OK, I have need of a general builder and despite numerous attempts at obtaining quotes I've only been met with either a complete lack of a response or utterly ridiculous quotes.

It's a house extension, 2 storey with a replacement roof to the main dwelling which as some people who've seen it know is only a small Victorian cottage. It really isn't rocket science and neither is it a 200 grand job, yes that was one quote.

Looking to start in the new year and can pay cash if needed. Plans and permissions all in place. Can email the plans in PDF format if that helps.

Ta. Dom.

Know your pain mate, we tried to extend a 1920's 2 storey semi about 4 years ago, basically to stick a garage with wc behind on ground floor and stick additional en suite bedroom above. 3 or 4 others on the street had already done exactly the same quickly and easily within previous 10 years.

Quotes came back at £140-£160k. House was only worth £200k at the time!!! Architect and Surveyor that developed the Tender couldn't believe it. They estimated £100k tops when we started the process.

Gave up on the extension and just moved in the end. Got way more for the extra £140k buying than we ever could extending and didn't have the extensive hassle and grief it would have entailed either.

Good luck! '08 Audi S6 Avant 5.2 V10 with Milltek non-resonated. Vrrrrrrmmmmmph
'59 Ford Kuga Diesel (boring but AWD and 40mpg...)
2007 (07) Subaru Forester XTen 2.5 Turbo. (Roundabouts are fun again!)
2007 (07) 4.4 V8 Vogue (gone)

Pm sent fella  If it dont work.......burn it!

If the IId tool cant fix it.......burn the FF.

If the FF cant be fixed......buy a Land Cruiser!

If the LC cant be fixed..............................................BUY a horse !!

You are too far from me, but based on the above info and depending on the finish required, kitchen, bathroom etc.

I would say 80 to 90 plus VAT.

Im having a bit of work done, our builders are just great used them now for 2 years for work, reputation is worth a lot here in mid wales.  If it dont work.......burn it!

If the IId tool cant fix it.......burn the FF.

If the FF cant be fixed......buy a Land Cruiser!

If the LC cant be fixed..............................................BUY a horse !!

Cheers Chaps. Perhaps it's just a Christmas thing, nobody can be bothered. Not sure but it does seem a lot of builders are pricing themselves out of the market. Most frustrating.

I had quotes for my garage build back in 2007 and they ranged from £40k to £90k for a friggin garage.

I just decided it was easier to build it myself

^ when we where looking at extending our old house at Banbury we look at 2 builders, one our mate used and another good reputable builder, trouble is this other fella priced him self out by a HUGE margin. If it dont work.......burn it!

If the IId tool cant fix it.......burn the FF.

If the FF cant be fixed......buy a Land Cruiser!

If the LC cant be fixed..............................................BUY a horse !!

Buy a bigger house, more cost effective. Or move to the middle of nowhere and love it ..... ooops more expensive that an FF

^ not wrong there !

At our house now the Mrs said we moving the stairs. I said off we're not........ it happened, the hole up stairs was gutted, walls, joists, beams as well, ( wood worm in them ) I redone the lay out upstairs too, better job mind and glad I have a Mrs that's more practical than just looking at wall paper and curtains, now we are on an extension. We had to waiting a few months for the builder to Finnish his other job for Mrs WD to say STOP after a day when the footings where been dug, she changed her mind in the plans!! women GRRRR  If it dont work.......burn it!

If the IId tool cant fix it.......burn the FF.

If the FF cant be fixed......buy a Land Cruiser!

If the LC cant be fixed..............................................BUY a horse !!

I live in sw London, near to me in Chessington a dentist practice had a two storey extension, and some sundry improvements to frontage was done, nicely, so I asked the guys the ballpark figure, and they said around £60000. This sounded good to me, it might have been first fix, the guys were from Midlands, maybe riding the property boom in London. The job looked great, and it's in use now. Another down my mothers street saw a similar two story but downstairs was a shallow motorbike garage, and a back room extn with rooms above, around £75000. Looks nice. Nearly finished. I asked as I'm itching to do something similar myself, ie have it done etc. look at properties, ask around, maybe even drive around and knock! You can't beak a recommendation, or just a guide price.
It's true that some firms can really throw things up without a thought for their use. Ie the positioning of channeled sockets where they would be best used, like hi vents, appliances, etc. sometimes things like tiling, plastering, inter grating existing heating circuits etc, can need to be redone as not as good as first desired.

Good luck.