Room to Improve.

Charles Babbage wrote: »

But quite apart from the extension, there was probably rewiring of the existing house, insulation, new windows, new boiler etc.

I live in drogheda and I recently (in the last 9 months) put an extension onto my house.

I was very budget conscious and built it with that in mind. Cavity block, flat roof, etc to save on cash (though i didn't do anything that'd hamper living quality and researched everything 10 times over before making any decisions).

... Anyway...

I built an extension to the rear (30ft x 10ft) and side (5ft x 24ft). I built it, furnished it and made it livable, to the tune of €46,000.

I destroyed my back garden in the process, so to lay new paving, rebuild a garden wall i knocked, etc. i'll be down about €50,000 overall I'd say.

My extension to the rear was an addition to the kitchen, and to the side was a bathroom (toilet/sink/shower) and utility room (plumbed for a washing machine).


The 50k includes a kitchen, the shower/toilet, new doors hung, sofa, TV, lights, floor, paint, radiators, new fuse box to take the power of the extension, new fusebox to replace the old one, too (so two new fuse boxes), new boiler etc. and also granite paving (that i havent paid for yet, but will still be within the 50k).

The rest of my house didn't really have anything done, though. The arleady-existing kitchen had some re-wiring, but not a complete overhaul. I should also point out that I have yet to do skirting/architrave. I'd budget another grand for that, as it will have to be done, too).

I'm very much 'into' Dermot's styling (my walls are white, kitchen is white with no handles, wide sliding door, etc. and ironically, i'd never seen Room to Improve before i decorated :pac: we have very similar taste!).

Now, I realise if Dermot was working on my job, he'd have bigger windows, a butterfly roof, bare concrete wall, etc. that would push the price up. Then I'm also conscious that labour costs within Dublin are pricier than Drogheda, but if I spent only €50k then I find it curious that a smaller extension (even factoring in 1k for asbestos removal) can come in at over three times the price..?


And none of the other rooms in the house in this episode seem to have gotten a mention. We know the house was not rewired, because all the ceilings would most likely have had to come down to get at existing wiring, and there's no way they'd do that and not film it and make a few scenes out of it.

It seems like a pretty straight forward €180,000 for a simple enough extension. I wonder how much the mural cost.



EDIT: I'd say a good chunk of their budget went on replacing the windows in the house. Windows are megabucks. A better breakdown of costs at the end of each episode would be a great addition to the show.