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.
Planning a whole-house renovation for a home in Cardiff means making a handful of decisions about materials, layout, finish and timing. We help you work through them at a free survey, then confirm in writing what it will cost for the options you pick. Most projects of this type need 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope, and we cover every CF10, CF11 and CF24 address as well as the rest of South Glamorgan.
- Guide price
- £41,500–£110,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- CF10, CF11 and CF24
- Planning rules
- Wales
- Local area
- South Glamorgan
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
What should you budget for a whole-house renovation in Cardiff?
To help you plan, we show what a whole-house renovation typically costs in Cardiff instead of holding figures back for a sales call. The range is £41,500–£110,000 with VAT, using rates in Wales that are about 8% below the national guide. A free survey then fixes your actual price.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Cardiff |
|---|---|---|
| Light refurbishment | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs and perhaps one new kitchen or bathroom. | £14,000–£41,500 |
| Full refurbishment | Rewire, heating, plastering, new kitchen and bathroom, flooring and decoration throughout a 3-bed house. | £41,500–£110,000 |
| Renovation with structural changes | A full refurbishment plus wall removal, layout changes or extra bathrooms. | £92,000–£166,000 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- 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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage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?
- 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
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Homes in South Glamorgan
Cardiff has large areas of bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces in districts such as Roath, Canton and Cathays, plus interwar suburbs, post-war estates and modern flats around Cardiff Bay. Penarth has Victorian villas, Barry mixes terraces with newer estates, and Vale of Glamorgan villages are often built of local limestone.
Mild but wet, with coastal exposure along the Severn estuary and Bristol Channel affecting render, roofline and windows.
These patterns matter for a whole-house renovation: older walls, roofs and floors in Cardiff can need different materials or extra preparation compared with newer homes.
Permissions for a whole-house renovation in Cardiff
Each UK nation sets its own consent rules, and Cardiff is in Wales. What follows is a plain summary; we check the specifics for your property with the council before pricing anything.
Internal improvements do not need planning permission in Wales unless the building is listed.
Building Regulations in Wales cover notifiable electrical work, drainage, ventilation and any structural change.
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.
Getting ready
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.
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.
How we work
Frequently asked questions
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 Cardiff 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.
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.
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.
How much does it cost to renovate a whole house?
A full refurbishment of a typical 3-bed house costs £41,500–£110,000, 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 Cardiff?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Cardiff is in Wales, so Wales'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.
Near Cardiff
We welcome enquiries from all CF10, CF11 and CF24 postcodes in Cardiff, plus Penarth, Caerphilly and Barry. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.