How Much Would An Extension Cost Me?
Who of us doesn't know this: We love our four walls and never want to move away from there. But at some point, we realize that our house is too small—maybe because we've had a baby and the rooms aren't enough, maybe because we want to move our office home, or maybe because we want to pursue a new hobby. Then an extension might be a good alternative instead of looking for a new house straight away. How much will an extension cost? Today we have put together some examples to support you in planning together with an architect.
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- The simple extension on the ground floor
- Double storey extension
- Annex with kitchen or bathroom
- Details as part of the renovation
- What happens when conditions are difficult?
- Location, location and more location
- Materials and construction
- How do I manage project costs?
- Extension with double garage and cellar room
1. The simple extension on the ground floor
Today we should calculate between 1,400 and 1,800 euros per square metre for an extension. This is reflected in the prices of the last few years. As a rule, of course, this also depends on the location of your own house. While the price of building houses and extensions in the country can be quite modest, the prices in large cities are even higher. With an average calculation, construction costs for an extension measuring 4 by 5 metres amount to at least 28,000—30,000 euros, plus additional costs such as architect's fees, registration with the city, land register entries and sales tax.
2. Double storey extension
We can also apply the same calculation for extensions that extend over several floors. An extension over two floors would add 50 per cent of the costs and would be a minimum of around 43,000 euros plus the additional costs mentioned above. The crucial question when planning is whether we are dealing with a relatively simple cultivation or one that is more complicated. If the structural conditions allow you to build an extension without additional effort: no problem. But sometimes major structural adjustments need to be made. These include, for example, demolition of existing rooms, wall breakthroughs in load-bearing walls or preparations on the property.
3. Annex with kitchen or bathroom
For extensions that involve adding a new kitchen or bathroom to the new room, we will need to budget for additional costs. A bathroom costs between 8,000 and 10,000 euros if, in addition to the water and electricity pipes, we only rely on simple tiles and sanitary objects. For a small, average kitchen we should budget around 12,000 euros—a little more depending on which kitchen appliances we want to buy.
4. Details as part of the renovation
If you invest in a house extension, you don't want to miss out on a particularly beautiful design. Floor coverings, electrics and lighting create a wonderful setting for rooms and are essential if we want to create a beautiful style. High-quality worktops in kitchens, kitchen islands or a small bar should also be charged extra, as should minimalist sliding doors or high-quality kitchen fronts.
5. What happens when conditions are difficult?
Unfortunately, not every extension is so easy to implement. Sometimes we come across framework conditions that we should include in our time and financial planning:
- Every extension requires a solid foundation. Depending on the type of soil and conditions, these can be easier or more complex to implement.
- Is access to the construction site easy or complicated? Particularly in existing buildings with finished outdoor facilities, more complex measures are required so that tradesmen can reach the construction site.
- Do the structural conditions remain the same or do walls, roof areas or windows need to be changed?
- Which pipes and drainage systems need to be changed as part of the extension?
6. Location, location and more location
The location of our house plays a bigger role than we might think at the moment. If our single-family home is in a high-quality location, for example in a good part of a big city or a part of the city with good infrastructure, it is worth investing a little more in an extension.
7. Materials and construction
The construction of our extension and the materials used can differ significantly from one another. Extensions can also be implemented with very different materials. A prefabricated wall installation is just as conceivable as an extension that is built stone on stone. In the end, this is also a question of money.
8. How do I manage project costs?
To best manage the project in terms of time, professional implementation and costs, it makes sense to involve a professional architect from the start. Because he not only has a lot of experience in terms of design and implementation. He skillfully brings together the various trades and advises where hidden costs may lie. For example, when tendering, an architect requests 3 to 5 offers from different tradesmen to compare alternative plans and costs. This way, as landlords, we have cost certainty before the actual construction begins. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it makes sense to draw up construction contracts between craftsmen and builders. The architect also helps and advises with this—including the building inspection at the end of the implementation.
9. Extension with double garage and cellar room
An extension can quickly become expensive, so you should not forego good planning to calculate how much an extension will cost. At homify you will of course also find tips and ideas for home extensions that everyone can afford. In this way, you can realistically estimate the construction costs per square metre and keep them as low as possible. A nice idea for expanding your living space is, for example, a prefabricated house extension. A detached house can therefore be expanded quickly and effectively.
This is what happened in this example: The house is on a hillside property on a quiet side street. The family living there wanted additional rooms and more space in the living room and kitchen. The plan was to create a two-story extension with a double garage and an additional cellar room.
To make room for the extension, the old, detached garages were demolished. The prefabricated house was built using a timber frame construction – just like the construction of the cube above the garage.
