What affects the price?
How much your project will cost will depend on a variety of different factors. The main ones you’ll need to consider are…
Location
Construction fees, along with the cost of the other professionals involved, will vary on where you are in the UK. Unsurprisingly, costs will be much higher in London, while the North and Wales tend to have the cheapest offers.
Materials
Some materials cost more than others, such as the difference between uPVC window frames and aluminium. While it can be tempting to cut costs here, we find you get better long term value by upcycling quality materials, rather than going for new but low-quality alternatives.
Contractors
Individual contractors are cheaper but can be slower, as they tend to lack a lot of resources the bigger construction companies have. However, for additional knowledge, manpower and experience you will have to pay more.
Learn more about contractors and why size is important.
Design complexity
The more complex your designs, the more you’ll have to pay. Whether this is because you have a lot of structural work incorporated (such as a glass ceiling) or because you require a contractor with specialist knowledge, such as a timber expert.
To stop your costs from spiralling out of control, be upfront with your architect about your budget.
Other costs to consider
While a large part of your budget will go towards construction and the materials involved, there are still some other costs to consider.
A typical budget tends to be split like this…
Architects - 4% (based on Resi’s services)
Administration fees - 1%
Structural Engineers - 3%
Surveyors - 2%
Contractors - 30%
Materials - 20%
Fittings - 5%
Glazing - 15%
VAT – 20%
Architects
The cost of an architect will depend on their level involvement and whether or not they project manage on your behalf.
At Resi, we’re unique in that we can assist you through each step of your project, with our packages completely tailored to you.
We cover…
- Measured surveys
- Proposed design
- Planning support
- Building regulations
- Finance
- And introductions to local vetted contractors
It only takes two minutes to get an idea of how much your package will cost using our handy tool.
Structural engineers
Put simply, a structural engineer helps ensure your home stays standing. As their name suggests, they look after the structural calculations required for your project, which tends to be more complex for a wraparound extension than for other single-storey extensions.
A structural engineer will typically start work on your project after planning, during the building regulations stage.
They can cost anywhere between £950 to £2500.
Surveyors
When you start your project, you’ll require a measured survey to be carried out. This will map out your home as it stands today and forms the foundation for the rest of your project.
At Resi, we use the latest laser technology to create 3D models of your property, giving you the best start possible. Other surveyors tend to rely on a mixture of photography and manual measurements.
- Our measured survey costs start at £250 and are included as part of our architectural services.
- If opting for a local professional over Resi, you can expect to pay £400 to £500+, depending on your location.
Learn more about measured surveys here.
Alongside this initial survey, you may also require a CCTV drainage surveyor and a party wall surveyor. This later professional can be brought in to secure consent from your neighbours, should a shared boundary be involved.
CCTV drainage surveyor costs: £250 to £350
Party wall surveyor costs: £100 to £140 an hour
Fittings
The cost of your fittings will be affected by what kind of rooms you’re looking to create. Bathrooms and kitchens will naturally cost more than more basic spaces, such as living rooms and bedrooms.
If you’re looking to get a rough cost of these rooms ahead of time, a good rule of thumb is to base your calculations on the current value of your property.
Bathrooms tend to cost 1%-4% of your home’s value and kitchens 2%-5%.
For example, a property that’s valued at £400,000 would probably pay…
- £4,000 to 16,000 for a bathroom
- £8,000 to £20,000 for a kitchen
Learn more: a guide to working out the total cost of your project
Glazing
Good glass doesn’t come cheap, so you should bear in mind their expense during the design stage. Large expanses of glazing, such as for a glass ceiling, usually require the use of structural glazing. This will not only incur more work from your structural engineer, the cost of this glass will be more per square metre.
Learn more about the cost of glazing here.
Why should you opt for a wraparound extension?
Wraparound extensions are the ultimate way to maximise space in your home by taking advantage of dead space to the side and rear of your property (without eating into your garden). Besides the obvious advantage of having more space available, here are some other great opportunities that your wraparound extension could bring with it:
- Extra light in the home
- An additional room
- A room expansion/open-plan space
- Transforming the flow between your home and garden
Conclusion
While 50% of your overall budget will be spent on construction and materials, there are a lot of other costs that homeowners fail to consider.
This includes: surveying costs, structural work, glazing, architectural requirements, fittings, and that all-important VAT.
To ensure your budget ticks off all the requirements, we recommend talking to an expert for a tailored breakdown of costs. Book your free advice call here.
Not sure how much you can afford? See how much you could borrow by using our free finance calculator.
