While every extension is unique and it is impossible to give an accurate price, builders and architects alike will be able to give a pretty good estimate of the cost of an extension just by looking at the initial plans. When I first spoke to a builder about my plans he said “about £25,000” and the final quotation for the work was only about £2000 more. A good builder who really knows his trade does not actually need the building control approval and construction drawings to know what to do.Often an estimate is based purely on the surface area of the extension. Foundations, brickwork, flooring and roof materials are pretty standard in any build. What often makes the biggest difference in end price are the fixtures, fittings and more luxury items.See the bottom of the page for how much my extension ended up costing!Our extension is 5m by 4.5m, so 22.5 square metres. A rough building cost would be £45,000. However, in reality our build came up much less, but partly because it is a simple square(ish) extra room.
When you start to add kitchens or bi-fold doors the costs skyrocket.Always allow for an extra 10% over and above your budget – there are always extras, sometimes they are needed, and sometimes you just cannot resist. Also, do not forget to add VAT at 20% on to quotes – most builders quote excluding VAT, so always double check if the quote is including or excluding VAT. A builder may quote £30,000 for your extension, but after VAT is added it may come out at £36,000 – if you forget to budget for this you may find that you do not have cash for that new sofa and flat screen TV!First of all, remember that in addition to materials you will need to pay for:For materials the costs mostly are:This is a rough list of essentials. The costs soon add up.Now that it is completed I can tally up the total cost of the extension. I have not included the cost of architect designs, planning permission, building control and inspection (because these will vary and I do not have the figures at hand at the moment!).
The builders charged £28,250 for the extension. This included the plasterboard and plastering, French doors with side panels, two roof lights, radiator, electric circuit and ceiling light fitting, screeded floor. The original quote for the extension was £26,600 but the additional foundation depth cost an extra £1650.I had two builders and two labourers. Each builder took about £800 cash a week, and I think the labourers about £500 a week. So the five weeks to build the extension included around £13,000 in labour fees, the remaining £16,900 in materials.Total for the new living room extension: £30,919.57The builder charged by job so no breakdown on the kitchen unfortunately.Total for the new kitchen and alterations: £15,816.71The flooring accounted for almost 10% of the build, coming in at £4,208 for Karndean throughout. Well worth the money as it is excellent.The builder did the kitchen for cheap really, £5000 for the units, range cooker, extractor hood, splash back and kitchen sink from Howdens.
I wish we had a better sink though, it is a bit wobbly. And the extractor hood seems too big (and too low and too noisy). Everything else is OK.The internal work was not brilliant. The builders reused some door frames and skirting and in areas it looks a bit botched. We probably should have had a better finish for the price.I feel that we did OK, but having since watched the Channel 4 show “How to double your home for half the price” it is depressing to see people do twice as much as we did for £15,000 less! But seeing that some building quotes came in at over £60,000, we did OK.I have not added on the extra £400 I had to pay a roofer to repair the crap roof work my builder did.My only regret in the whole build is not having a better builder, but such is life! Check out our aluminium door prices. You can now save on a wider range of aluminium doors. Whether you are after a new sliding or stacker door, set of French (or single panel) or bifold doors, using standard sizes is the best way to save money.
Speak to your builder or installer to see if they could use one of the standard size doors instead of a custom sized one, as custom sizes are more expensive to manufacture and therefore will have a higher price tag. Here is a link to a useful video by Bunnings showing how to install a window that is smaller than the original opening: Youtube Bunnings Window Installation Video. The Difference Between Residential and Commercial Windows and Doors The main difference between the standard residential and commercial windows and doors that we offer, is the frame and sash sizes. Commercial is always wider, more bulky and has a slightly industrial look when compared with the standard residential. Unless you have a specific requirement you must meet stipulated by your Council or your Basix certificate, choosing one over the other is a matter of personal choice and budget. Both are great quality products and are designed for the same application. You can view both types in our showrooms to see the visual difference.
Aluminium Doors Price List We work on turnover and due to very tight margins, as well as a lean and efficient process we can offer some of the best prices on aluminium windows and doors in Sydney. View the entire range including the prices: Standard Size – Aluminium Sliding and Stacking Doors (Standard Residential – Prices) Standard Size – Aluminium French Doors (Standard Residential – Prices) Standard Size – Aluminium Sliding and Stacking Doors (Commercial Look and Double Glass – Prices) Standard Size – Aluminium French Doors (Commercial Look – Prices) Standard Size – Aluminium Bifold Doors (Commercial Look – Prices) Screens, Glass, Colours and Reveals Windows and Doors Sydney Showroom Now that you have seen the prices, come and visit our windows and doors Sydney Showrooms at Shop 1, 654 Botany Rd, Alexandria or Shop 10, 19 Victoria Ave, Castle Hill.Feel free to Contact Us by calling or filling out an online request form.