Hi Jonathan. You're absolutely right and the list you have identified is very accurate! We ideally want to get the house to a good state - painted/decorated/plastered where needed/flooring electrics/boiler etc with extension done for ideally under 100k. We are then happy to phase the interior elements over time.

Regarding the quote for building at 1500-2000k per square metre. pardon my naivety, but is this only for the extension element or the whole space that we are creating?

1500-2000k is for new builds - what you do to existing has different costs associated with whatever you're doing ie:- putting in steels, moving drains, re-fitting kitchens, moving electrics etc. I think Jonathan's shopping list is on the top end, afterall Kitchens do not need to cost £25k, average spend allegedly is around £8k, average spend for a bathroom is 2-5K. 12K combined for shutters and curtains is one heck of a lot of money.............I think i'd probably shoot my wife if she spent that !!

Exactly what I'm hoping to do with my terrace that I'm buying! Just had contractors out yesterday

Let me know what they said regarding work and price Deb. Appreciate it.

Hello Luke, trying to stay in your house during some of the works is a great way to help save your budget. 4 months of renting could easily total more than £10k which is 10% or more of your budget! We hire out temporary kitchens that can be set up virtually anywhere in your house. This can be a very cost effective alternative, allowing you to save a part of your budget for what you really want to spend it on, the finishes to your new house. More details on www.kitchenpod.co.uk. Thanks Ed

Sorry I can't see the photos you are referring to - my comments are limited without pictures/plans. I agree with Man about the House - pricing seems to be top end. We live in Highgate, North London (not a cheap area) and our house is approx. 3,000 sq ft. Prices for work on period homes are not in this range unless you have opted for a very high end fit out. Our side return costs £55k and that included all professional fees, lighting, underfloor heating, bi-fold doors, domestic appliances and lovely leather sofa from Habitat. Admittedly, we kept our existing Britannia range cooker and dining table and chairs. Yes we got many quotes for £140-£200k+ but decided to use professionals for planning and some visits during key stages only. The rest of the project was managed by us. There are many ways to create value in a project - Ikea Voxtorp handleless kitchens are great with a quartz worktop. You can even get the doors sprayed with a F&B colour, it's a fraction of the price and visually compares well to Roundhouse kitchens - which I love but simply can't afford. We got endless quotes for quartz worktops - the costs varied by more than 50% for exactly the same material. We needed 13 steels in total and paid a total £4.8k inclu vat and £3k installation costs. Remember you should be negotiating on all elements of your project.

I can also compare to a similar house/project in a nearby road, not a high end finish but inexperienced home owners who paid £140k for a pretty average side return turnkey solution.

Keep researching and talking to home owners that have actually completed projects on their homes to get a really good view about the costs and where you want to spend your budget.

Ianthy - do you mean you can spray paint Voxtorp doors?

Clarefin Yes - you can have the doors sprayed. The white Voxtorp doors for our kitchen island were sprayed Farrow and Ball Moles Breath. The remaining base units around the walls are white. There are lots of companies delivering this service - the cupboards doors can be sprayed any colour that you like. Search on google for Ikea hacks. I am happy to give you a recommendation for the co that I used, If you are located near North London. Although I understand this co also offers a postal service too.

Hi Ianthy, we actually live just down the road, south of Archway, so very close. Yes if you could recommend the company you used that would be fantastic. And also, if you don't mind, the company you used for your worktop. Apologies to Luke Bishop for hijacking his post!

I would be interested too Lanthy! Thanks