When it comes to an addition, extension or renovation you most likely know what you want but the big question is what it all costs.
Some will tell you that there is a “cost per m2” or a “cost per room” or that you can build a new home for half the “cost per m2” of an addition, extension or renovation. The reality is that none of these methods are really an accurate measure of the true costs as they are too generalised and don’t take into account your individual needs or your specific house.
Why cost per square metre is not a good guide
The basic facts are that the cost per m2 of a bathroom is more expensive than a kitchen, which in turn is more expensive than a living area or bedroom. This is particularly relevant in additions, extensions and renovations which often have higher proportions of these more expensive room types than new home constructions.
Furthermore, any figure provided won’t necessarily match up to your wants and needs in terms of room sizes, fixtures and fittings etc, or the construction or your house. While it’s easy to provide a ‘ball-park’ figure, we think it’s unprofessional and potentially misleading to provide such inaccurate information.
Finally let’s dispel the “half the cost per m2” to build a new home. It is true that building additions, extensions and renovations is more expensive when broken down to per m2 but this generally has more to do with the fact that there is a higher proportion of “expensive” rooms/areas such as bathrooms not to mention the fact that our work is completed by tradesmen on site rather than built in a factory by semi-skilled labour.
The cost of knock down / rebuild vs home alterations
When deciding to extend or “knock down and rebuild” you need to consider whether you will be knocking down a lot of valuable work that you might otherwise retain, then have to rebuild. This makes the real cost far greater especially when you take into account that you will have to re-do all of your landscaping, paths, driveways, fences etc. In addition there are the costs of moving out, renting temporary premises and storage whilst the new home is completed.
Compare this to the alternative of a well designed addition specifically done to your needs where you can generally stay in the house while the work is done and all of your existing amenities are retained then the true cost difference is well in favour of an Addbuild addition.
A better approach to costing home alterations
We have a saying here at Addbuild that every job we do is a one off and that even if we happened to come across someone with exactly the same house as you it is certain that their wants and needs for an addition, extension or renovation will not match yours.
To use a generic, simplistic and relatively inaccurate “rule of thumb” formula on such a critical issue as the costs involved is quite unprofessional. To overcome this we use our experience of over 40 years in the additions, extensions and renovations industry as design and construction specialists to provide you with an individual design that suits your wants and needs and then apply the real costs based on current tenders from our suppliers and subcontractors via our in house estimating system.
This is another example of Addbuild’s “Peace of Mind” guarantee where you can make this important decision based on accurate costs and prior to committing to spending large amounts of money based on what can only be described at best as “guesstimate” if relying on the inaccurate “cost per m2”.
Download our free Consumer Guide to Worry-Free Home Improvement for more information, or contact us to arrange a no obligation free quote.
Get in touch
For more information on Addbuild or any of our services, or to arrange a no-obligation free quote, please contact us via the details below.
New to renovating?
Addbuild has been helping Sydney’s growing families extend and renovate their homes for over 40 years.
Get in touch and we can point you to some excellent resources. Unpack some great ideas from our blog, download our free Consumer Guide or subscribe to our Home Alterations Masterclass, a free 10-part, in-depth guide to getting the most out of your home alterations.
A bit more advanced in your planning? Contact us for an obligation-free quote by one of our experienced design consultants
