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

[DaisyMooSteiner]

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?!

£700 sqm is very cheap Where in the country are you???

There is a phrase to remember when employing a builder....."Good, fast or cheap - Choose two"
Sorry - I'm watching rougue traders and after many years doing places up and DP being a builder I'm always ultra wary of very cheap quotes!

LOL, I'm watching Rogue Traders too - haven't spotted him yet

Hahaha - well that's a good sign!!

"Good, fast or cheap - Choose two" - that's easy, good and cheap for me please!

I think that they are desperate for work at the moment, therefore the quotes are bound to be lower than two years ago. Just do some research, check on previous jobs he's done.

Rollmops - Which usually means you certainly won't get it fast! Thing is with cheap quotes they often factor in other jobs to be done at the same time. You've only got to see some of the programmes on TV where builders have promised the earth - and gone off on other jobs, leaving the one they started in limbo. They've under-quoted massively and taken other jobs to cover the shortfall.

I'm not saying it's all like that but if you feel suspicious that it's too cheap, then you are probably right! Also if it's cash then you have to wonder if they've actually got trade accounts which means if they haven't then the building materials will end up costing a lot more. At least if you get more quotes you can see if it really is very cheap - or, if the builders really are knocking back their rates.

Getting a new bathroom put in, another bedroom and eventually a kitchen extension. Have a contract with the builder. all work detailed and itemised. NO money up front, all upon completion. They can take their time as apart from the extension, other work carried out won't interrupt our life much.

Rollmops - you seem to have it covered. It doesn't pay for a builder to drag a job on so I wouldn't worry about them taking too long.

Wow this is a really interesting thread! Was hoping to have a small double extension added probably 24m2 for both floors No bathrooms or kitchens. Hoping now to get it done for well under £20k.

You should never pay a builder cash

It's madness

Izyboy - I hope you can do your project in buidget but you do have to be realistic a smaller extension doesn't necessarily mean a pro rata reduction in costs. you would still have the same knock through, lintel, scaffold costs etc as you would with a larger extension.

If you onyl pay for work that's been completed and get a receipt, then how is it any more madness to pay cash rather than by cheque - genuine question, I don't want to get conned!

Because any company that is happy to illegally avoid tax will be quite happy to shaft customers

That would be rather stupid though, seeing as the shafted customers would be likely to dob them in, presuming of course that paying cash automatically means that they're tax-dodging. I've been paid cash in the past and I declare it.

I've got several friends who paid cash for their building work and were very pleased with the results.

I think paying cash is associated with a "dodgy deal". I would not forsee any problems for you by paying in cash as long as it's only for completed works and never pay for anything upfront. The builder obviously should declare all his earnings but that has nothing to do with you as long as he gives you receipt.

Little update for anyone who is interested. We've just had a second quote from another builder for £55K plus VAT. This is a bit more than the other one, but still far less than the quotes of around £85K that we had a couple of years ago, so we're pretty happy!

I'm still a bit uneasy about the first very low quote, and my suspicion is that it is a rock bottom price that isn't detailed enough and would keep increasing. So we're going to make sure we get a very through specification done and get quotes based on this before making any decision, plus obviously taking up references.

Thread is from 2009 so I'm sure prices will have increased by now!

For gods sake do not go down the cash only route. You have absolutely no come back at all as you have no contract, no specification (that is enforceable) and no recourse to the courts. Aside from that it is illegal.

You can draw up your own spec if you are very literate...go through room by room, or function (ie electrics) and specific everything you want. The price is of little use if you haven't specified things. We had prices based on plans but once there was a specification the price jumped £20k...some builders are happy to build to plans as they don't have detail

What you may be able to do is some of the tradesman the builder uses, if they are not VAT registered is lay direct and save the vat which is legal but there is still some risk as the builder is not responsible then for their work unless you write into the contract that he has a project management role.

I realise that this is a zombie thread, but how is paying cash illegal?