Discover the true cost of your renovation resolution
The start of a new year motivates many homeowners to improve their properties, but it's not easy trying to work out what is a fair price to pay for renovation work when you are still facing Christmas bills.
Employing a builder, plumber or electrician who is offering too good to be true quotes often proves just as much a headahce as those that seem excessively expensive.
The Building Cost Information Service (BCIS), has compiled the Property Makeover Price Guide, which is packed with useful costs and advice about how to budget for repair, improvement, alteration and extension work.
The book is an essential guide to help homeowners, clearly setting out what they should expect to pay for over 1,300 different types of work to their home. It covers everything from inspecting blocked drains to fixing window panes, replacing chimney pots to doing a loft conversion. The guide also allows readers to adjust the figures for their particular location.
Joe Martin, Executive Director of BCIS comments:
"Homeowners regularly make resoltuions to get started on property improvements such as building that extra bedroom, or upgrading the bathroom in January. If you are making one of these resolutions we have a guide availale that can help you understand how much your project will cost.
If you are seriously interested in knowing how to employ skilled labourers to undertake work on your property safley and legally for a fair price you will not be disappointed. Knowledge is power and we expect this guide to demystify home improvements and help to protect consumers from cowboy builders."
Example:
- Building Costs in Greater London are about 14% above the national average
- Prices also vary across the capital - you tend to find that prices rise the further into town you go so building works in London postal districts are about 8% higher than in outer London. In terms of repairing a roof, you might be only looking at adding £100 to your bill, but a new extension is likely to cost £1,000 more in Central London than outer London
- The cost of replacing 10m² of a three layer felt roof in Greater London is about £850 and a 3x3m single storey extension with one window would range from £17,000 to £20,500 (this excludes work to an existing building). In comparison, in the East Midlands, which is one of the cheaper regions, the roof repair might cost £700 and extensions £14,000-£17,000
The guide includes a Glossary of building terms which helps to crack the construction cost jargon:
- Quote - the price offered by the contractor to do the work
- Preliminaries - these are the costs for items required to carry out the contract other than the actual construction works e.g. travelling costs, the hire of scaffolding or other items of plant, office or other administrative costs
- Provisional sums - an amount included in the contract sum/agreed quote for additional works that are not fully specified
- Variations - these are the works that arise during construcion which were not allowed for in the quote
- PC Sum (Price Cost Sum) - a sum of money allowed for an item or work materials supplied by the client e.g. installation of a fire alarm system by a specialist already selected by the client, or the cost of a bathroom suite already purchased by the client
- Retention - sum of money set aside by the client (you) from the contract sum until the works are completed to your satisfaction
There is also guidance on employing a contractor, Building Regulations and planning and budgeting for developers.
To order your copy online, priced at £17.99 click here, or email sales@bcis.co.uk, or telephone +44 (0)870 333 1600 and select option 2 for BCIS.
