Planning an extension: foundations, slabs & costs—a 2025 guide before breaking ground
Planning a home extension in South Africa? This 2025 guide covers costs per m², foundations & municipal approvals. Get a realistic budget & avoid costly mistakes.
Comprehensive Scope of work. 3 Activities. 1. Cut, chase and removal of 4 old existing interior partly rusted through steel door frames with minimum breakage of existing tiles if possible. Try to reclaim existing tiles before cutting can take place. Installation of new door frames to a satisfactory standard meaning level, square and secured which includes o Removal of existing wooden doors before removal of old door frames. o First try to reclaim as much as possible existing tiles around old existing steel frames by scratching out the grout with a grout removal tool and use a broad blade putty knife to loosen or lift the tile with extreme care if possible. o Removal of old steel door frames. o Installation of new steel frames level, square and properly secured in wall with frame side metal door jamb stays/straps. o Plastering around new steel door frames on the outside of the rooms (Spanish plaster style), make neat. No need to paint the new plastered portion because we are going to repaint the whole passage wall where 2 of these frames are situated. o Tiling and grouting around door frames on inside of the rooms and on floor in door entrances where necessary, make neat. o Re-plastering and screeding of cement/concrete step at laundry door after the old steel door frame was removed (breaking of step surface to remove bottom threshold support stays) and new steel door frame installed and finished off with a smooth surface as it was with the standard anti slip ridges (CONCRETE CEMENT TROWEL WITH RIDGES). o Fit/Reinstall/hang of wooden doors level and square with their new lock mechanisms (2 hollow high quality wooden doors (bathroom, toilet), 1 solid standard wooden outside door at laundry and 1 existing wooden sliding door at main bedroom bathroom) if possible, otherwise new doors will be purchased and must be planed down to fit neatly into the door frames level and square with a tolerance not more than 3 to 4mm between the side of the wooden door locking mechanism and the steel door frame in a close position, accept for the reusable wooden sliding door at main bathroom which does not need replacement seeing that it is going to be reused with its sliding mechanism. o Clean area of any building rubble to a dust free state it was found in before breakage of walls and floors. 2. Strip and removal of existing ±7m² shower wall tiles and the mosaic shower floor tiles ±0.7m² in main bathroom which includes the following work o Dismantling and temporally removal of existing glass pivot shower door with great care. It’s going to be reused. o Remove existing shower head with its shower arm plus the existing tap handles. o Block water supply pipe outlet in wall with paper or something similar to prevent debris from going into the water supply pipe before stripping the wall tiles and old adhesive. o Strip and remove existing tiles and mosaic as well as all tile adhesive and make good. o Break out existing ±0.7m² floor slab, recast and screed to a more level incline towards the shower water trap. o Reset existing shower water trap to new floor slab, screed and then fit new supplied shower water trap. o Thoroughly Waterproof shower walls and shower floor slab with all the necessary layers to a % waterproofing. At least 3 layers of waterproofing slurry mixture and the use of an approved purposed waterproofing cloth which will overlap at least mm on wall areas and also overlaps where wall and floor joins o After waterproofing is completely dry, tile the shower wall area with new supplied wall tiles and shower floor with new supplied mosaic floor tiles (no hollow sound on tile when knocking on the tile after the adhesive has dried). Water trap guard must be flush with mosaic surface after shower floor is tiled. o Finishing off with water-resistant wall tile grout and water-resistant mosaic tile grout and make neat. o Reinstall shower existing shower head and shower arm. o Reinstall shower tap handles. o Reinstall existing pivot glass shower door to a state it was previously. o Repair main bedroom wall adjacent to shower wall surface where damp damage took place with necessary the materials and finished off with Spanish style plaster where needed. No need to paint the repaired wall seeing