Planning a whole-house renovation

Updated 26 October 2026 · SK Home Improvements

What is a whole-house renovation?

A whole-house renovation is a single, planned project that updates most or all of a home, typically including structural repairs, roof and windows, rewiring, plumbing and heating, plastering, a new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration. It is common when buying an older or neglected property, or when a house has had little work for decades.

A whole-house renovation typically costs £45,000–£120,000 including VAT, with the size and condition of the house, the specification and any extensions or layout changes driving where it lands. Running everything as one project usually costs less and causes less disruption than tackling rooms one by one over several years.

Where should you start?

Start with a thorough survey of the building, because it tells you what must be fixed before what you would like to change. Look at the structure, roof, damp, drainage, windows, and the age and safety of the electrics, gas and heating. A useful rule is to deal with the building in this order:

1. Structure: movement, failing lintels, roof timbers and walls.
2. Weathertightness: roof, chimneys, gutters, windows and external doors.
3. Services: wiring, plumbing, heating and drainage.
4. Layout: wall removal, extensions or new bathrooms.
5. Finishes: kitchen, bathroom, flooring and decoration.

Homes built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos in materials such as textured coatings, floor tiles or boiler flues, so a survey before strip-out is sensible. Any removal needed is done by specialists before work starts.

What order should the trades work in?

Trades work in a set sequence so that no finished work has to be disturbed later. A typical order for a whole-house renovation is:

1. Design, surveys, quotes and approvals.
2. Strip-out of old kitchens, bathrooms, plaster and fittings.
3. Structural work: steel beams, wall removal, extensions and repairs.
4. Roof, windows and external doors, to make the house weathertight.
5. First fix: new wiring, pipework, heating, data and ventilation routes.
6. Plastering, floor screeds and drying out.
7. Second fix carpentry: internal doors, skirting boards, architraves and stairs.
8. Kitchen and bathroom installation.
9. Second fix electrics and plumbing: sockets, lights, radiators and sanitaryware.
10. Hard flooring, decoration, then carpets.
11. External works such as render, driveways and landscaping, then snagging.

Driveways and landscaping usually come last, so skips, scaffolding and deliveries do not damage them.

How should you budget for a whole-house renovation?

Build your budget around the essentials first, then add finishes, and always keep a contingency. On older properties, a contingency of 10 to 20% of the build cost is sensible, because problems such as rotten joists, poor wiring or hidden damp only appear once work begins.

• Price the fabric and services work first: roof, structure, windows, rewiring and heating.
• Then add kitchens, bathrooms and finishes within what remains.
• Include fees for drawings, structural engineers, building control and, where relevant, planning and party wall matters.
• Allow for temporary costs such as skips, scaffolding, storage and, if needed, somewhere else to stay.

Renovation work is normally charged at 20% VAT, which our guide prices include. HMRC allows a reduced rate in certain cases, such as renovating a home that has been empty for two years or more, so it is worth checking whether that applies. Our prices page shows guide ranges for individual jobs.

Can you live at home during a renovation?

You can sometimes live at home during a whole-house renovation, but it is hard during the heaviest stages, and many people move out for some or all of the work. The most disruptive phases are rewiring, replastering, heating work and the period with no kitchen or bathroom, when power, water and heating may be off for parts of the day and dust is unavoidable.

If you stay, phasing the work helps: keep one bathroom and a temporary kitchen working, finish one floor before starting another, and keep a sealed room for sleeping. Tell your home insurer about the work before it starts, as some policies change cover during major works or when a home is empty.

What approvals might a renovation need?

A whole-house renovation usually involves several separate approvals, depending on the work:

• Planning permission: for extensions, roof changes and some external alterations, with stricter rules for listed buildings and conservation areas.
• Building Regulations or a building warrant: for structural work, replacement windows, rewiring, new heating, drainage and changes to layout.
• Party wall notices: in England and Wales, for work to shared walls or nearby excavation.
• Certificates: electrical installation certificates, certificates for gas work, building control completion certificates and window certificates, which you will need when you sell.

Our guides to Building Regulations and removing a load-bearing wall explain two of the most common steps.

How long does a whole-house renovation take?

A whole-house renovation of a typical three-bedroom house often takes three to six months on site, and longer with an extension, loft conversion or major structural work. Lead times also matter: made-to-order windows, kitchens and steel beams can each take several weeks to arrive, so order them early to keep the programme moving. Drying time for plaster and screeds cannot be rushed without risking cracks and failed finishes. As a rough guide, a sand and cement screed needs about a day per millimetre of thickness for the first 40 mm before most floor finishes go down, and a new skim coat often needs several days to a week before painting.

How do you keep control of a renovation?

The simplest way to keep control is to agree a detailed written specification and programme before work starts, and to route every change through a written variation with its price and effect on time. Make decisions on kitchens, bathrooms, tiles and flooring early, so materials are on site when needed. Regular site updates help you see progress, and a snagging list near the end makes sure small defects are fixed before the job is closed off.

We plan and manage the whole job, coordinating the trades working under our contract. See our whole-house renovations page or get a range from our guide-price tool.

Related services

• Whole-house renovations: guide £45,000–£120,000 inc VAT
• Kitchens: guide £8,000–£22,000 inc VAT
• Bathrooms: guide £5,000–£12,000 inc VAT

Figures in this guide are typical UK ranges including VAT where it applies. They are not quotes. Rules on planning and building control differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and change over time, so we check what applies to your property before quoting.