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.
Homeowners in York usually consider a whole-house renovation for one of a few reasons: something has worn out, the house no longer suits the way they live, or they are getting it ready to sell. We visit, agree a specification and put a fixed price in writing. Most jobs like this take 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope, and we work across North Yorkshire, including Selby, Harrogate and Goole.
- Guide price
- £42,500–£113,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- YO1, YO10, YO24, YO30 and YO31
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- North Yorkshire
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Whole-house renovations prices in York
The table below shows guide prices for a whole-house renovation in York. They are based on rates in Yorkshire and the Humber, which run about 6% below the national guide, giving an overall range of £42,500–£113,000. All figures include VAT and are firmed up after a free site survey.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in York |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £14,000–£42,500 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £42,500–£113,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £94,000–£169,000 |
The main things that change the figure:
- Size of the house and number of rooms being renovated
- Whether rewiring, new heating and full replastering are needed
- 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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage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
- Heating and plumbing upgrades by qualified engineers
- Plastering, skimming and repairs to ceilings and walls
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
What are homes like around York?
York has medieval timber-framed, Georgian and Victorian buildings, Harrogate has stone Victorian villas and terraces, and the Dales and Moors are built of limestone and sandstone, often under stone-slate or pantile roofs. Teesside towns within the county, such as Middlesbrough and Redcar, have Victorian red-brick terraces and post-war estates.
Dales and Moors properties often need lime pointing, roof repairs and window designs acceptable within a national park. Teesside brick terraces suit loft rooms and rear extensions, and estate homes commonly take garage conversions.
Whatever era your York home dates from, we plan a whole-house renovation around how it is actually built rather than a one-size-fits-all specification.
Do you need permission in York?
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in York, it is the England rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any 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.
What happens after you get in touch?
A visit to your home
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.
Price and scope agreed
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Booking the work
Preparation matters as much as the build. We agree access, parking and working hours with you, order materials in good time, and confirm any permissions so the job isn't held up once it starts.
Finish and handover
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.
Working with SK Home Improvements
Whole-house renovations in York: questions
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full refurbishment of a typical 3-bed house costs £42,500–£113,000, 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.
Do I need planning permission in York?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. York 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.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
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.
Nearby towns
If your address falls within YO1, YO10, YO24 and YO30, we cover it. The same goes for neighbouring Selby, Harrogate and Goole, which we include alongside York when arranging surveys and quotes.