MORE TOP TIPS FOR BUDGETING

Always vet your suppliers and make sure what’s included in the price, such as installation.

Get the contract confirmed before work starts to cover everything you think it should; you don’t want to get billed for something you haven’t budgeted for.

Have a contingency fund in place – you don’t want to use it, but you’ll be thankful it’s there if you do.

Keep a record of everything you spend as you go along so that you can check if things are starting to spiral; this will also help with your VAT reclaim.

Use good quality products, but choose off-the-shelf sizes to get a high end look at an affordable price.

Specify traditional UK building methods and materials that small-scale builders can manage easily, rather than having to fork out for a specialist installer.

Spend in the architectural areas that are most visible; for example, use good quality bricks on the front and render the side walls that don’t impact on kerb appeal.