Calculating cost of a refurbrbishment

6 years ago

Please can anyone point me to a good calculator for costing up a refurbishment - I am London based in case that makes a difference

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PRO
Orange Key Design Studios
6 years ago
Hi. Try Homebuilding and Renovating website/Magazine, they offer a variety of project calculators, help, advice and case studies, depending upon your renovation plans. If your plans include adding additional rooms or altering the internal layout, getting advice from an architectural designer and/or structural engineer would be advisable. Hope this helps.
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PRO
New Frontier Developments Ltd
6 years ago
It does make a difference if you are London based. I do whole house refurbishments in Nottinghamshire and I can say that you will get charged a lot more in the South than the North.
A C thanked New Frontier Developments Ltd
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Hi Further to the good advice above, if you are considering purchasing the property it would be well worth consulting a local Quantity Survey to obtain a budget price for the build. Most builders employ a QS to help calculate a price for a build - a quantity surveyor will know what the general material cost are as well as having a good idea on local labour rates. A relatively small investment in a professional consultant could prove invaluable. Something else to look at when considering buying a property with planning approval is the approval document itself. This can usually be found on the local authority website. This will tell you how long is left to run on the approval - it's usually 3 years from decision date, but if the approval was granted 2 1/2 years ago there's only 6 months left to get started. Also the planning approval might have conditions that need to be dealt with - for example, sometimes new windows, at first floor, in a side elevation can be approved but a condition could state the windows must be obscure glazed and non-opening. This isn't a usually a problem in a bathroom but could be an issue in a bedroom (for both aesthetics and emergency egress). If the planning conditions aren't dealt with properly the planning approval could be deemed void and result in enforcement issues. When checking the planning approval details, it's worth seeing if an agent submitted the application - their details will usually be listed. Perhaps give them a call, they might be able to provide insight into the planning approval and point you in the direction of a Quantity Surveyor.
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I would recon the cost is 1500 per/square if you finish with average quality of finishes, and £1750 for top quality finishes , material also is what I consider to be at top quality. I work with experience Architecture and he has done a project in Central London , a restaurant extension and it looks good. He is post graduate , if you have more pictures of the plan send me to speak to him, I also work with supplier , they supply designer quality furniture from different part of the world , it all can be a package for you, much easier to handle, if you need help get in touch with me please. thesoletrader@mail.com , the Architecture do the design and layout for you, the supplier arrange the material and build the extension as he has more work experience and internal works carry out by us, and we give you a package price. hope it help you.
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i would say your budget can be reasonably enough but its very depends on the amount of electricity points to be installed. also you haven't mention it if you would like to have rewiring in a whole house or just on ground floor and if its any main meter or fuse box upgrade involved. extension you planning to do cant be calculated by m2 as its to small its more likely the remodelling and steels installation would cost you further amount if its any involved. same time good to know what type of built up you have in the existing area (floating or screeded floor) as if you would like to have a rewiring to be done and you have floating floor and you would like to lay new flooring all way through it might be a good idea to lift all floors up balance out flooring and relay with new t/g floor before you install all new floor finishes (thats give you space to rewire everything) worth to check on the government website if you could use there scheme (for efficiency) to insulate your floor as the they would pay 80% of a cost up to 5k£. i hope so thats helps
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Hello, you're not far off in terms of your estimate but I'd edge towards the higher end of your estimate. I'm in West London and we did our extension 2 years ago and cost around £50k just for the build ( 5m x 3m, shell, pitched roof, plumbing and electrics to 2nd fix, finish up to plaster stage ), however the final figure higher as we had to add on more sockets etc, replace old floor joists, replace ceiling, labour for tiling in WC etc, the list goes on lol ). So add on extra for contingency. What you can do is just call up a builder and take them to a viewing and ask them for a rough quote. Some buiders might have a general rough 'package' quote for example extension with suspended floor, 2 velux, 12 sockets, fit WC etc, others will ask for more specific details. If you see any of the neighbours doing an extension down the road or nearby roads of a similar style, you can ask that builder to give you a quote? Or even send them a plan of the current layout if you don't want to take them to view the property?
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PRO
plan project management
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
Hi AC,

A really good question. All too often I meet people who have tried to do parts of the planning work themselves (eg. planning drawings, budgeting and engaging a builder) only to discover when it is too late that the things they have missed taking account of will then cost them time and expense. Frequently, the first figure quoted by anyone is what the client will expect to pay, however without considering all the detail there is a great risk of underestimating at the outset. It is far better to be in possession of all the information and to then look at what you can afford to live without, rather than running out of money part way through a project and having compromises forced upon you.

There are many designers and architects who will provide planning application drawings but then pass on the detailed design responsibility to the builder who will carry out the work. This leaves the quality of product unspecified at the time of the builder providing a price and the client open to the cost of extras to achieve the finish they were expecting or accepting something below their initial expectation. In addition, many designers don't have the skill base to provide cost advice to the clients and without that initial cost planning by a professional, the clients have no benchmark to know if the prices they have been given by the builders represent good value.

It can be really valuable to consult with an independent Chartered Quantity Surveyor. They will review the entire scope of works and provide you with a detailed cost plan of what to expect to pay for the work you are hoping to carry out. On extension/refurbishment projects, I frequently find that the work not specifically relating to the extension can end up totalling over 50% of the project cost; rewiring (partial or full rewiring of the property), central heating, floor finishes, new fire doors (e.g. If you are creating a loft extension, you will need to consider the fire protection to the whole house and not just the loft).

A good surveyor/designer will also help you to prioritize your expenditure on the elements of the project which will best provide you with a return on your investment. As well, a good surveyor will be able to suggest similar alternatives which will provide the functions you most value, without committing you to unnecessary expense. This is known as Value Management. We carry out projects ranging from affordable rental properties through to luxury living and leisure destinations. Everyone's values and needs are individual, but the approach and processes are the same throughout.

The photos below are from a rental development project in West London. We converted a tired and outdated pensioner's home into a modern, warm and efficient development for professionals and/or families. I am sure that you will agree that the project has provided a contemporary and stylish environment.

Having prepared a cost plan and discussed the specifications we set a pre-defined budget for the project, which would stack up with the clients' investment appraisal. The fixtures and finishes were specified to achieve a quality finish without incurring excessive cost in areas which would not yield a return on investment.

With the funding for the budgeted amount in place, we were able to produce a tender, obtain competitive quotations and award o contract to the successful bidder. Some quotes were above the estimated costs, but the cost plan served to flag up which builders were quoting excessive sums in hope of securing work at a very high margin. Without that original cost plan, there would have been no control on which to judge if the quotations were value for money.

Most importantly, the final price of the project on completion (as opposed to the builder's starting price) was contained within the original budget, enabling the client to invest the un-spent remaining contingencies on their next investment.

Please feel free to contact us to see how we can help you develop a robust cost plan and budget for your project.

Kind Regards

Phil Hall MRICS

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PRO
Bath Bespoke
6 years ago
Hi A C.

We're Bath based, please find below an overview of our prices for our sash window services:

• New double glazed sashes for existing boxes, with full draught proofing and restoration of box, fully painted complete: from £1100 per window

• Complete new windows manufactured and installed: from £1400 per window

• Draught proofing, restoration and painting of existing windows: from £500 per window

All prices subject to full inspection and plus VAT at 20% Please note draught proofing is rated at 5% VAT

I'd expect both bespoke joiners to offer a similar price, including London.
A C thanked Bath Bespoke

Calculating cost of a refurbrbishment

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Orange Key Design Studios

New Frontier Developments Ltd

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