Home improvements and extension advice

crvs

HI All,
We recently bought 3 bedroom semi detached house in Aerdeen, Scotland in the hope we can remodel
inside layout and possibly extend at back to add more space with a budget of £30k. We approached an architect
and his fee for planning stage and building warrant stage work together alone is £4.5k.
Over all bill is 7.7k + vat (contact another architect to submit a proposal to get a general idea).


We need to account for structure engg and application fee in excess to his fee.
Armed with the fact that I would be spending £10k for architect fee alone, Was planning to call well established surveyor to help me with drawings required for planning and building stage and contract building work to good rated builder from www.mybuilder.com
Any suggestion?
Thanks,
V

System

tbh, remodelling and extending in Aberdeen for 30k is ambitious, the market there is fairly buoyant and you will find that contractors know how to charge.
You can get whoever you want to do your drawings, the most important thing is going to be designing something within your cost constraints, so you need someone experienced and knowledgeable (which doesn't usually come cheap)

martinsurrey

crvs wrote: »

HI All,
We recently bought 3 bedroom semi detached house in Aerdeen, Scotland in the hope we can remodel
inside layout and possibly extend at back to add more space with a budget of £30k. We approached an architect
and his fee for planning stage and building warrant stage work together alone is £4.5k.
Over all bill is 7.7k + vat (contact another architect to submit a proposal to get a general idea).


We need to account for structure engg and application fee in excess to his fee.
Armed with the fact that I would be spending £10k for architect fee alone, Was planning to call well established surveyor to help me with drawings required for planning and building stage and contract building work to good rated builder from www.mybuilder.com
Any suggestion?
Thanks,
V

Unless you're going for a grand designs type extension (and with your budget I KNOW you aren't), there is no need for a posh architect.

Semi detached rear single story extensions are bread and butter for builders and a structural engineer or draftsman will be able to knock out plans for a fraction of what an iPad wielding, architect will charge.

do you have any connections to the local area, and so can ask around for recommended builders?

System

martinsurrey wrote: »

d a structural engineer will be able to knock out plans for a fraction of what an iPad wielding, architect will charge.

It doesn't really work like that in Scotland, you will find very few (if any) structural engineers who will want to process a planning application and building warrant from start to finish, it's a lot more involved for small projects that it is in England

martinsurrey

the_r_sole wrote: »

It doesn't really work like that in Scotland, you will find very few (if any) structural engineers who will want to process a planning application and building warrant from start to finish, it's a lot more involved for small projects that it is in England

I feel sorry for those north of the boarder in that case!

I didn't realize the gulf in regs, my apologies.

System

martinsurrey wrote: »

I feel sorry for those north of the boarder in that case!

I didn't realize the gulf in regs, my apologies.

bane of my life! It's a joy to work down south where you can have private building control and building notices (although there are some advantages to have to get building reg approval before starting - it's just that most local authorities are really poor at turning things around, hopefully they will open up to private building control soon)

ellie27

Hi there.

We are renovating - knocking down a couple walls, beams in, sliding doors to garden - and hopeful £25k covers it.

To alter the layout your £30k might be fine, but it will no doubt be another £30k for a small extension.

Regarding your architects fees - you say £4.5k......then £7.7k..... what is that extra £3.2k?

There are architectural planning companies around that do these plans and do your planning permission and building warrants at a fraction of the price. The architects quoted us £3k, architectural designer doing drawings for £650.

If you know what you want then I don't think you need an architect, however if needing advice on rearranging the whole house then perhaps you do need one?

crvs

Ellie,


Thanks for your info. We are not rearranging too many things in current layout. All we are doing is adding an extension with in permitted development and just rearranging a bathroom somewhere else. Also adding cloakroom / shower room upstairs.


Not sure which architecture company does here for £3k.


Thanks,
V

tonyh66

find an architectural technician who does planning applications and the like, there are a few here in Inverness. Just check that they are really affiliated to the CIAT and not pretending.

Slinky

tonyh66 wrote: »

find an architectural technician who does planning applications and the like, there are a few here in Inverness. Just check that they are really affiliated to the CIAT and not pretending.

Chances are they won't be VAT registered either so you'll save 20% just by that

crvs

I really cannot find single architectural Technician in Aberdeen by google search. Can some Aberdonian's help?