Im about to bid on a house. Its an old house that needs a lot of work(replastering, new windows, new flooring, rewiring etc etc). It is approx 1100sqft with a side garden of approx 100sq metres). I had a 2nd viewing this evening and brought an architect with me(I didnt know him. I called him yesterday on spec and he voluntered to go with me). His advice if we proceed would be to basically not do anything structural at all to the old house and to add a large extension to the side which would be a kitchen\living\dining area which we could maybe build around a yard(wrap around). He reckons the building cost would be 2500 per sq metre. Is this not what builders were charging a few years ago before the slump. Also(more worringly) he reckons that the whole process from planning to building would take approx 2 years(maybe 18 months at a push if everything went 100% according to plan). Fist of all does anybody know if this estimate for an extension would be in and around correct and secondly does planning really take this long. The estate agent has a bid on the house and is putting me under pressure to let her know if im intrested as she has a bid there already. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.