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.
In Crewe, as anywhere in Cheshire, the price of a whole-house renovation is driven mainly by size, materials and access. Across the North West our guide sits at £43,000–£114,000 with VAT, but restricted parking, a narrow side passage or extra preparation can move the figure either way. That is why every price we give follows a visit to the house.
- Guide price
- £43,000–£114,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- CW1 and CW2
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Cheshire East
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a whole-house renovation in Crewe?
Budgeting for a whole-house renovation in Crewe? The numbers below include VAT and are adjusted for the North West, where costs are about 5% below the national guide. The headline range is £43,000–£114,000. Nothing is final until we have measured up at a free survey and agreed the specification with you.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Crewe |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £14,000–£43,000 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £43,000–£114,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £95,000–£171,000 |
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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage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’s included?
- Room-by-room survey and a planned order of works
- Strip-out of old kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and finishes
- Heating and plumbing upgrades by qualified engineers
- Plastering, skimming and repairs to ceilings and walls
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Local housing and a whole-house renovation
Chester mixes Georgian and Victorian terraces with black-and-white revival frontages, and red sandstone shows up across the west of the county. Crewe has railway-era brick terraces, Macclesfield has mill workers' cottages, and Wilmslow, Knutsford and Alderley Edge are known for large detached homes. Interwar semis and newer estates surround Warrington and Northwich.
Terraced and mill-era cottages often need repointing, roof work and loft space. Larger detached homes commonly take on kitchen extensions, bifold doors and garden landscaping, while interwar semis suit side extensions and replacement windows.
That mix of housing shapes how we approach a whole-house renovation in Crewe: the age and construction of your home affect the materials, the method and, in the end, the price.
Planning and building rules in Crewe
Because Crewe falls under England'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 work such as a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, plastering or decorating does not need planning permission in England, unless the house is listed, when listed building consent may be needed even for internal changes.
Some internal work is covered by Building Regulations: new electrical circuits and work in bathrooms (Part P), new drainage, structural changes, extractor ventilation and any new window. Notifiable work is certified by a registered installer or by building control.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
The four stages
Survey and measure
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.
Written quote
Next you receive a written quote with a fixed price for the agreed specification. It lists what is included, what is not, and how payments are staged, so you can compare it properly.
Dates and permissions
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
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.
How we work
Common questions
How long will a whole-house renovation take?
On a typical home, allow 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full refurbishment of a typical 3-bed house costs £43,000–£114,000, 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.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
What contingency should I allow?
A contingency is money set aside for problems found once work starts, such as rotten joists, hidden damp or wiring that is worse than expected. For older houses, setting aside at least 10–15% of the build cost is sensible. We look for warning signs during the survey and price known issues upfront. If something unexpected is found, we explain it and price it before carrying on.
In what order should renovation work be done?
A renovation should follow a set order so finished work is never damaged by later trades. It usually runs from roof and structural repairs, through strip-out, first-fix electrics and plumbing, then plastering, second-fix electrics and plumbing, kitchen and bathroom fitting, flooring and finally decoration. Windows are usually fitted before plastering. We plan the programme around this sequence so each trade follows on smoothly.
Also covering areas around Crewe
Whether you're in the centre of Crewe or on its outskirts, CW1 and CW2 addresses are covered. We extend the same service, and the same fixed-price approach, to Winsford, Kidsgrove and Congleton.