Cost of renovations - contractor recommendation

[Satha Palani]

Hi All,

My wife and i moved to Newark 6 month ago. A house recently came up for sale right around the corner from where we live and I am very keen and buying it. We love the neighborhood. The issue is the house is old and has been a rental for ages and needs work. I am trying to get feel for who much this "work" will cost so that i can decide what price to offer. The house is a duplex; (upstairs/  downstairs setup).

How much do you think it would cost to add approx 300 sqft to the upstairs unit. The extension would go over an existing extension that already exist downstairs.

also part of the upstairs (about 300 sqft) has a very low ceiling; I think it is an add on to the original house. Will it be very costly to have the ceiling raised together with the extension work?

Also any recommendation for  a reputable GC, local to Newark who has experience handling these types of renovation would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

satha