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Original poster

Quote that is just too good to be true??!!

47 replies

DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 11:10

I've just received a quote from a builder to do a fairly large extension and I'm totally staggered by the price! It is much, much less than we expected to pay and I can't quite believe it to be perfectly honest!

I found him via a website which puts you in touch with local builders and has ratings from the builders' previous clients - his ratings are outstanding. I've arranged with him to go and view a couple of projects that he's working on and will obviously speak to some previous customers of his too before we do anything else. I even had to check with him that it included materials because the quote was that low.

What else should I check? I'm trying not to get too excited and not leap around shouting 'YES' but it's hard! Have I just got a clever conman on my hands?!

OP posts:
lalalonglegs · 16/03/2009 11:17

If you are saving a lot money, you could employ a surveyor to write a spec and schedule and arrange staged payments. They will be able to keep an eye on quality control and will only advise paying out for "extras" if they are necessary - genuinely unforseen work etc. By having everything in a contract and employing someone experienced to oversee it, you do protect yourself - to some extent - against obvious conmen.

My theory is that you can't be too suspicious of builders but that their quotes can vary drastically.

Galava · 16/03/2009 11:19

Has he itemised things or just given you a final figure ?

Ask him if its a fixed price quote and then snap his hand off !

bamboo · 16/03/2009 11:32

I think in this economic climate tradespeople are dropping their quotes so there may not be anything sinister in it. It's better to be working and have a business ticking over than go under because you're quoting too high.

Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 11:33

He's itemised it in stages - so a price for building the 'shell' (because originally we thought we might have to pause at this point and then finish it off in stages as we got more money together!) then for finishing it including electrics, plumbing, plastering and rendering the outside etc.

Honestly, it's so low I keep wondering if he pressed the wrong number keys on the keyboard!

Is the old adage true that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is?

OP posts:
Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 11:38

Also, this is a 'cash price' which I guess might be a bit more risky? Is he going to do a runner with my dosh?! I have his home number and address so I know where to find him, lol.

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Eve · 16/03/2009 11:41

I need some work doing to my roof and fascias,

3 years ago we were quoted £3k...so put it of until it really badly needed doing.

Got 3 quotes from a website of reputable local builders and all 3 came in at £1k...

we were shocked... and then pleased as we had budgeted £3K...

trixymalixy · 16/03/2009 12:02

We got quotes 2 years ago for some work to be done. We didn't go ahead with it at the time.

We got some other quotes recently and they were all about half what we were quoted 2 years ago.

titchy · 16/03/2009 12:13

Ooh what are you having done and where are you? We need some work done whicfh we reckoned would be about £100k - and hence well out of the question right now, but if we can get it done for significantly less.... How much less is it to what you were expecting? [nosey emoticon]

Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 12:43

I'm in Cambridgeshire. We had some quotes done a couple of years ago which came in at about £85K, which was more than we really wanted to pay but one builder reckoned we could get it down to £70K-ish.

This quote was for about £43K. It doesn't include quite as much as the first two quotes, which included two new bathrooms, doing the first fix for a new kitchen and a new boiler, and we've had the plans redrawn (partly because of cost!) to make them slightly smaller and the layout of rooms simpler. Even so, it seems crazily under-priced!

I've worked out that it comes to about £700 per square metre with this quote. We thought if we were really, really lucky we might get it down to £1100 per m2.

We're waiting for another couple of quotes, so I'll be interested to see how they compare. If this is a realistic price then we will be majorly re-working the plans to make them much bigger and take advantage of the price!!

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Mellin · 16/03/2009 13:05

Definitely make sure you get other quotes so you compare the detail. You might find that certain things are not included in the price that you would expect to be.

We had a number of quotes recently for building work on our house and one quote was significantly below the others. It turned out that things we expected be included (silly things like, oh, paint) were not included.

Also, the builder had a much smaller team and was going to take twice as long as some of the others to do the work.

titchy · 16/03/2009 13:17

Oh nowhere near us sadly.... we want a 7 ft x 16 ft single story extension, plus two beds, 2 baths and two dressing rooms in our loft, which needs the roof height increased as well. any Surrey builder recommendations?

