Product Description

A guide aimed at consumers to advise the reader on how much they should be paying for home improvements to help them budget for their developments. Costs are displayed in easy to follow tables and include everything necessary to carry out the work. All costs fully updated Includes costs for semi-detached houses New information regarding Home Information Packs (HIPs) New section on weather (storm, flood and snow), and earthquake damage

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #187875 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 252 pages

Review
1st Edition - This title is an invaluable resource for anyone serous about home improvement and property development, written by the BCIS an authority on construction costings --Phil Spencer, TV Property Expert

1st Edition - It is the perfect resource for anyone who has suspected their plumber is ripping them off; a book that shows exactly how much he should be charging. --The Daily Telegraph

1st Edition - Packed with advice on how to budget for repairs, improvements, alterations and extension work. Until now such information has been available only to the construction industry --Daily Mirror

1st Edition - It is the perfect resource for anyone who has suspected their plumber is ripping them off; a book that shows exactly how much he should be charging. --The Daily Telegraph

1st Edition - Packed with advice on how to budget for repairs, improvements, alterations and extension work. Until now such information has been available only to the construction industry --Daily Mirror

About the Author
the Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors - BCIS has been providing cost and price information for surveyors and other construction industry professionals for more than 40 years

Customer Reviews

House improvement and repair costs at your fingertips
The 2nd edition of this excellent work from the Building Cost Information Service of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors is bigger, better and more extensive than the first edition. Packed with good advice on how to get house repair and improvement work done as well as expanded coverage of building regulations this book has up to date costs that you could produce a preliminary budget from - and you can't do that from any of the other books like this in the market. None of the others give you properly worked out costs. Prices have gone up by around 20% since the last edition across many items of work so it will pay to have the latest information. The title always covered detached and terraced housing but prices for semi-detatched houses are now included. There's also an interesting new section at the back on the costs of fixing weather related damage. Building really is a free market so it pays to remember that the 'fair price' is the one that you agree to pay for a set of work! Most problems come from people letting people who knock on the door undertake work and then not being happy with the work completed or from paying everything up front and then being surprised when the builders disappear halfway through the job. Of course in both these cases you aren't really dealing with proper builders at all of course - just practised con artists. This book will warn you of these common pitfalls and much, much more. I was impressed.

Detailed pricing information
This book contains plenty of detailed pricing information on all sorts of house renovations and refurbishments. However, the prices are on the high side, even when quoted as a range of values. Seems to be aimed at commercial property developers.