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.
Anyone planning a whole-house renovation in Oban wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £43,000–£115,000 including VAT for Scotland up front, explain that work normally takes 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £43,000–£115,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- PA34
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Argyll and Bute
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in Oban
These are guide costs, not quotes. For a whole-house renovation in Oban 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 Oban |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Size of the house and number of rooms being renovated
- Whether rewiring, new heating and full replastering are needed
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
What does the job include in Oban?
- Room-by-room survey and a planned order of works
- Strip-out of old kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and finishes
- Rewiring and new consumer unit by qualified electricians, with certificates
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Homes in Argyll and 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.
These patterns matter for a whole-house renovation: older walls, roofs and floors in Oban can need different materials or extra preparation compared with newer homes.
Do you need permission in Oban?
Because Oban falls under Scotland's rules, the guidance below is the version relevant to you. Before sending a price, we check your property's position with the council.
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
A visit to your home
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for a whole-house renovation, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
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.
Plan and prepare
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Finish and handover
Our trades complete a whole-house renovation while your point of contact keeps you updated. When everything is finished, we clear the site, take away waste and go through the result with you before handover.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
Do I need planning permission in Oban?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Oban is in Scotland, so Scotland's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full refurbishment of a typical 3-bed house costs £43,000–£115,000, covering rewiring, heating, plastering, a new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration. A light refresh costs much less, while renovations with structural changes cost more. The biggest variables are the condition of the house and the kitchen and bathroom specification. We survey every room and give you a written price for the agreed scope.
Which parts of a renovation need building regulations approval?
Several parts of a renovation fall under building regulations, including rewiring and new circuits, new boilers and heating systems, structural changes such as removing walls, replacement windows and changes to drainage. Some of this is self-certified by suitably registered trades, and some needs building control approval. In Scotland a building warrant may be needed for certain works. We arrange the right approvals and certificates.
Near Oban
We cover every part of Oban, including PA34, and nearby Fort William, Dunoon and Helensburgh. Wherever you are within that patch, the survey is free and the quote comes to you in writing.