House extension to a 3-bedroom detached 1930s house

stevebro · 29 Mar 2008

I am new here and would appreciate advice and recommendations. I'm planning a side extensions to both floors of my 3 bedroom house in order to build a downstairs WC/shower, enlarge existing kitchen, enlarge the small single box-room and add 4th room upstairs, etc.. I had a quote from a builder who would do the work including fitting new kitchen and bathroom for about £38,000. Is the price right? At the same time, I do not want to cut corners and worried about potential botch jobs. ALso, does anyone in Birmingham have a builder you could recommend??
I am keen for the job to be completed in 3months.
Thanks.

noseall · 30 Mar 2008

if £38,000 is to include a new kitchen (fitted) then this price seems too good to be true.

^woody^ · 31 Mar 2008

£38k is a bottom end figure for a typical two-storey extension. If you go with this price, expect lots of "extras" to pay for, so make sure you know exactly what is included in the price, and what rates will be charged for extra work.

I think you could add £5 -£10k on that figure

stevebro · 1 Apr 2008

Thanks for both replies. I'll get more quotes for now.

stu12345 · 23 May 2013

Did you go ahead with this extension in the end?

DeludedAussie · 23 May 2013

noseall said:
if £38,000 is to include a new kitchen (fitted) then this price seems too good to be true.

How much of that 38K will be material and how much labour?

How long would a project like this take?

Maybe someone can educate on how 38K is spent on material and labour for a job which should take three people 5 weeks

mikeey84 · 23 May 2013

DeludedAussie said:
noseall said:

if £38,000 is to include a new kitchen (fitted) then this price seems too good to be true.

Click to expand...

How much of that 38K will be material and how much labour?

How long would a project like this take?

Maybe someone can educate on how 38K is spent on material and labour for a job which should take three people 5 weeks

See here for an explanation as to why no one can answer your questions, despite you repeatedly asking them in other peoples threads!

http://www.squirrelconstruction.co.uk/house_extension_cost.php

btw 3 people for 5 weeks = £10k approx.

DeludedAussie · 23 May 2013

mikeey84 said:
DeludedAussie said:

noseall said:

if £38,000 is to include a new kitchen (fitted) then this price seems too good to be true.

Click to expand...

How much of that 38K will be material and how much labour?

How long would a project like this take?

Maybe someone can educate on how 38K is spent on material and labour for a job which should take three people 5 weeks

Click to expand...

See here for an explanation as to why no one can answer your questions, despite you repeatedly asking them in other peoples threads!

http://www.squirrelconstruction.co.uk/house_extension_cost.php

btw 3 people for 5 weeks = £10k approx.

This is what I am getting at - 3 people for 5 weeks == 10K???

Thats 3500 per person per month? In cash as well no doubt

Thats the reason for exorbitant quotes

mikeey84 · 23 May 2013

Why would you assume in cash? There are alot of builders who are VAT registered, which you will have to pay...
£150 per day for the gaffa (this works out as £35k per year btw, out of which he has to pay insurance, tax, his van(s), pension, replace broken equipment etc)
£110 per day for another skilled tradesman
£80 per day for labourer.
for 30 days work (1 week contingency) =£10k

before you go shouting that "thats too much to pay builders"... Some people do consider it a skilled profession, not just something any Romanian (no offence to Romanians!) could do, and for London/SE £35k is a fair salary to pay yourself

Edit- 5 weeks in a month? Didnt think Australia had a different calendar....

kingandy2nd · 23 May 2013

Don't feed the troll mikeey

DeludedAussie · 23 May 2013

kingandy2nd said:
Don't feed the troll mikeey

I am not trolling - I am genuinely trying to understand where costs are sunk.

A labourer on 80 a day? Thats 500 quid a week assuming a six day week??

And the gaffa on 150 a day means working six days a week = 900 a week.

And from experience this is usually paid in cash

Also I believe that the OP is not even in London which is further bow in the arrow

DeludedAussie · 23 May 2013

DeludedAussie said:
kingandy2nd said:

Don't feed the troll mikeey

Click to expand...

I am not trolling - I am genuinely trying to understand where costs are sunk.

A labourer on 80 a day? Thats 500 quid a week assuming a six day week??

And the gaffa on 150 a day means working six days a week = 900 a week.

And from experience this is usually paid in cash

Also I believe that the OP is not even in London which is further bow in the arrow

I would be supriused if you need to pay a labourer more then 250 a week

80 a day might be about right for odd job man rather then a full time job

mikeey84 · 23 May 2013

f*ck it. I have run out of troll food.

And a will to live arguing with you. Pay your Romanian immigrants in cash, buy your secondhand fittings, flout the building regs, but dont come crying to this forum when your house burns down/falls down

Edit- 8 hours a day, 6 days a week- 250 quid? Let me know who will work for £5 an hour in london, even cash in hand (apart from illegals, or people you can take advantage of!)

kingandy2nd · 23 May 2013

As you've repeatidly been told - go and decide what you want to build, get it drawn up, then get some quotes for your job and you'll soon work out the cost of a good builder.

Stop trolling on other people's threads.

DeludedAussie · 23 May 2013

mikeey84 said:
f*ck it. I have run out of troll food.

And a will to live arguing with you. Pay your Romanian immigrants in cash, buy your secondhand fittings, flout the building regs, but dont come crying to this forum when your house burns down/falls down

Edit- 8 hours a day, 6 days a week- 250 quid? Let me know who will work for £5 an hour in london, even cash in hand (apart from illegals, or people you can take advantage of!)

May I ask a frank question and I mean this sincerely

How much should you expect to pay a labourer / painter decorator an hour for a full time many month job?

I agree 5 is too low but 7 is about right? £8 an hour ?

What is fair for a reasonable builder / painter / tiler

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House extension to a 3-bedroom detached 1930s house

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