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.
We arrange a whole-house renovation for homeowners in Eltham and the wider London. The job is planned, priced and managed by us and carried out by tradespeople engaged under our contract, so there is one agreement and one contact. On a typical home the work takes 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope, and guide pricing in London is £58,000–£156,000, VAT included.
- Guide price
- £58,000–£156,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- SE2, SE9, SE18 and SE28
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Greater London
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a whole-house renovation in Eltham?
The costs listed here are typical for a whole-house renovation around Eltham and include VAT. They reflect labour and material costs in London, about 30% above the national guide, giving a range of £58,000–£156,000. Exact pricing depends on your home, so we only fix it once a free site survey is done.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Eltham |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What moves the price up or down:
- 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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage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 does the job include in Eltham?
- Room-by-room survey and a planned order of works
- Rewiring and new consumer unit by qualified electricians, with certificates
- Heating and plumbing upgrades by qualified engineers
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
What are homes like around Eltham?
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.
For a whole-house renovation in Eltham, this means checking things like wall construction, roof structure and existing services before we put a figure on paper.
Permissions for a whole-house renovation in Eltham
As Eltham is in England, read the following with that system of planning and building control in mind. We check what applies to your house with the council before you receive a 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.
From survey to handover
A visit to your home
First, someone visits your home in Eltham to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
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
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.
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.
What you can expect from us
Questions about a whole-house renovation in Eltham
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
Do I need planning permission in Eltham?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Eltham 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.
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.
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.
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.
Also covering areas around Eltham
We welcome enquiries from all SE2, SE9, SE18 and SE28 postcodes in Eltham, plus Blackheath, Welling and Catford. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.