Extension Builder advice please

Doozergirl

Jenferdog said:

Thanks for the comments, good advice just what I needed. Doozergirl and GDB2222 - re the 1.5 meters, builder 1 pointed out that it would not be cost effective to have such a small extension and we are talking with him now to make it bigger. Ball park now for a bigger extension would be around 1.5 k per square meter. Builder 1 did give a full breakdown, builder 2 just the quote. Think I know which one we should go with. 

I'm a fan of builder 1.  

There's spending more money, but there's getting value.  Builder 1 gets it. 

Anyone who doesn't suggest going further isn't looking after your needs.  They need to address it, even if you don't want it.   It won't double their profit, but  it will double the value you gain on your house. 

Even only going for the 12 square metres but rearranging it into a more square extension might cost you a little bit less or gain you better space. 

Most extensions will have a visible break within a room, devaluing a short extension.

Jeepers_Creepers

Pretty sure the builder who did our extension was not VAT registered. It was just him and his son, and they charged a fixed hourly rate - and the final amount came out damned close to their estimate.

He also passed the builders merchants invoices to us after he paid them, and we paid him the same amount - including all the discounts.

Yup - a gem.

And the quality of his work was impeccable.

No, you can't have him - he's booked up for the best part of two years...

stuart45

I only do jobs on an hourly rate nowadays. As long you get the right tradesmen it can work out to be a fair price, but with the wrong ones can be a disaster. 

Jeepers_Creepers

Yes, I have to say I had concerns at first, but he put my mind at rest. He also gave an estimated final cost, erring on the side of 'worst case', and - sure enough - he came in under it, and with more work put in too.