House renovations in London
A house renovation is a great investment for your London home. Renovating your property creates the feeling of living in a new home on a far lower budget, and without all the known hassle associated with moving.
1. FREE SITE VISIT
House renovations have a big impact on quality of life and value of the properties. Coming on site is a necessary step to fully understand all the aspects of the process.
- Meeting in person: a house renovation is all about your desires and what you want to achieve. A face to face session is the only way to understand your priorities, your requirements, your concerns.
- Viewing the property: do you live in a Victorian mansion block? a detached house? on a street where parking is not allowed? where is the gas meter, the electrical consumer unit? all these and more details are important things to assess for a house renovation project. Even when technical drawings are already provided, a site visit is the way to learn more about the property.
2. DESIGNING AND BUDGETING
houseUP can support you during the design and planning phase. We work with a network of partner architects and designers specialised in house renovations in London. We are involved from the outset helping design for the budget you have in mind for your house refurbishment
(optional)
- Space and light: what are the aspects of your life that you want to improve with the renovation
- Beauty and efficiency: whether you need more storage space, two separate bedrooms for your children who are growing up fast, a new ensuite bathroom for yourself, our designers will help you with the best solutions to achieve your dream house
- Choice of materials: paint, radiators, tiles, floors, parquet, fitted wardrobes, windows, kitchen cabinets, worktop and appliances. Every choice of material can change the feel of your house after a renovation. Easy maintenance and cleaning, energy efficiency, safety and security are all aspects that our designers will address for your house refurbishment.
3. FREE ESTIMATION
A house renovation requires an investment in time, life disruption and money. Having a reliable and transparent quote means that you can have more control. Understanding all the costing means you are able to make all the right decisions.
- Budget planning: our accurate estimations allow you to plan in advance for all the expenses. We agree on a payment schedule that is feasible for you, according to the size and duration of your house renovation
- Cost control: our quotes are easy to understand. You will be able to follow the progress on site and the budget consumption at any point during their house renovation
4. BUILD
When your house renovation project is ongoing, there are different aspects our project manager takes into account.
- Completion in time and on budget: organising all the activities is the main factor for a successful renovation project. Our project managers are competent and experienced in house renovations and ensure they remain fully in control of everything that happens both on and off site. You will have one dedicated project manager for everything regarding personnel, authorities, neighbours but also materials, deliveries and access
- Quality of results: our teams work at the highest standards, from the construction to the finishes. Our project managers visit the site regularly, give daily instructions to the working teams and perform frequent quality control checks
- Prevention of issues: home refurbishments can seem simple, but the smallest details are very important to a successful renovation project. Even with the perfect design and planning, there are always adjustments that are needed along the way. Our teams prevent issues when possible and offer solutions in the quickest time
5. COMPLETION AND HANDOVER
At the end of a house renovation project, you want to see all the details finished to perfection. Our project managers are there to help after the refurbishment is completed, to make sure even the smallest elements are taken care of.
- Snagging: at the end of your renovation, our project manager will inspect your house with you, to create a snagging list. The list will include all the last details that need to be addressed. A specialised team will take over to follow up on all the items in the snagging list and make sure that all the finishes are finalised to your expectations
- Warranties and certificates: after your house refurbishment, you will receive all the relevant certificates and warranties. Electrical and gas certificates, windows and doors FENSA certificates, roof guarantee certificates, waterproofing certificates are handed over. Insurance backed guarantees for some of the works may also be required and provided to you at the project handover
Types of house renovations
- 01KITCHEN RENOVATION
A kitchen renovation can include many alterations, besides installing a new kitchen. You might want to remove an internal wall to make a larger kitchen, for example. Installing new appliances or changing their arrangement will require wiring and plumbing work. New lighting may also be part of the requirements.. If you are extending your house to make a larger kitchen, kitchen renovation might be part of your house extension.
- 02BATHROOM RENOVATION
For a bathroom renovation you may want to change the arrangements of all the fittings and install new sanitaryware. This will mean new plumbing alterations will be required. Tiling and lighting are almost always renovated when refurbishing a bathroom, with specialist workers involved. Often new bathrooms are created during house renovations, adding an ensuite bathroom to the master bedroom or enlarging a ground floor toilet.
