Full House Refurbishment
Kensington is stucco terraces, garden squares, mansion blocks and a great many listed buildings. Refurbishing here is as much about consents and finish standards as construction — and we work to both.
What It Is
Almost all of W8 sits within a conservation area, and a very high proportion of its buildings are listed. That single fact governs how a Kensington refurbishment is run. External alterations are tightly controlled; where a building is listed, internal features are protected too, which regularly surprises people — staircases, panelling, cornicing, chimneypieces, shutters and original doors can all fall within the listing. The starting point on every project here is establishing precisely what is protected before anyone designs anything.
Within those constraints there is still a great deal that can be done, and the standard expected is high. Full rewires and replumbs, modern heating, cooling and controls, proper insulation and acoustic treatment, restored joinery and plasterwork, and kitchens and bathrooms finished to a specification that matches the building. In mansion blocks and converted flats the freeholder adds another layer — licence to alter, permitted working hours, porter and lift arrangements, restrictions on soil stacks and risers — all of which we manage rather than hand to you.
We are straight with clients in Kensington about what is and is not achievable. It is far better to hear at survey stage that a proposal is unlikely to gain consent than to find out after paying for drawings and losing a season to a refused application.
The Full Scope
A full project can cover as much or as little of the house as you need. Here's how the work usually breaks down.
How It Works
We visit, look over the whole property and talk through what you want to achieve, your priorities and your budget. The visit is £25, and we take it off your quote if you go ahead.
We pull the scheme together and send a clear written quote, a scope of works and a realistic timeline, so you know exactly what you're getting before anything starts.
We clear the space and get the bones right — structural work, rewiring and pipework — the parts that are hard and costly to change once walls are closed up.
Plastering, the kitchen and bathrooms, flooring, doors and joinery all go in, and the house starts to look like a home again.
Painting, decorating and all the final detailing that pulls the whole project together into one consistent finish.
We go through the work with you, sort any snags, hand over a spotless home — and back it with our 12-month guarantee.
Budgeting
Every refurbishment is priced individually after a survey — there's no honest one-size-fits-all figure, because no two homes (or wish-lists) are the same. These are the main things that move the budget:
Worth Knowing
None of these need to slow you down — we'll guide you through all of them — but it helps to have them on your radar.
Some changes need permission; many fall under permitted development. We'll tell you early which applies to you.
Structural, electrical and plumbing work must meet building regs — we handle compliance and the sign-off.
If you share a wall with neighbours, a party wall agreement may be needed before structural work begins.
Decide early whether you'll move out — for a full refurb it often speeds the job up and keeps costs down.
Good refurbishments take time. A little buffer beats rushing the finish on the home you'll live in for years.
Older homes spring surprises. Setting aside roughly 10% keeps things stress-free if something unexpected turns up.
Where We Work
We take on refurbishment projects across Kensington and the surrounding central postcodes, most of it within conservation areas, including:
Good to Know
Yes — W8 and SW7 and the surrounding area, including South Kensington, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Earls Court and across to Chelsea and Knightsbridge.
More than most people expect. Listing covers the whole building, inside and out, so internal features such as staircases, panelling, cornicing, chimneypieces, shutters and original doors are frequently protected alongside the facade. Listed building consent is required for works affecting character, and carrying them out without it is a criminal offence, not a planning technicality. We establish the extent of the listing first.
Your lease will normally require freeholder consent, and structural work or anything affecting soil stacks, risers, party walls or the building's services will need a formal licence to alter. Blocks also set working hours, lift and porter arrangements and waste rules. We deal with the managing agent directly as part of the project.
Frequently yes, but the routing matters enormously. In a listed or conservation context the external units, condensate runs and any visible pipework are the sticking point rather than the system itself. We design service routes to be concealed and consentable from the outset.
In W8 that is usually the only acceptable route, and it is generally the better one. Sashes can be re-corded, draught-proofed, spliced where timber has decayed and re-glazed, which substantially improves performance while keeping consent straightforward.
Longer than an unprotected property, because listed building consent and freeholder licences take time before work can begin. The build itself typically runs several months. We build the consent period into the programme we quote rather than leaving it as an unknown.
Get in touch with the address and what you are hoping to achieve. We will check the listing and conservation status, arrange a site survey (£25, taken off your quote if you go ahead), and come back with a written quote based on what is genuinely consentable.
Explore More
Smaller job rather than a whole house? See our handyman services in Kensington.
Tell us about the property and get a free, no-obligation quote for your full house refurbishment in Kensington — from a team that sees it through from the first survey to the final sign-off.