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Partly that I think, but they started late last year and are only just finishing it off. The builder has been very up front about costs and the guy whose house it is only has positives to say about him, but I feel like we need to sit down and pick apart where the costs are coming from and how we can get them down. Some of it is caution I think, as they've allowed £20k for the kitchen alone, but I don't think we'll get near that.
tbc-
Is this the bloke whos quoted you the business end of 200 grand including the vat and professional fees?
Hes set his stall out very clearly by giving that price out from the start, yes, you might be able to cut a few k off here and there, a slightly more budget kitchen and windows, floor etc etc but I suspect the sad reality is that most of the fat within the figures are his crews wages for the job and a 40k profit for his company afterwards. I.e there will be precious little to take the scissors to unless hes prepared to earn less from the job.
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Having received a few quotes recently for my kitchen, I can only surmise that a lot of these guys are being overcautious on timings and adding fat to everything for uncertainty, forgetting that the total is going to end up unjustifiably high.
Quoted 41 man-days of work by one contractor, which is at least double the amount of time it would take me to do the work they've priced for (on my own). I have no issues paying someone a giant day-rate to do a job better than I can but if it's actually taking that long then they're obviously not spending the whole time on my job and that's not acceptable either.
Not sure what the answer is other than DIY!
princeperch
Dramatic_Hammer
The difference in price could be from the time there's started I suppose?