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.
Getting a whole-house renovation right in Portslade starts with understanding the house you already have: its age, how it was built and what has been altered over the years. We survey first, then commit on paper to a price that holds as long as the scope stays the same. Across the South East, guide prices run at £50,000–£134,000 including VAT, and homes in Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea and Brighton are covered too.
- Guide price
- £50,000–£134,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- BN3, BN41, BN42 and BN43
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Brighton and Hove
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in Portslade
To help you plan, we show what a whole-house renovation typically costs in Portslade instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £50,000–£134,000 with VAT, using rates in the South East that are about 12% above the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Portslade |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £17,000–£50,000 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £50,000–£134,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £112,000–£202,000 |
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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
Scope of the work
- 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
- Plastering, skimming and repairs to ceilings and walls
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
What are homes like around Portslade?
Brighton and Hove are known for Regency stucco terraces and bow-fronted houses, alongside Victorian terraces climbing the hills. Lewes and Brighton have mathematical tiles and flint walls, Eastbourne has large Victorian and Edwardian villas, and Wealden villages use tile-hanging, weatherboarding and timber frames. Interwar suburbs and newer estates fill out most towns.
Regency and Victorian houses often need sash-style windows, stucco or render repair and careful decorating. Hillside terraces suit loft conversions, and flint or brick walls commonly need repointing in lime mortar.
Building traditions across East Sussex also raise conservation and planning questions, so we check those for a whole-house renovation in Portslade at the survey stage.
Do you need permission in Portslade?
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each handle planning a little differently. Portslade comes under England, covered below, and we raise any questions with the council before your quote is finalised.
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.
How does the job run?
Survey and measure
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about a whole-house renovation.
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.
Dates and permissions
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.
The work itself
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.
How we work
Common questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Can you combine a whole-house renovation with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan a whole-house renovation alongside other work on your Portslade home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.
Near Portslade
From BN3, BN41, BN42 and BN43 to the edges of Portslade and on into Hove, Shoreham-by-Sea and Brighton, we can arrange a site visit and a written quote for your project, planned around dates that work for you.

