A complete guide to home renovation costs
Instead of asking how much will it cost, you should ask how much can you spend
The cost of adding an extension to a house built in the 1950s and one built in the 1990s can vary widely. Photograph: Getty
If you were thinking of refurbishing your home, spending so much time there right now is probably amplifying any niggles. With kitchens across the country strewn with dishes, laptops and jigsaws, a better layout may appeal. While renovation works may not be an immediate priority, knowing the costs will help when the time is right.
Let’s take a typical three-bed semi – how much you have to spend may be a more realistic starting point than your wish list, says Noel Larkin. As chairman of the building surveyor professional group of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, and with his own practice in Dunshaughlin, he helps clients to balance design and cost.