Bloomsbury · WC1 · Townhouse Renovation

Townhouse Renovation
in Bloomsbury, WC1

Architects, Engineers, Surveyors & Builders Under One Roof.

Surveyor-led refurbishment advice via Hampstead Chartered Surveyors →

One Studio. One Contract. One Team.

We deliver Bloomsbury townhouse renovation with architects, engineers, surveyors and builders under one fixed-price contract - design, technical coordination, procurement, directly managed site teams, Building Control, programme control and final handover through one accountable team.

4.9 rating · £10M insurance · RIBA architectural team · Bloomsbury specialists
103+
Completed Projects
RIBA
In-House Chartered Architects
Structural
Engineering Calculations
Planning
Applications & Consents
Building
Control
Compliance Support
Leasehold
Licence for Alteration
£10M
Fully Insured
RICS
Chartered Surveyors

Townhouse Renovation in Bloomsbury: What You Need to Know

Every townhouse renovation project in Bloomsbury is designed to respect the Bloomsbury Conservation Area and the character of Georgian townhouses, Bloomsbury Group terraces, mansion flats. Our in-house RIBA architects handle Camden planning applications, our chartered structural engineers specify any load-bearing work, and our directly-employed trades deliver the build under one fixed-price contract. We coordinate Building Control, Party Wall awards where needed, and all certifications through to handover.

Literary and academic quarter with Bedford Square, Russell Square, and British Museum. Georgian garden squares with Grade I and II listed buildings. Camden conservation area. A full refurbishment in Bloomsbury typically involves stripping the property back to its structural shell, upgrading mechanical and electrical services, reconfiguring layouts, and finishing to the highest standard — all while preserving and restoring original period features.

Our Bloomsbury refurbishment projects are managed through a single point of contact, coordinating architects, structural engineers, M&E specialists, and specialist subcontractors. We work within Camden's planning and building control requirements to deliver on time and on budget.

Whole-House Transformation

Refurbishment & Interiors

Strip it back, reimagine it, rebuild it beautifully. Our full refurbishment service takes a tired or dated London home and transforms every room — reconfiguring layouts, upgrading all services, installing new kitchens and bathrooms and delivering a cohesive interior design that unifies the entire property. One team, one contract, one vision.

RIBA ArchitectsLayout & interior design
Interior DesignersIn-house design studio
Fixed-PriceFrom £650/sqm
Full Refurbishment Includes
Every discipline under one fixed-price contract
Layout redesign & 3D rendersIncluded
Structural engineering-led alterationsIncluded
Full rewire & replumbIncluded
Kitchen & bathroomsIncluded
Flooring, joinery & decorationIncluded
Interior design & specificationIncluded
Typical project time12–24 weeks

Full Refurbishment Specialisms in Bloomsbury

House Refurbishment Flat Refurbishment Victorian Renovation Townhouse Renovation
Last updated: March 2026
Design Studio: 250 Finchley Road, NW3
Open Mon–Fri 9am – 6pm
Material library & finish samples on display
15+ Years Experience
RIBA Chartered Architects
RICS Surveying Oversight
£10M Insurance Cover
Fixed-Price Contracts
103+
Completed Projects
RIBA
In-House Chartered Architects
Structural
Engineering Calculations
Planning
Applications & Consents
Building
Control
Compliance Support
Leasehold
Licence for Alteration
10M
Fully Insured
RICS
Chartered Surveyors

Whole-House Renovation for London's Period Homes

A townhouse asks a different question of a brief than a flat or a single-storey house. It is not "what goes where" on one plane, but "what earns each floor". In the Georgian terraces around Bedford Square, Gordon Square and Mecklenburgh Square, living is arranged over four, five and sometimes six levels, and the building arrived with a hierarchy already built into it: a service floor at lower ground, reception rooms at ground, the tallest windows and the most generous ceiling on the first floor, then progressively smaller and lower rooms as you climb towards the roof.

