Extension Builder

[Cobber]

Good afternoon.

Im looking to extend my house outwards and upwards with a new family kitchen area and 2 rooms and bathroom upstairs and ensuite re-done downstairs. I dont want to go over $200k if i can help it!

I dont want to owner build (not for me) and have looked at a few different extension companies eg extension factory. Hilles Homes, Supa Group, Cameron Extensions etc at fixed price contracts. Their indicative quotes seem to vary a fair bit and they all seem quite expensive

Havent looked at normal builders yet, ie small builders and not extension companies.

Can anyone offer any advice. What is the cheapest way to go - use one of these extenison companies or find my own builder? If you use the extension companies should I source the kitchen, bathroom stuff, doors windows, stairs etc to save money?

Can you recommend anyone etc etc.....

Cheers

Cobber

[seriph1]

hi and welcome to the forum. If you can describe the age and style of your home it will help. I know a couple of builders who will do smaller jobs, though yours isn't small by the sounds of it. I know B-West very well and many of the homes are at least 60 yrs old with quite a few more than 90.... if yours is one then the more research you do, the better if ensuring an extension is sympathetic. Some builders won't care if you purchase/source your own fixtures and fittings - some don't allow it at all..... just depends. For many, it is a part of how they make their living. The choices are so vast these days that I believe it is imperative to research and dive into the books/magazines, though my opinion is based around consulting to people who renovate/restore period homes. Happy to have a chat about options if yours is a Californian Bungalow or earlier....or you're wishing to create/maintain a period presentation.

Above all have fun!

[cellist]

I did the owner/builder thing and wouldn't do it any othe way, Cobber. The fact is, you can get amazing amounts of good advice for free these days. Here in WA, there is an official advisory service for just this sort of thing, and I used it a lot.

As an owner/builder, you are effectively a supervisor...nothing more. You need to know the right QUESTIONS, not the right answers. Building is about the order of proceedings and keeping a 'flow' to the work, so that the project doesn't stall out.

Not sure why you aren't interested in the owner/builder thing. You learn a tremendous amount doing it this way, and the cost savings seem, by most peoples' accounting methods, to be about 40%. For you, that means that your $200K budget is effectively $280K.

My father in law is a builder in Qld, and I learned a lot from him. Pay for advice and you won't go wrong! I paid a builder here in Perth for an hour of his time, went to see him armed with questions, and he just sat there and gave me answers. He actually gave me more like 2 hours, and I handed him $100. We were both happy.

The number of rooms isn't what builders go by...it's the cost per square metre. As a rule of thumb here in WA, $1000/sq.mtr is cheap, and $2000 is very nice. Upper stories cost more than ground floors.

There's lots to know, but that's half the fun. Quality control is another factor. I had the cash. They did what I wanted and to the standard I expected...otherwise....no money!

Bestest,
Mike

[Cobber]

Thanks for your replies. My house is Californian Bungalow late 1920's. The trouble with the owner builder thing I believe is the time it takes...I already have a full time job and believe it would be too hard to co-ordinate both a this stage. The guy across the road is owner building and its taking him a long time to finish his house.

[seriph1]

I know someone in Coburg who has built two now ..... he is looking to do another but I think he may have a full plate - can ask though. CalaBunga's are quite a challenge to extend sympathetically. I know a builder who has done a few and his work is reasonably priced and of a high standard, though again, I don't know how busy he is. Finally, how "in-keeping'' are you wanting the extension - i.e. are you aiming for a similar look to the extension or is it unimportant?

have fun

[Cobber]

We are looking to extend out the back...your normal open plan area and then go up with a couple of bedrooms and bathroom. Obviously we want the 2nd level extension to blend in to the house. The open plan back area will be more modern than the original part of the house.

cheers

Cobber

[brettmel1@optus]

Hi, my husband is a builder and has experience with period style homes. He is a member of the MBAV. If you would like to contact him you can do so on 0407 532 122.
Thanks.

[DvdHntr]

Get some builders to quote you then after that I think your next step if you are serious is to get a draughtsman/architect/engineer to have a look and get some plans done. You will need to get council approval. No point going through too much time before you find out if what you want is possible.

[mical1]

We are looking to extend out the back...your normal open plan area and then go up with a couple of bedrooms and bathroom. Obviously we want the 2nd level extension to blend in to the house. The open plan back area will be more modern than the original part of the house.

cheers

Cobber

There is a company called RFT Solutions that will source builders, designers, town planners, whoever you need to build your house extension, renovation or new home AND bring it in under your budget!!!

[jassikahilton]

Hello friends, I am very new to the concept of the online communities itself but nevertheless it was good to find something on home extensions/renovations. Let me describe my needs first. My home does not have stairs to connect to the roof. Now the plan was made by my father and after his death I could not locate it. It has been many years that we are without the stairs now the need has come to build one. I do not know if people who can help are available for suggestions as I am not from the locality where you all are but can anyone give me the estimate of the costs that can be incurred to make this?

[seriph1]

hi and a very big WELCOME to the forum. I hope you enjoy it here and spend time to contribute to the huge number of threads. Your question is a little hard to answer, but I'll have a go - first of all, a staircase is no job for a novice, but the good news is that there are several firms in the UK who specialise in making and selling stair kits. They will come out and measure for the stair and produce a kit which can be assembled on site. It is vital to follow the instructions - I just watched a UK show called "building a new life abroad" where the main guy, who is supposedly a carpenter, tried for hours to put a stair in upside down! Being male, he of course failed to read the instructions

Anyway, prices would vary enormously, but I would think the range would be from several hundred pounds to several thousand, depending how detailed and how complex the project is. Not much help, I know but there you have it - I think googling something like "stair kits UK" would help you a lot.