MaryBS · 16/03/2009 13:21

I live in Cambs. CAT me, I could always see if DH knows him/of him. DH works in the building trade, but his company does commercial work (supermarkets etc)

DaphneMoon · 16/03/2009 13:21

Always get 3 quotes and go with the middle one.

Poledra · 16/03/2009 13:28

When you do get your quotes, make sure thay all cover the same things. Many years ago, DH and I were getting a new bathroom put it - we didn't realise that the quote we chose was not inclusive of VAT, and all the others were [d'oh emoticon]. But then, you'd wouldn't be as dumb as us

kc3 · 16/03/2009 13:29

Is your latest quote including for a kitchen and two bathrooms?! Sorry if you'VE ANSWERED THAt above!!!

kc3 · 16/03/2009 13:32

Sorry about capitals - I would like to do an embarassed face if I knew how!

Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 13:33

No, it's not including a kitchen and two bathrooms. The first two were including the bathrooms, but just the first fix plumbing and electrics for a new kitchen. This one is to do first fix plumbing for the bathrooms but nothing for the kitchen.

I don't have CAT MaryBS, but if you wouldn't mind emailing me (nappymad @ yahoo.com) that would be really cool if you could ask your dh.

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jeanjeannie · 16/03/2009 13:57

Just double check - check again and make sure it's only payment in stages and not all up front! DP is a builder - had own business for over 10 years and when he watches these programmes on builder disputes it's usually because the builder has quoted so low, just to get the job - then the extras start piling in.

I'd definately get another couple of quotes. I'd be sceptical of builders dropping their prices - we're not - we're really busy as so many people are doing their homes up rather than selling. We're booked up till Sept, as are many other builders we know of.

Check the VAT situation. Check his time estimate. If it's an all cash job then I'd be wary. Do you know anyone who has used them? These rated websites - it's so easy to get your mates to add on to it - we know a painter and decorated who has done that We are constantly taking prospective clients to see the building DP has done - I would definately ask to see the actual work. Personally I think you're right to think twice without getting more quotes by which to compare. Hope it goes well!

katiestar · 16/03/2009 18:48

I don't think online references are worth a bean !Make sure you get some real life refernces and above all do not pay anything upfront
A year ago we had afiddly extension about 60 sqm including 3 new bathrooms lots of steelwork and knocking through and it was £46k + vat.So the quote sounds OK to me

Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 18:59

Oh, your extension being a similar price is reassuring katiestar. I agree about the online references, and in fact I would like him to be able to put me in touch with some of them so that I know he didn't make them up!

I do think he's probably short of work because he seems very keen to oblige, but when I met him I instinctively liked him and the silly thing is that if he'd quoted £10K more I'd be thinking I'd got a bargain rather than being really suspicious!

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kc3 · 16/03/2009 19:02

My husband is a builder and I think the quote is reasonable at 700 per square metre if there are no bathrooms or a kitchen to supply and fit. Just ask for references and follow them up, never pay anything up front if a builder can't fund a job for at least two weeks then I would be very wary. I would expect to be given a programme of works and a schedule of payments linked to what work has been completed.

kc3 · 16/03/2009 19:05

I do think you should trust your instincts as well. Rather than being short of work your job could be very conveinent(sp) to him ie he could have another job very close or the timescale of your job works well for him.

nappyzonehasastroppytoddler · 16/03/2009 19:08

were is this website with lovely quotes please for me to play?

Original poster
DaisyMooSteiner · 16/03/2009 20:12

The website is Rated People

Thanks kc3, that sounds promising. I thought I'd get lots of people saying '£700 per sqm, he's definitely a cowboy'. Ooh, I'm letting myself get slightly excited now! If we could really get it done at that price it would make a huge difference to us as we would increase the size of the overall build and would be able to afford to do it all now rather than in stages as we had thought.

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Mooseheart · 16/03/2009 20:17

DH is a builder. 43K sounds v reasonable, and quite realistic if there are no extras involved such as kitchens and bathrooms.