alternative remodelling & extension
Tani H-S
6 years ago
Morning all,
Well we had our first estimate back yesterday for making our loft room up to standard and doing our large rear extension. It came in so much over budget - not helped by the vat which was £20k
Still getting more quotes in and trying none vat registered builders for price comparison, but in the meantime, we are trying to come up with a plan that would cost a lot less but still be a nice sized and appealing family home.
You can see from the images the original house (the coloured layout) and the new proposed plans in b&w with original house on the left and new version on the right which would give us a lovely space. Ignore the rooms within the plans on the new one as we can swap these around.
Basically we have one room upstairs as master bedroom and plan to have en suite in it.
Downstairs we need another two bedrooms and bathroom. Lounge, dining & kitchen open plan.
Problem is the rooms on the kitchen size aren't large so we would have to extend even if it's just by another meter to get a good width.
Well we had our first estimate back yesterday for making our loft room up to standard and doing our large rear extension. It came in so much over budget - not helped by the vat which was £20k
Still getting more quotes in and trying none vat registered builders for price comparison, but in the meantime, we are trying to come up with a plan that would cost a lot less but still be a nice sized and appealing family home.
You can see from the images the original house (the coloured layout) and the new proposed plans in b&w with original house on the left and new version on the right which would give us a lovely space. Ignore the rooms within the plans on the new one as we can swap these around.
Basically we have one room upstairs as master bedroom and plan to have en suite in it.
Downstairs we need another two bedrooms and bathroom. Lounge, dining & kitchen open plan.
Problem is the rooms on the kitchen size aren't large so we would have to extend even if it's just by another meter to get a good width.
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6 years agoOh no- I'm expecting the same thing to happen to me too in a few months :(
Have you asked them to break down costs so you can decide what to keep and what should be scrapped? I'd definitely do the loft. I'd look into either doing a smaller extension. Or just redoing the current layout. If you put bifolds on the kitchen, you could have one of those narrow built in dining areas possibly?
Tani H-S
6 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (2)A lot of desks now have built in power outlets like in the picture or you easily get the kits and fit them into an existing desk. They usually only have one cable coming from the unit to plug in the wall....See MoreRemodel, Extension plans approved but quotes are way above budget-HELP
Comments (23)The biggest issue you have is timing. Anyone trying to build/remodel/extend is finding that prices are through the roof right now. Your situation is tough and no option is going to be what you originally wanted - the planned remodelling at £150k. So you’ve got to choose the next best solution or least worst option. In your shoes I would get the house habitable and move in. Yes it will cost money to do that but you’re throwing rent money away & have been for quite a while. Live in the house, get a feel for it & you might find your thoughts on the remodelling evolve. You may need to wait for a year or two for prices to steady/come down to get close to your budget or your budget might also be able to move upwards. Given the difference between your budget & the quotes (and it’s almost inevitable you’ll spend more anyway) - smallish tweaks aren’t going to bridge the gap. Why is selling not an option? It’s extreme but maybe cutting your losses may be one way out of this....See MoreIt's about building insurance for an extension and open plan remodel
Comments (3)You should find out from your developer whether he has a license for these types of works and services and issue a contract with him in which all types of work that he must perform will be prescribed. You should also find out if he has the necessary insurance policy. Next, you should contact your insurance company and find out if these types of work are possible in your home and whether insurance covers them. If your policy expires soon, in your place, I would compare insurance companies in your area to find the most profitable policy, taking into account the changed conditions....See MoreExtension Alternative
Comments (6)Off-the-shelf and system build can be economical for mass production - so if you're building 30 semis or a hotel with 50 identical rooms then there are quite often savings to be made. So many times we get clients suggesting they're going to buck the trend by building in some new way. But if there's a new building method that's cheaper than the traditional way using traditional materials your local builders would already be using it. In 30+ years in the construction industry I've only ever known one small domestic extension to be manufactured off site and craned into position. It was done by a Housing Association as a trial, it's half a mile from my house and it seems to have performed well for 15 years. But they never did another one. And if you're going to spend the money on an extension for your house, why limit yourself to off-the-shelf rather than get it designed to meet your specific needs and the specific features of your site? 'Off-site' and 'modular' have been big buzzwords in the industry for the lsst 20 years - but they're still far off being economical methods for small-scale projects by small builders. A good designer will be able to design you a bespoke extension economically - they'll know where the high-cost elements are and should be able to suggest more cost-efficient options. And if it's construction speed you're after, be realistic about how much time you'll really be saving - especially compared to the length of time you're likely to be loving in the house. The above comments about insurance are also very relevant - insurers and mortgage lenders may like something today and then run a mile from it tomorrow - just see what's currently happening with sprayfoam insulation....See MoreJonathan
6 years agoTani H-S
6 years agoHey, it all depends on planning really and if we can make it a granny annexe. If we get that, we will try and do some air b&b for a while to reap back some of the renovation costs for that building then it can eventually be my office/workshop.
For now, we will just use our other single garage and the front living room/3rd bedroom as my office as that is big enough.
We can trim some cost of the upstairs room by not having a dormer bathroom in (maybe put the en suite at the back in the new dressing room if there is space?)
Jonathan
6 years agoHmmm- Workshops as an Air BnB ?- personally I think it would take too long to recoup the cost of turning it into a habitable room with bathroom. Personally I wouldn’t bother.
I know this is turning it on it’s head but what if you built on the side instead?- I am sure other people on the road must have done because they are wide plots. The advantages are that you could move the stairs which would make the main bedroom better and remove a barrier in the middle of the house. You could retain the kitchen extension which has a roof symmetry with your neighbour and if you vaulted the ceiling in this space it could be stunning. The front door would properly be on the front, and you would not intrude on the back garden. Furthermore I believe the footprint of this extension is smaller and although this would need a more expensive roof than the flat roofed extension you were planning you should gain additional accommodation in it. I have tried to show a vaulted hallway with a single bedroom/ study at the top of the stairs but I don’t know how much room you have between the house and garage so there may be room for another upstairs bedroom.
Tani H-S
6 years agoTani H-S
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoJonathan
6 years agoIf there is 4 m between the side of the house and the garage I reckon there is enough room for the stairs and a double bedroom in a side extension.
I don’t know if this would be cheaper than your original plans but it does seem simpler.
Jonathan
6 years agoTani H-S
6 years agoTani H-S
5 years agoJust to update ...
Still waiting for final pricing to come back (yes it’s taking months, LOL)
but in the meantime, I think I worked out a slightly smaller extension idea which would reduce it by just less than half and possibly avoid moving the boiler etc.
Spoke to the builder about it and he said to wait for the full pricing then if it’s too much, we can work on scaling it down. Must say he is fab.
I’m running it past the architect as I think it might need a support post between the kitchen and lounge now I’ve removed the original utility wall - otherwise it would need an 8m steel! Gulp.
Also not sure if the narrow dining space that would be left would work - especially as the door into the laundry room couldn’t be blocked.
What do you think of the layout?
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5 years agoTani H-S
5 years agoHi Jen!
I would have around 8 foot of space for the dining table behind the sofas or against the right wall.
The room depth from front to back (lounge to doors) is 18’
That’s not set in stone - could add another foot maybe but if I start going much larger again then I might not save much on building costs.
My original plan below would be 4.2m dining area deep. Width is the same. Basically around 1.5m deeper
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5 years agoTani H-S
5 years agoA B
5 years agoTani H-S
5 years agoTani H-S
5 years ago
Tani H-SOriginal Author