Most whole-house projects in Bloomsbury begin by testing that inherited order against how a household actually lives now. A great many of these houses have spent decades in institutional or multiple occupation, so the opening move is undoing subdivision — cellular rooms opened back to the full width of the plan, kitchenettes stripped off half-landings, and the vertical route through the house made legible again from front door to top storey.

The decisions that shape everything downstream are:

  • which floor takes the kitchen and everyday eating, because that floor sets the pattern of stair traffic for the next twenty years;
  • whether the principal first-floor room stays formal or becomes the room the family actually sits in;
  • how many flights you are genuinely willing to climb to a bedroom or a bathroom;
  • what the lower ground and its front vaults are worth once head height, damp and daylight have been dealt with honestly.

Resolve those and the house works vertically. Leave them unresolved and the household spends its life on the staircase, which no quality of finish will repair.

A full refurbishment goes far deeper than new paint and replacement kitchens. It addresses everything behind the walls — rewiring electrical systems that haven't been updated since the 1960s, replacing lead plumbing with copper and plastic, insulating solid walls that leak heat through every brick, and reconfiguring floor plans designed for a Victorian household with live-in servants, not a contemporary family.

Our approach starts with the layout. Before selecting a single tile or paint colour, our architects redesign the floor plan — opening up cramped ground floors, relocating bathrooms, creating en-suites, adding utility rooms, improving circulation and sight-lines, and ensuring every square metre works harder.

Once the layout is resolved, our interior designers develop a cohesive design language that runs through every room — material palettes, joinery profiles, ironmongery, lighting schemes, tile specifications and colour stories developed as a unified whole. The result is a home that feels intentional throughout.

Every refurbishment is delivered under a single fixed-price contract covering design, structural alterations, full M&E, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, joinery, decoration and all finishes. We don't quote for building work then add extras for interiors — it's all one price.

Every Room, Every System, Every Detail

A full refurbishment touches every element of your home.

Layout Reconfiguration

Removing and repositioning internal walls, creating open-plan spaces, adding en-suites, reconfiguring staircases and improving circulation. Our architects redesign the entire floor plan before a single trade enters the building.

Electrical Rewire

Complete consumer unit replacement, new circuits, contemporary socket layouts with USB charging, dimmer circuits, smart home pre-wiring and lighting design circuits. Certified to BS 7671 18th Edition.

Plumbing & Heating

Full replumb replacing lead pipework. New condensing boiler or heat pump, radiator upgrade or underfloor heating, pressurised hot water systems and new waste connections.

Kitchen & Bathrooms

Bespoke kitchen design with premium cabinetry and appliances. Bathroom fit-outs with wall-hung sanitary ware, walk-in showers, freestanding baths and underfloor heating.

Flooring & Joinery

Engineered oak, natural stone, porcelain, encaustic tile — specified room by room. Bespoke skirting, architraves, wardrobes, bookcases, window seats and alcove units designed to the property's character.

Lighting & Smart Home

Architectural lighting schemes layering ambient, task and accent lighting. Smart control (Lutron, Rako), multi-room audio pre-wiring, automated blinds and centralised home control.

Room-by-Room Refurbishment Guide

Read a WC1 townhouse floor by floor and the work changes character with every flight.

Lower ground and vaults. This was the working floor, and it behaves like one: low soffits, solid floors, and rooms that borrow what light the front lightwell allows. The recurring tasks are managing moisture in solid brick below external ground level, deciding whether the front vaults and the old coal hole become storage, plant, a utility or a wine store, and improving the lightwell without altering what is visible from the street. Any deepening is a structural exercise against the front boundary, not a cosmetic one.

Ground floor. Entrance hall, stair hall and a plan that is narrow and deep, so the rear room is usually the darkest in the house before work starts. Glazed returns, a widened rear opening, and glazing to the garden elevation do more here than any lighting scheme.

