1 bed refurb - too expensive ?

[terrapotter]

I am looking to completely refurb a 1 bed flat:

new electrics and led lighting throughout
new combi boiler,plumbing and radiators
replaster/paint all walls/ceilings
minor repairs to windows
wooden floors in main living areas
new bathroom and tiles
new kitchen and tiles
built in wardrobes in bedroom
take down a small partition and some other misc stuff.

the quotes i have had so far from 4 diff contractors come in
at the 48-55k range all in !

a couple of mates(in related trades) reckon i should be able
to do a decent job all in for about 30k and if i upped the spec
maybe 40k.

now the flat is in a posh part of central london so are
these builders all taking the mick and applying a rich person's
(i am not btw) premium ?

Any suggestions?

[AndrewEH1]

Do some of the work yourself?

Edit: Realise that don't help with the pricing of the jobs, but painting and even tiling is 'easy'. Just time consuming.

Edited by AndrewEH1 on Monday 2nd March 16:08

[BoRED S2upid]

London premium because your all stinking rich I'm afraid. I agree with your mates £30k. Try splitting the trades; one does heating one does bathroom one kitchen oh and rip everything out yourself.

[hairyben]

BoRED S2upid said:

London premium because your all stinking rich I'm afraid. I agree with your mates £30k. Try splitting the trades; one does heating one does bathroom one kitchen oh and rip everything out yourself.

London premium because london... The anti-parking LA nazis have got it to the point with certain areas I'm seriously considering having a lad to drive my van in continuous loops of the block all day while I get some work done... people already do this... not a cheap way to work but what can you do? thus a lot of work ends up being done by cheap low skill labourers who don't need to park a van as they have hardly any of the tools a pro needs!

[terrapotter]

thanks for the replies.

unfortunately i can't do the work myself because i am incompetent
and semi-disabled.the friends i could have roped in have either moved way out
or are too moany to ask favours from.


i am outside the congestion zone,
parking in my road is about £3ph = £24 a day
so 40 days work rounded up is about 1k
this doesn't explain the 10k+ London "weighting"

[FrankAbagnale]

Whenever I have worked in London, my salary has always been increased for "London weighting" - I even got it for a job in Reading once.

I don't see why if the trades people live in London, with a higher cost of living than elsewhere, they wouldn't charge more.

After seeing a LOT of houses where the vendor has gone with the cheapest builder, I would see the money you spend as an investment as well as a cost.

[B17NNS]

terrapotter said:

this doesn't explain the 10k+ London "weighting"

The blokes doing the work are also paying the London "weighting". The cost of living is higher for them too. In order for them to earn a wage they can live on they have to pass on those costs to their customers.

[OzzyR1]

Construction work in London has gone through the roof recently.

Work is plentiful so you're going to get builders adding a good lump to make it worth their while. Swings and roundabout, you could probably have got it done at 2/3rds of the equivalent price when the industry was in recession a few years back.

[btcc123]

Get some Albanian builders to do the job and live in the flat while doing the work.

Prbably end up costing you half the price.

[Pit Pony]

In the NORTH WEST over the last 10 years I have paid to have on my 4 bed house the following

terrapotter said:

I am looking to completely refurb a 1 bed flat:

new electrics and led lighting throughout Complete rewire, £1500.


new combi boiler,plumbing and radiators New Boiler some changes to plumbing, old radiators reused - £2K


replaster/paint all walls/ceilings Replastering at an Average of £250 per room


minor repairs to windows 10 UPVC windows and 2 UPCV door £3.5K


wooden floors in main living areas Did it myself £700 materials. 3 days and a broken back

new bathroom and tiles £2500

new kitchen and tiles Did it myself on the cheap for £750 (MFi cheapo stuff

built in wardrobes in bedroom

take down a small partition and some other misc stuff. An afternoon of fun ?

the quotes i have had so far from 4 diff contractors come in
at the 48-55k range all in !

a couple of mates(in related trades) reckon i should be able
to do a decent job all in for about 30k and if i upped the spec
maybe 40k.

now the flat is in a posh part of central london so are
these builders all taking the mick and applying a rich person's
(i am not btw) premium ?

Any suggestions?

My suggestion is that you are indeed being quoted a 'London' weighting.