renovation more expensive than new build??

middling

We're renovating a small old house (56 sq m) at the moment and quotes are coming in above 100 per sq metre which is what I understand a new build should cost?! Can this be right??

The building is structurally sound but we are doing the following:

• Adding 2mx2m porch area
• Move exterior door
• Add 1 window
• replacing roof felt and slate
• removing and re-arranging all interior walls
• rip out floors (mainly floating wood), insulate etc. and pour new floors
• insulate attic, cavity wall, drylining
• replace all ceiling boards
• replaster inside and outside
• fit standard bathroom suite
• install oil heating system

Anybody have any opinions? We're a bit stunned by the prices. Thanks!

Casati

I think you might be a decimal place out- €100 per sq m would be a great deal!

Depending on the age of the house you can incur huge cost in the type of renovation you are undertaking but if its €1000 per sq m then I think you might have somebody quoting boom prices unless there are serious structural isses that need to be fixed etc

middling

Sorry it's approx 100 per sq foot for a new build, not per square metre. That's about right isn't it?

Ours is 56sq metres, so around 56x9 = 504 square feet.

We are getting quotes WELL in excess of 50k from several builders.
No structural issues, just what I listed above...

sinnerboy

Structure alone will account for 10-15% of a build . Look at your list again . You are re doing everything but the structure ( and windows ) . That cost around Dublin would be on the low side ....

middling

Thanks for the reply. I forgot to add windows to the list, we are doing them too!
And when I say quotes in excess of 50k I mean more like 75k!

We're not in the Dublin region either.

I'm just interested to hear different opinions about these prices from people who are in the know.

I would have thought if you can build a new house this size for in or around 50k, then renovating it should be cheaper. Even if it was only 10% cheaper....
But not more expensive?!

sinnerboy

middling wrote: »

We're renovating a small old house (56 sq m) at the moment and quotes are coming in above 100 per sq metre which is what I understand a new build should cost?! Can this be right??

The building is structurally sound but we are doing the following:

• Adding 2mx2m porch area
• Move exterior door
• Add 1 window
• replacing roof felt and slate
• removing and re-arranging all interior walls
• rip out floors (mainly floating wood), insulate etc. and pour new floors
• insulate attic, cavity wall, drylining
• replace all ceiling boards
• replaster inside and outside
• fit standard bathroom suite
• install oil heating system

Anybody have any opinions? We're a bit stunned by the prices. Thanks!

1. All of these actions are works that would not occur in new build .
2 . Legal disposal of waste is expensive

middling

Yep, I appreciate that sinnerboy. But I would have thought building foundations and walls and roof structure is also expensive. And getting services (water, esb, septic tank) on site would be expensive.... And we don't have to do any of those things. And also, demolition works are not really difficult in this case so shouldn't be too costly. I mean how much could they be charging me for ripping down the ceiling boards (which are falling down anyway) or ripping up floating wooden floors (which are slightly rotten)?!

Anyway, like I said, I'm just looking for opinions. If everyone comes on and tells me 75k is a great price for this job then I guess I'll have to live with it!

soldsold

Suggestion:

If you are not living on site and its not important if rain gets into the house...get a local labourer or two and any favours you can in the form of a couple of days help from family etc and pay labourers rates to rip out all the stuff that has to go, remove everything that has to be removed, rip up floors, etc, tidy the site, and then get a builder to reinstate the lot - any quote that involves demolition also involves risk of what might be found so that has to be factored into the price. Where are you located?

Have a look at the SEI grants for external insulation, if you PM me I can suggest an SEI registered external insulation supplier (4 actually) that will probably do the job for 70 euro plus vat per m2. Your place looks small enough so the 4000 euro grant should cover around 50m2 which might be the bulk of the building, might be a cheap way to redo the wall insulation to 2010 standard.

Steve

mendel

middling,

we are in the process of renovating.

I can vouch for the fact that breaking up floors and clearing out interiors is time consuming and expensive. You are effectively put in new foundation floors. So you have concrete costs (expensive) insulation, you may have to dig out further also. I probably though similiar to you that it should be cheaper.

We are not using a contractor and our house is fairly large 251sqm so keeping costs under control through direct labour.

We have four walls and a roof, hoping to bring in the renovation at 160k which is 64 euro a sq m.

Try pricing individual items.

I think it sounds expensive though what you are quoting.