What lands on the doormat

Dear Homeowner,

We saw your application for a single-storey rear extension on the council's planning list and wanted to introduce ourselves before you start collecting quotes. We are a building firm based in Croydon, and we run one extension at a time so the same two carpenters are on your job from first fix to last.

Taking the conservatory down before the single storey rear extension goes up adds a week at the start, and what is under its old base decides how much of that time is groundworks. The glazing is the other thing that moves the cost, more than the extra square metres.

As a starting point, the jobs like this we have built locally over the last couple of years have come in at £48,000–£72,000 for the build itself, including finishing. Treat that as a guide until someone has stood in your garden with a tape measure. We have been trading for 14 years, most of our work comes from neighbours of houses we have already finished.

You do not need to wait for a decision before we talk. Most people find it easier to get a builder's eye on the drawings early, while a detail that would cost more to build than it needs to can still be changed. We are happy to do that at the house, with no charge and no obligation.

If that would help, ring us on 020 7946 0418 or email office@merrowfieldbuild.co.uk and we will find a time that suits you. If you already have someone lined up, no hard feelings, we hope the build goes well.

Kind regards, Merrowfield Build