that we are going to repaint the whole room. Need to advise what is the best practice to fix the wall. o Removal and thoroughly clean area of all rubble and dust. 3. Strip and removal of ±2.6m² bathroom old ceramic floor tiles and install new supplied porcelain tiles which includes the following work o Strip and remove existing floor tiles and old adhesive and make good. o It will be necessary to temporarily remove toilet and washbasin pedestal to be able to remove old floor tiles and old adhesive, and if so, then toilet and pedestal needs to be fitted and set again with proper cement base mixture before proceeding with the new tile work. o Removal of old wooden skirting all round bathroom wall. o Tiling of bathroom floor with new supplied porcelain tiles with sufficient supplied adhesive (no hollow sound on tile when knocking on the tile after the adhesive has dried) and grouting. o Fit approximately ±80mm height cut tile strips all round bathroom wall area at the bottom in the place of the old wooden skirting with the same tiles as used on floor. o Removal and thoroughly clean the area of all rubble and dust
Hi, I need recommendations from anyone who’s had experience breaking through a 9-inch double cavity outer wall to fit windows or doors. If you've done this before, please share the name of the builder or construction company you worked with? I’m specifically looking for a builder/construction company with proper insurance in place. If you had a good experience, I’d appreciate your recommendations! Thanks so much in advance to anyone who can help—your advice is truly appreciated! Best regards, Jenn
Want to divide an existing house in 2, want to add 1 bathroom with bath toilet basin and shower. Also want to add one kitchen with cupboard only counter and under cupboards. Want to add 3 drywalls. Breakdown one wall and tile one area. Change a large linving room window to a kitchen window. Insert one bedroom window in bedroom. Dimenstions: Kitchen 3.5x2.3m Bathroom 2.3x3,3m Drywalling 1 st wall 4 m 2nd wall 2.7m 3rd wall 2.4m Area to tile 3 x3m Wall to break down 1.6 m Kitchen window 2.5m
Good day, I am looking to build a granny flat for the wife and I. 1 large Bedroom - 1.5 Bathrooms Open plan lounge and kitchen The construction must incorporate a stoep of at least 3m wide with built in braai. Interior +/- 80sqm excl stoep Would love zinc roof and outside walls to be face brick. Some of the interior walls can be dry walling to cut costs. Looking for some guestimate pricing to know what I am letting myself in for. Thanking you. Regards
I would like to know how much you ask for a 2 bedroom, open plan living and dining room, bathroom with shower, toilet pot and basin , kitchen and stoep and does this include insolation, concrete base, electrical and plumbing as well as skimming, as well as windows, doors and ceiling...Also, do you do monthly payments?
At the back there is ladder u enter and there is open plan kitchen , small lounge,1 bedroom and 1 master bedroom 1 bathroom and step ladder going from inside of house to kids room I want to extend and make lounge bigger with only one master bedroom and guest toilet and open plan kitchen ,& steps going down to 3 bedrooms
Good day Im just looking for a estimation building price per square meyer to build a thatch roof house 4 bedrooms on suite Opening living area with kitchen Open roofed area to entertain Approximately to sqm I dont have plans yet as Im in process now to purchase to vacant land. Thank you
It’s a small Stabkes sized building that is 9m x 4m with an apex of 3.5m. It will have a bathroom, and open plan room that will be used to live in until a later stage when it will be converted to a horse stables. I have my own plans and the land down not need any plans to build it. It is rural ficksburg.
Good Day Sir/Madam I'm want to make two Blocks of Double Story Bachelor Flats on Two separate of land, the 1st two photos are My working Flats and opposite these flats is open Land of "m the 3rd Pic is an example of how I want My Flats to look like and the last 2 Pics is a Hall of ''m there where I also want a block of Double Story Bachelor flats to be Built ther !
I want to build a rounder Vel house with Two bedrooms bathroom and kitchen and living room & dining room combined and it must have a Verenda. This house will be located in Hillcrest Durban, in KwaNyuswa.i Have sent something semilliar to what i want but in that plan i don't want garage and i only want two bedroom