Help - re planning / budgeting a major house refurb Post Reply

[shopper]

I would love some help / advice. We are in process of looking for a new house and have found a property we like but it needs a fair amount of work. Its a relatively modern property - I am guessing 90's and so structurally sound (I think!) Its large - around 4000 squ ft - with lateral living but it doesn't flow very well, especially on the ground floor and its very dated to my taste. Its pretty much a whole house refurb.
I have done building works before but on a room by room basis and so I don't know how to go about a much larger project. I don't know the best way to lay out the ground floor and equally importantly I don't know how much it will cost. I would need to know this pre final bidding as its top end of budget for us.

So I would be very grateful for any input / ideas on the process I need to go through as I feel like I don't know where to start!

[LWade]

It's tricky to really finalise costs on a project like this but firstly o would ask a friendly architect to look at the project and give you some ideas. Do you know any builders that would walk through the house with you and flag up any obvious problems like wall cracks, damp, roofing issues, boiler and plumbing etc?! Do you have to enter seeker bids or is it a straightforward purchase through an agent?

[shopper]

I don't know either a friendly architect or have a builder so any recommendations would be very welcome.The builders we have used recently have been small or sole traders (single trade) as its either been repairs or very staightforward pieces of work. Its a straight forward bidding process - normal sale.

[soph]

Try andy at andy@runprojects.co.uk
He is a chartered quantity surveyor so could give you a good estimate on costs based on sq footage or a more accurate assessment if he visited the property. He is contactable on 07980544809 . They also run a project management company and have a good network of reliable builders/architects etc if you get that far. Good luck!

[AlexFord]

Hi, I'm an interior design based in Clapham, very happy to spend a few hours with you pricing up what you need...if you provide the coffee! just drop a line to..info@burchdaume.com
Alex

[becs.3]

We're currently going through planning for a loft conversion in Balham. Would highly recommend our architect - Michael 07952 940184. I have posted on NV previously regarding his contact details, he's done a few projects now in the area. Professional and great ideas!

[Ensoul.co.uk]

Hi, we specialise in whole house refurbishments in SW London and do a lot of work with clients on Space Planning. Happy to discuss, call me on 020 3637 0700 or email details to mike@ensoul.co.uk Best regards, Mike Lander, Director, Ensoul

[APTRenovation]

We are a refurbishment building company specialising in basement/ loft conversions, house extensions and renovations.
We have lots of previous clients that can provide references.
Please give us a call to discuss your project.
http://www.aptrenovation.co.uk/
Tel. 0207 223 6417

[sw18er]

It's really difficult to get precise numbers on budgets before starting a project. No matter how carefully you scope it out, you'll almost certainly find your estimates are too low. The old joke about building work generally costing double your first estimate has some truth.

Things get discovered once the demolition/strip out starts, you will almost certainly change your mind on plans during the work, and all the large items like sash windows, glass doors, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, lighting have a tendency of costing more than you ever expected.

To get a feel of project costs, check out some of the local building companies on Houzz - lots of them list a rough project value, albeit these still often exclude things like professional fees, furnishings, fittings etc.

You will save money by using small building teams, paying in cash, not making changes once the work starts, doing the project management yourself, working hard to source materials cheaply, and living in the house while the work is done.

Roughly speaking £75-100/sq ft will get you a functional finish assuming no major structural works. £200/sq ft if you want something impressive, and £300/sq ft if you want something with high-end custom joinery, lots of glazing, expensive kitchens and bathrooms, clever lighting, new plumbing, all the gadgets etc. Aiming for a top end finish will get you an amazing house, but the re-sale market in Clapham/Balham/Wandsworth tends to be reluctant to pay a premium for this - albeit with a 4000 sq ft house you might get lucky given the nature of the buyers ... just remember these size of houses can be really illiquid assets, so be careful if you plan on selling in 3-4 years.

With builders - you will get a wide range of prices - my experience is you pretty much get what you pay for here. The companies with good, long standing reputations will take a higher margin, but you get a better finish, and probably less problems further down the line.

[shopper]

Thank you so much for the replies - really helpful and very much appreciated. I now have family visiting for a couple of weeks on holiday and so will follow up after they have gone.