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.
Anyone planning a whole-house renovation in Swansea wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £41,500–£110,000 including VAT for Wales up front, explain that work normally takes 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £41,500–£110,000 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 8–24 weeks on site, depending on scope
- Postcodes
- SA1, SA2 and SA5
- Planning rules
- Wales
- Local area
- West Glamorgan
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does a whole-house renovation cost in Swansea?
What should you budget for a whole-house renovation in Swansea? Use the figures below as a starting point. Prices in Wales sit about 8% below the national guide, so the range here is £41,500–£110,000 including VAT. Your fixed price comes in writing once we've surveyed the property, at no charge.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Swansea |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Expect these to shape the final quote:
- 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- Hidden problems such as damp, rot or outdated drainage
Scope of the work
- 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
- New kitchen and bathroom fitted to your chosen specification
- Flooring, internal doors, skirting and joinery
- Decoration and a final clean before handover
Building in Swansea
Swansea's Victorian terraces climb its hillsides, its centre was largely rebuilt after wartime bombing, and Neath and Port Talbot have industrial terraces and post-war estates. Gower villages have stone cottages, and Pennant sandstone is common in older walls. Newer estates have grown on the edges of the main towns.
Swansea Bay and Gower face wet westerly weather and salt, and steep streets can affect access and scaffolding.
That mix of housing shapes how we approach a whole-house renovation in Swansea: the age and construction of your home affect the materials, the method and, in the end, the price.
Planning and building rules in Swansea
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in Swansea, it is the Wales rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any quote.
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.
From survey to handover
We look at the job
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
You get the price in writing, itemised so you can see where the money goes. As long as the specification stays the same, that is the price you pay for a whole-house renovation.
Dates and permissions
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
The job proceeds in the order set out in the programme, with dust and debris kept under control. Finally we tidy away, inspect the work together and pass the finished project over to you with its paperwork.
Working with SK Home Improvements
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.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you 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.
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.
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.
Nearby towns
We welcome enquiries from all SA1, SA2 and SA5 postcodes in Swansea, plus Clydach, Briton Ferry and Gorseinon. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.