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.
London is part of our UK-wide coverage for a whole-house renovation. Places we cover include Brent, Islington, Westminster and Bexley, and we travel to smaller communities across the area as well. Since your property is in England, the relevant planning and building rules are the ones set there. In London, budget around £58,000–£156,000 with VAT; the figure is confirmed after a survey that costs you nothing.
- Guide price
- £58,000–£156,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 30% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 90
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in London
Prices for a whole-house renovation vary from house to house, but in London most projects fall within £58,000–£156,000 including VAT. That reflects costs in London, about 30% above the national guide. Treat the table as a budgeting aid; the written figure follows a survey we carry out for free.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in London |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £19,500–£58,000 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £58,000–£156,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £130,000–£234,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Whether rewiring, new heating and full replastering are needed
- Kitchen and bathroom specification
- Structural or layout changes and associated approvals
- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
Scope of the work
- 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 London
London's housing is dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often in yellow London stock brick, with Georgian terraces in central districts and mansion blocks across many inner areas. Outer boroughs have large belts of interwar semis, and there are extensive post-war council estates. Many houses have been split into flats, and conservation areas are widespread.
Terraces suit side-return extensions and rear dormer loft conversions; interwar semis commonly take hip-to-gable lofts. Shared party walls, restricted parking and conservation rules often shape the plans and the programme.
London Clay shrinks and swells with the seasons, and street trees close to houses can contribute to movement, which affects foundation design.
Do you need permission in London?
London is in England, so the planning and building rules set out below are the ones that apply. We confirm the details with the council before we quote.
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?
Free site survey
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
After the survey we send a quote for a whole-house renovation that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Booking the work
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for a whole-house renovation are in place before the first day on site.
Finish and handover
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Frequently asked questions
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.
How much will a whole-house renovation cost in London?
As a guide, expect to pay £58,000–£156,000 including VAT for a whole-house renovation in London. That range is adjusted for London, which runs about 30% above the national guide. Where your project lands depends on size, materials, access and the condition of what is already there. We confirm a fixed price in writing after a free survey of your home.
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full refurbishment of a typical 3-bed house costs £58,000–£156,000, 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 postcodes in London do you cover?
We cover HA0, EC1, SW1 and DA5, along with the rest of London. 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.
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.
Towns in London
Below is our list of London towns for a whole-house renovation. If yours isn't shown, we may still cover it, so it is worth asking us directly.
- Acton
- Archway
- Barking
- Barnes
- Barnet
- Battersea
- Beckenham
- Becontree
- Bexley
- Blackheath
- Blackwall
- Bow
- Brent
- Brixton
- Camden Town
- Canary Wharf
- Canning Town
- Carshalton
- Catford
- Chalk Farm
- Chelsea
- Chessington
- Chingford
- Chiswick
- Coulsdon
- Cricklewood
- Croydon
- Dagenham
- East Barnet
- Edmonton
- Eltham
- Enfield Town
- Feltham
- Finchley
- Fulham
- Golders Green
- Greenford
- Greenwich
- Hadley Wood
- Hampton
- Hanworth
- Harrow
- Hayes
- Heston
- Highbury
- Holloway
- Hook
- Hornchurch
- Hounslow
- Ilford
- Isleworth
- Islington
- Kilburn
- Leytonstone
- Mitcham
- Morden
- Muswell Hill
- New Malden
- Northolt
- Notting Hill
- Peckham
- Pimlico
- Pinner
- Purley
- Putney
- Richmond
- Romford
- Ruislip
- Shepherds Bush
- Soho
- South Croydon
- Southall
- Stamford Hill
- Stratford
- Streatham
- Surbiton
- Sutton
- Thamesmead
- Tottenham
- Uxbridge
- Wallington
- Walthamstow
- Wealdstone
- Welling
- Wembley
- Westminster
- Willesden
- Wimbledon
- Wood Green
- Woodford Green