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.
From a first conversation about a whole-house renovation to the day the site is cleared, homeowners in Nairn deal with us directly. We come out to measure up at no cost, explain the choices in plain terms and send a written quote. For context, comparable work in Scotland usually falls within £43,000–£115,000 including VAT, and it is available across IV12.
- Guide price
- £43,000–£115,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- IV12
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Highland
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does a whole-house renovation cost in Nairn?
To help you plan, we show what a whole-house renovation typically costs in Nairn instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £43,000–£115,000 with VAT, using rates in Scotland that are about 4% below the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Nairn |
|---|---|---|
| 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
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Structural or layout changes and associated approvals
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
What do you get?
- 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
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Homes in Highlands and Islands
Inverness has Victorian villas and terraces and large modern estates, while rural Highland homes range from harled stone cottages and croft houses to modern timber-frame kit houses, which are common across the region. Orkney uses local flagstone, and island and coastal communities mix traditional stone homes with newer bungalows.
Croft houses and stone cottages often need lime harling, re-roofing and window renewal. Bungalows commonly take extensions and loft rooms, and remote projects need careful planning for materials and access.
Whatever era your Nairn home dates from, we plan a whole-house renovation around how it is actually built rather than a one-size-fits-all specification.
Planning and building rules in Nairn
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in Nairn, it is the Scotland rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any quote.
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
Survey and measure
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
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.
Getting ready
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Nairn property.
Finish and handover
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.
Why homeowners choose us
Frequently asked questions
Do you cover Forres, Inverness and Elgin?
Yes. As well as Nairn, we cover Forres, Inverness and Elgin and the rest of Highlands and Islands. Our coverage is UK-wide, so the process is the same wherever you are: a free site survey, a quote in writing that fixes the price for the agreed scope, and one point of contact while the work is planned and carried out.
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 Nairn 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.
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.
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.
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 Nairn
We cover every part of Nairn, including IV12, and nearby Forres, Inverness and Elgin. Wherever you are within that patch, the survey is free and the quote comes to you in writing.