Renovation guides

Practical guides for London homeowners planning a renovation: what it costs, how to choose a builder, and what to expect when the house is listed or an architect is involved.

A stripped back room in a London period house part way through renovation, with bare plaster, exposed floorboards and new electrical cables chased into the wall.

Is £40,000 enough to renovate a house?

On published UK figures £40,000 is below the cost of renovating a whole three bedroom house, but it does a great deal if you spend it in the right order.

8 min read
A side return infill extension under construction on a London Victorian terrace, with a steel beam in place over the opened rear wall and the narrow side passage filled in.

Side return extensions on a Victorian terrace

What a side return extension on a London Victorian terrace involves: the structural opening, the party wall, the drains in the way and what it costs.

9 min read
A newly completed dormer loft conversion in a London terraced house, with a plastered sloping ceiling, a rooflight in the front slope and a dormer window at the rear.

Loft conversions in London

What a loft conversion costs in London by type, whether your roof has the head height and the consents a terrace conversion needs before work starts.

10 min read
A rear kitchen extension on a London Victorian terrace, with glazed doors onto a small garden, plastered walls and a fitted kitchen along the flank wall.

Kitchen extension cost in London

What a kitchen extension costs in London on published 2024 to 2026 figures, why the sources disagree and what the per square metre rates leave out.

11 min read
The inside of a London Victorian terraced house part way through a whole-house renovation, seen through successive door openings so a finished room, a room at first fix and a stripped-out room are all visible at once.

How long does a house renovation take in London?

How long a London renovation really takes: the wait for a builder, the consents clock, published build durations and how we programme whole house work.

12 min read
A half-finished single storey rear extension abandoned mid-build, with blockwork walls, no roof, materials under a weathered tarpaulin and weeds coming up through the sand.

Builder gone bust mid project: what to do

What to do if your builder goes bust mid project: securing the site, money paid, contracts, evidence, insurance, building control and finishing the work.

10 min read
Close detail of a Victorian London wall in yellow stock brick and lime mortar, with a timber sash window and a section of pointing raked out ready for repointing.

Renovating a Victorian house in London: a guide

How to renovate a Victorian house in London: solid walls, damp, sash windows, roofs, services, insulation, layout changes, party walls and sequencing.

10 min read
A London Victorian terraced house mid-renovation, with scaffolding across the front elevation and a skip at the kerb on a wet overcast day.

House renovation cost in London

What a whole house renovation, extension or loft conversion costs in London, with sourced ranges, the fees people forget and how to compare quotes.

13 min read
Architectural drawings and a site notebook spread on a table in a house under renovation, with a bare plastered wall and a steel beam visible behind.

Working with your architect and builder

How the architect and builder work together on a London house renovation: the RIBA stages, who does what at tender and who administers the contract.

8 min read
A Georgian London townhouse with a fanlight over the front door, original sash windows with glazing bars, iron railings and worn stone steps.

Renovating a listed building in London

What listed building consent covers, why the inside counts, the eight week consent period and how listing changes the way a London renovation is built.

8 min read
Three printed building quotations laid out on a kitchen table with rolled architectural drawings, a tape measure and a pencil.

How to choose a renovation builder in London

A practical checklist for choosing a London renovation builder: quotes, checks, certificates, deposits, contracts, timescales and warning signs.

10 min read