Browse Forums Renovation + Home Improvement 1 May 29, 2011 10:22 pm We are looking to double the size of our current home by adding an office, family room and bedroom with ensuite. We are on a challenging site (sloping block) with difficult access and I am getting the feeling it is a job nobody really wants. After 7 months in council waiting for approval, we then finally got building drawings and then waited 6 weeks for our first quotes which came in at $250K and $300K! We have only done small extensions to the house with hubby has done as owner/builder so this large scale project is FREAKING ME OUT! The quotes have been light on detail and I am just unsure about how the whole process works. Builders in our area are flat-chat and not desperate for the work, especially when the site is a little challenging compared to your standard 1/4 acre blocks. I don't really know where to start.... firstly, the costs are at least $50K out of our budget. Do we scale back from plan stage now or get down and dirty with the details in the quote? Do builders come and sit down with you to discuss details before committing to a job? Seems a helluva lot of money to spend without having all the details sorted before you sign on the bottom line. As you can tell, we are complete virgins in this arena so any help or advice would be much appreciated. Thanks! Re: What should I know before extending? 2May 30, 2011 5:38 am Builders are not going to spend much time providing details with their quotes when they are busy unless you are definitely going to proceed so If you want more details you are going to have to talk to the builders. This would also be a good time to ask how savings can be made The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: What should I know before extending? 3May 30, 2011 10:22 am Thanks Bashworth. I understand that they are not going to invest hours into the details of a job when they're not even sure they've got the job, likewise, I'm reluctant to sign a job when I am not 100% of all the inclusions. A bit of a catch 22, really. I guess I should pick the builder I like the best and try and work from there. Re: What should I know before extending? 4May 30, 2011 10:26 am With our drawings we had everything in the world we wanted in there. When the builder came back with a quote that was way out of budget, we then asked him where we can save money. So we took out skylights, floor to ceiling tiles in the laundry, painting, double glazing, new colourbond over all the roof etc and it came back in budget. It's important to remember that you still have to pay for PC items etc like toilets, tiles, sinks etc etc that are bot included in your quote. We got 3 quotes, then asked those 3 guys to requote on the cut down specs. We went with the builder who helped us the most in getting the costs down. HTH Re: What should I know before extending? 5May 30, 2011 10:01 pm Thanks for your further suggestions. Will contact the builder I would prefer and see if we can scale some things back to meet budget. Re: What should I know before extending? 6May 31, 2011 1:48 pm JustAChick I understand that they are not going to invest hours into the details of a job when they're not even sure they've got the job, likewise, I'm reluctant to sign a job when I am not 100% of all the inclusions. A bit of a catch 22, really. I wasn't suggesting you need to sign a contract. Just contacting them shows that you are keen to take it further should mean they will be prepared to talk in more detail about the job. The Harder You Try - the Luckier You Get ! Web site http://www.anewhouse.com.au Informative, Amusing, and Opinionated Blog - Over 600 posts on all aspects of building a new house. Re: What should I know before extending? 7May 31, 2011 1:52 pm bashworth JustAChick I understand that they are not going to invest hours into the details of a job when they're not even sure they've got the job, likewise, I'm reluctant to sign a job when I am not 100% of all the inclusions. A bit of a catch 22, really. I wasn't suggesting you need to sign a contract. Just contacting them shows that you are keen to take it further should mean they will be prepared to talk in more detail about the job. We have been talking with our builder for around 6 months and we still haven't signed a contract nor given them any money. If your patio is going to be 35 sqm then that's going to need Council Approval. The fact that they previously approved your 25sqm patio will be irelevant 1 5507 Ask for some kickplate to be added and also for tradies to be requested to use lanyards on tools on that side of the building. Be respectful and have the discussion… 1 1690 There is insufficient information to give a meaningful answer. You should talk to council planning. Apart from building construction issues, if you are adding floor area… 1 7981 |