2023 - Movements in Extension Costs in Dublin and Elsewhere

mickie smyth

Hey folks,

I’ve been reading around on the threads, and am trying to get an overview of where the market is now.

2022 saw some eye watering quotes for extensions due both to the cost of materials, but also a heavy backlog on construction after COVID. Many have been hoping that prices in 2023 would ease off - while others said there would be no chance of that.

Can anyone share any insights or figures? Are prices still eye watering, and have people even been able to get quotes?

Thanks to anyone — with good news or bad!

Ninesell

I’m at the start of the extension process in Westmeath. I’m very interested to hear current experiences too!

dublinbay34

No job is the same so it has to compare apples for apples.

I am going through an extension at the minute in South Dublin, which involves

1. Garage conversion which involves a new roof
2. 15 sqm extension
3. demolition of old extension
4. understairs bathroom
5. various walls removed and new door openings etc
6. garden works
7. Windows / Doors / Rooflights
8. PC sums
9. Steel work

My first quote was 310k which was eye watering, the second quote was in the region of 200k. I had ball parked it at 150k based on no experience and when the quote was broken down it seemed reasonable.

society4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150897#Comment_120150897

Looking to do similar …did you get the works down 200k…please pm me the name of your builder if you recommend him…thanks

fliball123

Hold firm there is a new paradigm at play for builders in the extension game in 2023

input costs are down

Deisel/petrol, raw materials, energy all down and will be coming down further.

Workers working in construction have increased by over 40k from 2021 to 2022 and this number will continue to grow with the government throwing visas like confetti at construction workers globally to come here to work.

Both construction outputs and PMIs are in a state of serious contraction for the last year and with new builds rising swaying this number negatively for extensions it means that extension work is drying up quicker than an ice cube in the Sahara. Not to mention access to cheap credit is now no longer an option for anyone looking to finance an extension and there is going to be at least 2 more interest rate rises before July.

We have a 50% increase in insolvencies within the country from 2021 to 2022 and this is ramping up again so construction companies will have to compete or hit the wall already there have been a good few construction companies hitting the wall in 2023.

If you can wait it out for another 9/12 months the likes of the drops in energy should see raw materials fall further, with further workers coming into the space you will see an increase in competition and prices will come down.

A good metric for extension prices would be the trajectory of property prices. Property prices even with the ravenous demand that was there in mid 2022 has seen this demand completely quelled due to the rate rises we are seeing price dropping in the market.

society4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120150897#Comment_120150897

Did you finish the works and did it come in 200k or more ?

mrsoft

Got a recent quote for an extension which also includes other works

25sqm kitchen extension

Create en-suite bedroom in attic area

Redesign of downstairs area including knocking/building walls

Puraflo/Percolation area

Move boiler to another area

Renovate current en-suite

Small renovation of dining room area

Just shy of 110k not including fitted kitchen.

mickie smyth

Sounds a lot better than some quotes I've seen Does the extension work require knocking and RSJs etc?

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120708983#Comment_120708983

Hmmm

Is that an attic conversion?

With the 25sqm that sounds reasonable enough.

A decent bathroom renovation alone could be minimum 10k.

kevgaa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120708983#Comment_120708983

At a high level that seems like a good price but like everything the devil is in the detail.

Is this for a builders finish as you say the fitted Kitchen is not included?

If you take kitchen extensions usually are usually around 3-3.5K per sq metre and that usually has an allowance for tiles/kitchen etc

At the top end thats 87.5k for extension take away lets say 15k allowances thats basically 2900 sq metre which isn't bad but its all down to the finish

That leaves 37500 for the remainder of the work on the list.

Thomasirl123

Have many built extensions this year? All the websites seem to say it's about 2k a square metre but reality is more like 4k. Some of the quotes Ive seen makes me wonder how any construction is going on.

py

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121495397#Comment_121495397

Plenty of work going on near us but I've no idea how people are financing it. Must be either inheritance or leveraging themselves to the hilt as the prices we've been given are similar to you.

Thomasirl123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121495885#Comment_121495885

Hard to see the value of doing the work on my house. Better off moving!

kevgaa

Yeah no sign of building slowing down in my area in south Dublin, at least 4 extensions currently ongoing with a few hundred metres of me.

I have planning approved and am going out to Tender but initial costs I got are 4K for extension and 2k for retrofit.

Will be interesting to what prices come back from tender and if builders even reply.

Despite interest rate hikes there is still huge demand for builders so as result prices are high and people are paying them.

Thomasirl123

4k is what surprised me. I thought it would be about 2k but seems double that is the going rate on the market.

Every site I looked at had extension for about 2k a square metre in 2023 but people are getting actual quotes for 4k.

happyplants

Well it's 2024 and I'm getting close to 5k per M2 for a 71m2 extension and additional works.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121495885#Comment_121495885

Quoted over 40k for 10sqm by multiple builders. North Dublin. Not remotely worth it.

C3PO

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122212233#Comment_122212233

That sounds like a cheap price tbh! For an extension of only 10sq costing norms just don’t apply! A small job like that is too much trouble for a builder unless they can build in a decent profit!

lawred2

Yeah sure cheap.

As I said, not remotely worth it.

society4

how much roughly would a retrofit of a 140sqm house (rewire/repumb/insulate to B3 (gas boiler) 30sqm extension, utility room/new kitchen/replace ensuite and garage conversion in Dublin?

Sunjava

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122214947#Comment_122214947

A guess would be 400k based on 2k per sqm of retrofit and 4k per sqm extension. Get a few genuine quotes and post them up here.

lawred2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122215351#Comment_122215351

Jesus wept

Is that not nearly at knock down and start again levels?

society4

I thought 250k would be enough !

Sunjava

Being optimistic perhaps you could take 1500 per sqm for retrofit and 3k per sqm for extension giving you 300k.. I hope I'm wrong!

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122215351#Comment_122215351

Wtf. Go way out of that. Not a hope.

Sunjava

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216249#Comment_122216249

Go back to Kevgaa's comment. You're more than welcome to offer your 2 cent.

py

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122215351#Comment_122215351

Would agree with this based on quotes we received a while back. Things are mad.

Thomasirl123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122216305#Comment_122216305

Also agree, got quoted 200k+vat for a 50 sqm extension

society4

Are prices on the rise again ?

Sunjava

It doesn't help that people are being a bit desperate, contractors throwing out daft quotes and people accepting them. It is supply and demand. There appears to be a lack of clarity around what the going rates are, Architects won't even predict how much a project is going to cost.