Full House Refurbishment
Westminster is Georgian and Victorian terraces, garden squares and mansion blocks, with listing and conservation control across almost all of it. We refurbish to that standard, consents included.
What It Is
Westminster contains one of the highest concentrations of listed buildings and conservation area coverage anywhere in the country. Belgravia, Pimlico, Mayfair and the squares around St James's are almost entirely protected, and a very large share of the residential stock is either listed or sits within a designated area. Practically, that means a refurbishment here begins with research rather than a skip: what is listed, at what grade, what the conservation area appraisal says, and what the lease permits.
Most of our Westminster work is apartments within period buildings and mansion blocks rather than whole houses, and the constraints are as much contractual as architectural. Leases typically require freeholder consent and a licence to alter for structural work or anything touching soil stacks, risers and party walls. Blocks impose working hours, lift and porter protocols, and rules on deliveries and waste. Getting all of that agreed before mobilising is the difference between a project that runs and one that stops in week two.
The work itself is high specification: complete rewires and replumbs, modern heating and cooling discreetly routed, acoustic and thermal upgrades that respect the fabric, restored joinery, cornicing and chimneypieces, and kitchens and bathrooms finished to match the building. We are candid about what will and will not gain consent, which saves both money and time.
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 Westminster and the neighbouring central postcodes, almost all within conservation areas, including:
Good to Know
Yes — SW1 and W1 and the surrounding central area, including Pimlico, Belgravia, Victoria, St James's, Mayfair and Marylebone.
By establishing the position before design work starts. We confirm whether the building is listed and at what grade, check the conservation area appraisal, and identify which internal features are protected. Listed building consent is required for anything affecting character, and unauthorised work is a criminal offence rather than a paperwork problem.
It is the freeholder's formal permission to carry out alterations under your lease. In Westminster apartments you will almost certainly need one for structural work, or for anything affecting soil stacks, risers, party walls or building services. We prepare and manage that application alongside any planning or listed building consent.
Yes, and we plan for them from the start. Central blocks commonly restrict working hours, require goods lifts to be booked and protected, and prohibit skips entirely, so waste goes out bagged and by arrangement. Costing that in honestly at quote stage is why our programmes hold.
Usually, with careful routing. The systems are rarely the obstacle; visible external plant, condensate runs and surface pipework are. We plan concealed service routes early so the specification survives the consent process.
Allow meaningful time before work starts for consents and the licence to alter — that stage often takes longer than people expect. The build itself typically runs several months depending on scope. Both are set out in the programme with your quote.
Get in touch with the address and an outline of what you want to do. We will review the listing, conservation and lease position, arrange a site survey (£25, taken off your quote if you go ahead), and provide a written quote for what is realistically achievable.
Explore More
Smaller job rather than a whole house? See our handyman services in Westminster.
Tell us about the property and get a free, no-obligation quote for your full house refurbishment in Westminster — from a team that sees it through from the first survey to the final sign-off.