A whole-house renovation is a planned refurbishment of an entire home, typically combining rewiring, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration, and sometimes layout changes, carried out in a logical order under one project.
Whatever prompted you to look into a whole-house renovation, whether wear and tear, a growing family or plans to move, we can survey your Isle of Bute home and give you a price in writing. Homes in Scotland typically come in at £43,000–£115,000, VAT included, for this kind of work. We also cover Dunoon, Greenock and Helensburgh, and the same steps apply wherever you are in Argyll and Bute.
- Guide price
- £43,000–£115,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- PA20
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Argyll and Bute
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a whole-house renovation in Isle of Bute?
These are guide costs, not quotes. For a whole-house renovation in Isle of Bute the range is £43,000–£115,000, VAT included, reflecting prices in Scotland that are about 4% below the national guide. Once we have visited for a free survey, you get a firm figure for the scope you approve.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Isle of Bute |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £14,500–£43,000 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £43,000–£115,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £96,000–£173,000 |
Expect these to shape the final quote:
- Whether rewiring, new heating and full replastering are needed
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Structural or layout changes and associated approvals
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
What does the job include in Isle of Bute?
- Room-by-room survey and a planned order of works
- Rewiring and new consumer unit by qualified electricians, with certificates
- Heating and plumbing upgrades by qualified engineers
- Plastering, skimming and repairs to ceilings and walls
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Building in Isle of Bute
Much of Argyll and Bute is rural and coastal, with whitewashed or harled stone cottages, slate roofs and island homes. Helensburgh has Victorian villas, Oban, Dunoon and Rothesay have Victorian seaside terraces, and post-war and newer housing surrounds the main towns.
Stone cottages need lime harling, repointing and slate roof repairs; villas may need roof and window renewal. Island and remote properties need the programme planned around ferries, deliveries and weather.
None of this holds for every street in Isle of Bute, which is why we look at your actual house before pricing a whole-house renovation rather than assuming from its age alone.
Permissions for a whole-house renovation in Isle of Bute
Homes in Isle of Bute come under the regulations for Scotland, summarised below. We don't rely on general rules alone: we confirm the position for your address with the council before a quote goes out.
Internal improvements do not need planning permission in Scotland unless the building is listed.
Like-for-like kitchen and bathroom replacements do not normally need a building warrant, but structural changes and some drainage or heating alterations do, and electrical work must meet the building standards.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
Free site survey
A free survey comes first. It gives us what we need to price a whole-house renovation properly, including dimensions, existing materials and access for deliveries, and gives you the chance to ask anything you like.
Quote in writing
You get the price in writing, itemised so you can see where the money goes. As long as the specification stays the same, that is the price you pay for a whole-house renovation.
Getting ready
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a whole-house renovation are in place before the first day on site.
The work itself
On site, the agreed plan is followed and any change is put in writing first. At completion we do a final clean, go through the snagging list with you and leave you with the relevant documents.
Why homeowners choose us
Common questions
How long does a full house renovation take?
A full renovation of a typical 3-bed house usually takes around 8–16 weeks on site, and longer if there are structural changes or extensive repairs. A light refresh may take only a few weeks. Material lead times for kitchens, windows and bathroom fittings also affect the programme. We give you a week-by-week plan with your quote and update it as the work progresses.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
What happens if you find damp or rot?
If we find damp or rot during a renovation, we stop that area, show you the problem and explain the likely cause, such as a leaking gutter, bridged damp-proof course or poor ventilation. We then give you a written price to fix the cause and repair the damage before carrying on. Treating the cause matters more than treating the symptom, so we focus on that first.
Can we live in the house while it is renovated?
Living in a house during a full renovation is possible but hard, especially while rewiring, plastering and the kitchen and bathroom are being done. Many people move out for the noisiest weeks or stay elsewhere for the whole project. If you stay, we can phase the work room by room and keep one bathroom and a basic kitchen working for as long as possible. We discuss this at the survey.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Nearby towns
If your address falls within PA20, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Dunoon, Greenock and Helensburgh, which we include alongside Isle of Bute when arranging surveys and quotes.