Builders - North - South divide?

[Lucan Unlordly]

NORTH
So according to TV's 'Home under the Hammer' some guy or gal buys a property at auction for £80k and with a budget of £20k repairs the roof, knocks down a couple of walls, installs a new kitchen and bathroom, replasters, re-wires, decorates throughout, landscapes the garden and puts £40k on the value.

SOUTH
Mate in 7 year old property gets plans drawn up to convert an attached garage into an office, single rear door changed to patio doors, floor to be raised a few centimetres, stud wall partition, insulation etc.,, ......electrics and water all existing and accessible. Cost? In excess of £50k

Whilst both sets of costs are subject to scrutiny, is the divide really that wide?

 

[IanSuth]

NORTH
So according to TV's 'Home under the Hammer' some guy or gal buys a property at auction for £80k and with a budget of £20k repairs the roof, knocks down a couple of walls, installs a new kitchen and bathroom, replasters, re-wires, decorates throughout, landscapes the garden and puts £40k on the value.

SOUTH
Mate in 7 year old property gets plans drawn up to convert an attached garage into an office, single rear door changed to patio doors, floor to be raised a few centimetres, stud wall partition, insulation etc.,, ......electrics and water all existing and accessible. Cost? In excess of £50k

Whilst both sets of costs are subject to scrutiny, is the divide really that wide?

North guy is working for himself valuing his labour low - South guy is working for a customer and having to build in all costs (including likely stupid parking rules/costs and ULEZ) plus chance of not getting paid by a % of customers plus knows what it will add to value of property

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

North guy is working for himself valuing his labour low - South guy is working for a customer and having to build in all costs (including likely stupid parking rules/costs and ULEZ) plus chance of not getting paid by a % of customers plus knows what it will add to value of property

Not necessarily so. Many of the winning bidders on HUTH bring in the specialist trades and barring a lick of paint they may throw around themselves, still have considerable outside investment.

On reflection my examples don't actually address the point of my question, that being how wide the North-South divide actually in terms of material costs and daily labour rates and how much is down to the misconceived idea that all southerners have more expendable cash?

 

[IanSuth]

Not necessarily so. Many of the winning bidders on HUTH bring in the specialist trades and barring a lick of paint they may throw around themselves, still have considerable outside investment.

On reflection my examples don't actually address the point of my question, that being how wide the North-South divide actually in terms of material costs and daily labour rates and how much is down to the misconceived idea that all southerners have more expendable cash?

Definitely a misconceived idea re disposable cash

Go see our friends in Marple (Stockport) and the drives are all full of near new 5 series/x5's and above - similar street near me in Berkshire with likely far more expensive houses it is Toyota Corollas, Octavia's and the odd A3