an early stage- in that we haven't actually bought the initial house BUT there are a LOT of such properties in the area we're looking at but I wanted some sort of idea about what the costs might be as I hadn't a clue! As for planning permission, you're right that I mustn't make assumptions! A couple of places already had the permission (and I must check the time scale of those!).

Again, many thanks to you all.

We had pretty much what you describe done in 2003 and the cost was roughly £40K, but DP did what he could, including choosing and ordering all the materials, coordinating the builders and trades and even put up all the roof trusses himself. We did all the finishing and decorating too. Were in N Hants BTW.

My DP is a builder and he reckons a basic guide (very, very basic) is what missingtheaction says - £1,500 per sq meter but then we are in Bucks and Home Counties prices are often a bit on the high side.

You need to think about an architect if it's a biggish project and planning often throws up surprises. Ask around for recommendations. If you like the look of an extension that you see - knock on the door and ask who did it!

As for builders being desperate for work...Mmm. We were seriously expecting a hard start to the year and DP is run off his feet and now booked till late spring but then he has been in business over 10 years and doesn't do site work - just homes. Obviously we're thrilled but the problem is many suppliers have gone out of business, especially the cheaper end of the market which means material prices are going up.

More people are now adding onto the house rather than buying - plus many of the planning regs were relaxed last Oct - so in some cases it's a lot easier now.

Good luck!