# expectations v budget for extension



## gnf_ireland (8 Mar 2021)

I am wondering who best to engage with an attempt to align the expectations versus a budget for an extension to a semi dethatched house in South County Dublin? Is it a QS, Architect or someone completely different ?

The challenge is we want to do an extension to our existing house to accommodate our growing needs as a family. There is a notional budget in place (in our heads), but likely this completely unrealistic. We know we will need to make compromises, either in the extension size, the layout of it or completely change the budget to accommodate the 'dream'. But before we go engaging architects on starting the process, we want to make sure we are somewhat realistic in our ask. Its the practical side of us coming out

I would like to engage (I think a QS) to do a few rough order of magnitude costs for a number of options available, and get an idea ballpark of what we can expect for various budgets, and then we can have a think about which makes the most sense for us.  Is this something a QS does generally, and is the QS the right person for this?

Any help gratefully appreciated


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## Steven Barrett (9 Mar 2021)

Bad time to be looking to build an extension, the prices are crazy. And I am speaking from experience. 

A QS told me recently that as a rule of thumb it's €1,500 per sq metre for a one storey extension and €2k if it's 2 storey. 

You need to engage the architect for the design and an engineer for the structural part. A QS will price it. Some architects have their own QS, so maybe look at them so you can keep the prices in line with the design. An architect will just go on guidelines for prices but they are out of date. You can't engage a QS first as they need to know what they have to price.


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## Alkers86 (9 Mar 2021)

SBarrett said:


> Bad time to be looking to build an extension, the prices are crazy. And I am speaking from experience.
> 
> A QS told me recently that as a rule of thumb it's €1,500 per sq metre for a one storey extension and €2k if it's 2 storey.
> 
> You need to engage the architect for the design and an engineer for the structural part. A QS will price it. Some architects have their own QS, so maybe look at them so you can keep the prices in line with the design. An architect will just go on guidelines for prices but they are out of date. You can't engage a QS first as they need to know what they have to price.


South Co. dublin more like €2,300 per sq m at the moment


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## cremeegg (9 Mar 2021)

You want a QS. Though you will needs drawings first. They will give you much more than a 'rough order of magnitude' they will price it to the penny. You will be able to compare that with any builders quote and query the quote in detail. Best money you can spend on a building project and should only cost €500+


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## Corporation (11 Apr 2021)

Steven Barrett said:


> Bad time to be looking to build an extension, the prices are crazy. And I am speaking from experience.
> 
> A QS told me recently that as a rule of thumb it's €1,500 per sq metre for a one storey extension and €2k if it's 2 storey.
> 
> You need to engage the architect for the design and an engineer for the structural part. A QS will price it. Some architects have their own QS, so maybe look at them so you can keep the prices in line with the design. An architect will just go on guidelines for prices but they are out of date. You can't engage a QS first as they need to know what they have to price.


Totally agree - we were looking to do a straightforward 50m single storey extension to a classic sd corporation house (house worth no more than 200k.  At the same time I’m doing work on our house in London.  First two quotes back were 190 k and 210 k respectively - breakdown showed significant disparities between the two. Complete over bidding - and the extras being included were ridiculous.  And way over what I’ve ever had to pay in central london.  For example  Removing 6 kitchen units at a cost of 1000 (kitchen 3 times the size was removed in London for 150). Lifting existing living room floor to insulate 3x3 between 4-8k - I’ve just had to remove kitchen units in a 4x4 kitchen in London to replace all of kitchen floor as a result of water damage, insulate and reinstall kitchen for 7k (euro€) Preliminaries and ins” of either 8 or 15k including hoardings scaffolding travel costs (15 miles each way) and I suspect an uplift cause house is located in seaside village popular for weekend breaks.   Happy for any developer to make a profit but the quotes were ridiculous. Have heard a rumour that due to the number of enquiries builders are quoting silly numbers and if you are either desperate or stupid and say yes they are happy to do it. Thankfully it’s a holiday home and we can wait until sense returns to the market.  And we really should all be learning to say no to builders with quotes like this - this madness will just make the crash bigger when it comes


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## SPC100 (12 Apr 2021)

Wow! Crazy.

That's about 4k per square meter (if only work is extension).

Was any of the main house being renovated too?


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## Leo (12 Apr 2021)

Corporation said:


> Happy for any developer to make a profit but the quotes were ridiculous. Have heard a rumour that due to the number of enquiries builders are quoting silly numbers and if you are either desperate or stupid and say yes they are happy to do it.



Yep, really bad time to be trying to organise work like that, demand is sky high at the moment after most construction was shut down for months and people are sitting on ever growing savings.


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## David_Dublin (12 Apr 2021)

Seems to be 2 things at play here....

1. Availability of builders - backlog due to close down, build up of demand due to working from home/increased savings, maybe an element of some workers not going back to work too so builders working out where they stand.
2. Prices  - linked to the above, increased demand/reduced supply driving up prices; als raw materials up, Brexit infuenced.

Anyone's guess when things might start to look better, right?

Builders are going to be busy for the foreseeable I would imagine, 8+ months. Or longer.


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## Cervelo (12 Apr 2021)

Not an extension but I've been looking for a builder to supply and fit a shower tray in one of my bathrooms
To date I've only found one builder who would give me a quote 
€3150 + vat@ 13.5%


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## Steven Barrett (12 Apr 2021)

Cervelo said:


> Not an extension but I've been looking for a builder to supply and fit a shower tray in one of my bathrooms
> To date I've only found one builder who would give me a quote
> €3150 + vat@ 13.5%


Like anyone in demand, they don't want the small jobs, too much hassle, especially when there's plenty of jobs that will keep them busy for months on end. 


David_Dublin said:


> Seems to be 2 things at play here....
> 
> 1. Availability of builders - backlog due to close down, build up of demand due to working from home/increased savings, maybe an element of some workers not going back to work too so builders working out where they stand.
> 2. Prices  - linked to the above, increased demand/reduced supply driving up prices; als raw materials up, Brexit infuenced.
> ...



This is worth watching. A Q&A with the QS Patricia Power. She is putting the cost of an extension/ rebuild at €2,700 per sq metre. That includes VAT and she did say that the kitchen was in that price too


			https://www.instagram.com/tv/CNe4XqxHS1l/?igshid=1jlzq5whb3zvc


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