- 03FULL HOUSE RENOVATION
A full house renovation can include kitchen and bathrooms refurbishment, new flooring, heating, wiring and plumbing and a new boiler. It often includes new windows and doors and plastering and painting of the internal and external walls. New ceilings might be included as well.
- 04RENOVATIONS AS PART OF BIGGER ALTERATIONS
A house renovations can be planned as part of an extension project. If you want to extend your property with a basement or loft conversion, a rear or side extension, or all of them, you will want to include a house renovation.. When you perform major alterations, the areas of your house that are not renovated can look unfavourable in contrast with the newly built parts. Plus, a renovation is convenient in terms of time and cost, if a construction company is already working on an extension or a conversion at your property. Check our service pages on basement conversion, loft conversion and house extension for more information.
Average cost
The cost for a house renovation is very much variable, depending on what the project includes. Changing the kitchen will have a higher price than just repainting it.
To calculate a ballpark figure, the average cost of a house renovation starts from £2,000 per sqm including finishes like flooring, kitchen, tiles, sanitary ware. etc. Depending on the type of finishes and the size of the alterations, the cost per sqm can rise substantially.
F.A.Q
Collected questions that we often hear from you
How much will my refurbishment cost?
Every good building company will tell you that it is not possible to estimate the cost of refurbishment for a flat or a house before all the details have been defined. But we understand that it is important to have a reference figure before embarking in the process for budgeting purposes.
We suggest a conservative estimate of £1,750 per square metre as the absolute minimum, and an average of between £2,000 and £3,500 per square metre.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are details that can impact the cost significantly, the most costly being basement excavations or extensions of existing lower ground spaces; inclusion of very large or high spec glazing; very high energy performance materials.
Additionally, some finishes can increase costs significantly, like paint, tiles or flooring, especially if the surfaces are very large,.
In general, kitchens can be installed from as low as a few thousand pounds to hundreds of thousands, too.
How long will my refurbishment take?
As per the duration of a project, it cannot be estimated without the full details. If you want to plan ahead, for alternative accommodation for example, we recommend at least:
For smaller flat refurbishment, approximately 4 to 6 months. For house refurbishment, approximately 6 – 8 months These estimations relate to straightforward refurbishments like loft conversions or rear and side extensions. More complex work like basement excavations can only be estimated with more details, especially if access to the property is a consideration. Composition of the soil etc are also important factors.
Can I live at the property during the refurbishment?
We always recommend that you arrange for alternative accommodation during the project.
Some of our clients choose to live at the property during the work, and, of course, we make that possible. However, please be advised that this arrangement comes with a significant increases in stress, cost and duration of the project.
I want to do everything with one company, can you do design and refurbishment for me?
Yes we can. We partner with the best London architects to create designs that suit you and your needs. We will match you with architects who have specific experience in your area, share your vision and style for your refurbishment project.
Doing the design and build with us gives you a view and control of the projected costs of your refurbishment from the very first day. You will be able to make well-informed choices for your design while understanding the cost implications and opting for the best solution for your investment.
Check out our Design & Build page for more information.
I have all the drawings ready with my architect, can you do the building works for me?
We certainly can! We work with the best architects in London through a tender process, for clients that choose to have the designs for their refurbishment made by an independent architect.
We can provide quotes in our own very detailed format or in your architect’s preferred format.
Do I need planning permission for my refurbishment?
You won’t need planning permission for most refurbishment projects. If you are not changing the external appearance of your flat or your house, you won’t need planning permission. In many cases, you can make a loft conversion or a rear/side extension within permitted development rights. You can find all the details on which type of extensions are allowed under permitted development here.
However, if you are planning to refurbish a listed building, you may need permission.
What works make the biggest difference in the final cost of my refurbishment project?
Typically excavation to extend or create a basement under an existing property is one of the most expensive types of work in construction. The cost of finishes is another big factor in the final cost of a flat or house refurbishment.
I am buying a property, can you help me estimate how much the refurbishment would cost?
When you buy a new property, it is very likely that you’ll plan for a refurbishment. You can find some very good deals on the market, where you can buy a property for a good price when it needs some work done.
By offering an estimation on work to be done, we can help you make the right decision and offer the right price for the potential property.
Are you are at the planning and budgeting stage? Are you ready to start the work on site? Reach out to speak with our specialist London renovation team