Is the builder taking advantage? Last minute nerves.

[Gentleness]

Unfortunately our quotes aren't like for like as we discovered after getting the first 2 that we'd have to change our plans to avoid planning permission. And we like this guy more than the others but I had a real donkey moment and (after much discussion) told him our budget.

We're having a small rear extension done - 3m out and it is a little under 3m wide. Pitch roof with velux, double doors at the back and another side window.

It is to make the current kitchen into a kitchen/diner - all one room, 8m long. We also have a pantry which we are incorporating into the new room - so there is a thin wall to knock down. Also we're moving the internal door into the kitchen, bricking up the back door and moving the existing window.

To build the new bit and remove the pantry wall, he quoted £9k. That includes electrics, but no other fitting as that bit is the dining area.

To build and finish out the whole room (new and old) his quote is £13.5K. That includes removing the wallpaper (& if necessary the old 1900 horsehair plaster); skimming walls; reboarding, taping and skimming the ceiling; levelling the floor and fitting laminate (@ around £15psm, included); all plumbing, electrics and gas; and fitting the kitchen units we choose (separate cost) IF they are the ready assembled trade version of Mereway that he is pushing us towards. (We are vacillating over Ikea but he said he'd charge extra - there are 30 units to assemble!)

Is £4.5k reasonable for all the extras? He said that included him bearing the risk of finding some stuff was harder/more expensive and that he'd guarantee that budget.

Also, we'll be having the area around it paved out, removing the old concrete shabbiness. He wants £1k for that, including materials.

I'm just a bit panicky as the kitchen units are coming in about 1k over what I'd hoped which wipes out our 1k safety net for this job. It looks like we either abandon the paving or accept using our full budget with no wriggle room apart from savings we'd rather not touch.

Probably over-reacting as the baby is teething and the crotchetiness seems to spread!

A friend has had two quotes for a 4x4 extension on her kitchen to do a similar thing to you. They have come in at 33k and 31k so your quite seems like an absolute bargain and 4.5k sounds pretty fair for the extras.

I would agree as we have been quoted arround £15000 for a dining extension off our kitchen with edwardian style roof lights solid walls -no knocking down of any wall. Just exiting out the kitchen windows and this includes no landscaping.The only thing I would check is your builder is VAT registered and does he have adequate insurance.And ask for references which i am sure you have already done.

I think you have done well with just the first bit costing £9k.

I have a friend who is a builder, we live in Yorkshire, but we are having a kitchen extension done. He said to budget £1k per sqm, then allow £1k for the roof with velux in. So your 3mx3m should by that reckoning be £10k.

Could you put the Ikea units together yourselves, if you have done Ikea flatpack before then you will find it really easy. I have just done a few larder units from there as a temporary measure till we have our kitchen done.

I would say that £4.5k for the extras is very reasonable, just watch out for them bumping up prices as you go along. I agree with checking out his references.

My builder has done 3 of my friend's extensions and I have examined 2 of them at close hand and watched one of them almost at a day by day progression rate.

He charges £3k per week to be paid on the Friday so you can see what work has been done and £5k if he has laid out for bathroom or kitchen stuff.

Sounds fair. Plastering can add up and some of those jobs are time consuming.

Sounds v reasonable.

My DP is currently fitting out a small IKEA kitchen - takes a lot of work - they're a snug fit (no room for skewed walls) and the client is getting no change from 5k - and that does also include extras - like the plaster falling off the walls and plumbing re-routing.

As for building costs we usually cost 1.25k per sqm as a VERY basic idea of price.