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.
Homes across Cumbria vary a great deal, so we price a whole-house renovation only after seeing the property. Our coverage takes in Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal and Whitehaven and the surrounding districts. As a guide, expect £43,000–£114,000 including VAT in the North West; the final figure depends on size, materials and access. Any permissions are checked against the rules for England before we quote.
- Guide price
- £43,000–£114,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 5% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 5
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in Cumbria
To help you plan, we show what a whole-house renovation typically costs in Cumbria instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £43,000–£114,000 with VAT, using rates in the North West that are about 5% below the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Cumbria |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Structural or layout changes and associated approvals
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
What do you get?
- Strip-out of old kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and finishes
- 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
Housing across Cumbria
Lake District villages are built largely of slate and rubble stone, often finished in roughcast or limewash, under slate roofs. Kendal is known for grey limestone and Penrith for red sandstone, Carlisle has sandstone and brick terraces, and west coast towns such as Barrow, Workington and Whitehaven have Victorian industrial terraces and post-war estates.
Stone cottages often need lime pointing, roof slating and breathable render. Industrial terraces can gain space through attic conversions and rear extensions, while rural homes commonly add porches, driveways and window upgrades.
Cumbria is among the wettest parts of England, and high ground and west-facing coasts see severe wind-driven rain, so exposure ratings matter for render and pointing.
Do you need permission in Cumbria?
Because Cumbria 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
We look at the job
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
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Getting ready
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
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a whole-house renovation in Cumbria
Do I need planning permission to renovate?
Most internal renovation work does not need planning permission, but it depends on what changes, your home's location, whether it is listed or in a conservation area, and which UK nation you are in. Listed buildings usually need consent for internal and external changes. Altering windows, adding dormers or changing the outside appearance in a conservation area may also need permission. We check before quoting.
Do I need planning permission in Cumbria?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Cumbria is in England, so England'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.
Which postcodes in Cumbria do you cover?
We cover CA1, LA13, LA8 and CA28, along with the rest of Cumbria. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
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.
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.
Towns in Cumbria
We offer a whole-house renovation in each of the towns below, all within Cumbria. Select yours for guide prices, postcodes covered and nearby places.