First floor. The tall sashes, shutter boxes, cornices and joinery are the reason the house is listed. Work is repair-led: easing and re-cording sashes, reinstating shutter linings, and consolidating rather than replacing plaster.

Upper bedroom floors. Bathrooms want to stack over one another so waste and supply run in a single line. Where a closet wing exists, it usually takes them.

Top floor. Small rooms, shallow ceiling heights and the roof immediately overhead. Rooflights over the stairwell drop daylight through the core of a deep plan, but on a listed Bloomsbury terrace anything visible in the roofscape is a consent question first and a design question second, because Camden looks hard at external change and applies Article 4 controls across the conservation area.

Every room in a full refurbishment has its own technical requirements, specification decisions and sequencing considerations. Here is what is involved in each.

Kitchen

A full kitchen refurbishment begins with complete strip-out of existing units, flooring, wall finishes, electrics and plumbing. The space is then rewired with dedicated circuits for oven, hob, extraction, fridge-freezer and dishwasher, plus general socket circuits with USB provision. Plumbing is re-run in copper and plastic to new locations. The layout is redesigned for workflow efficiency — our kitchen designers follow the work-triangle principle while adapting to the specific proportions of your room. New installations include bespoke or premium cabinetry, stone or composite worktops, integrated appliances, feature lighting (under-cabinet, pendant, recessed), splashback tiling or glass, and engineered timber or stone flooring. Extraction is ducted to the outside. Underfloor heating is fitted beneath the finished floor.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms require the most intensive waterproofing of any room in the house. We strip out all existing fittings, tiles and substrate, then apply tanking membrane to all wet areas (shower enclosures, bath surrounds, floors) before tiling. Underfloor heating is installed beneath porcelain or natural stone tiles. Plumbing is re-run to accommodate the new layout, often including relocation of waste stacks and soil pipes. Sanitaryware selection includes wall-hung WCs (for easier cleaning and a more spacious feel), freestanding or built-in baths, walk-in or wetroom showers with frameless glass enclosures, and twin basin vanity units. Heated towel rails, anti-mist mirrors, recessed LED lighting and extractor fans complete the specification.

Living Spaces

Living rooms and reception rooms often involve structural alterations — removing load-bearing walls to create open-plan spaces, installing steel beams to support the floor above, and widening doorways to improve flow between rooms. Flooring is selected for acoustics and durability: engineered oak, natural stone or high-quality LVT. Lighting design layers ambient (recessed downlights or pendant fittings), task (reading lamps, desk lighting) and accent (picture lights, LED strips, uplighters) circuits on separate dimmer controls. Bespoke joinery — alcove shelving, window seats, media walls, fireplace surrounds — is designed to the proportions of each room. Walls are re-plastered to a smooth finish, and period features (cornicing, ceiling roses, dado rails) are restored or replicated where appropriate.

Bedrooms

Bedroom refurbishment focuses on creating calm, well-organised spaces. Built-in wardrobes are designed floor-to-ceiling with internal fittings (hanging rails, shelving, drawers, shoe racks, lighting) tailored to how you dress. Acoustic insulation is installed in party walls and floors — particularly important in converted flats and terraced properties — using acoustic mineral wool and resilient bars to achieve meaningful sound reduction. Windows are overhauled or replaced: secondary glazing for listed properties, slim-profile double glazing for conservation areas, or high-performance triple glazing where planning allows. Blackout blinds, layered lighting (bedside, wardrobe, ambient) and smart controls complete a restful environment.

Hallways & Stairs

The hallway sets the tone for the entire house. In period properties, we restore original encaustic or geometric floor tiles, repair and French-polish timber balustrades, rebuild newel posts and reinstate panelled wainscoting or dado rails. Where the original features have been lost, we commission faithful reproductions from specialist joiners. Stair treads are repaired and finished in matching timber, with runners fitted for noise reduction and grip. Lighting is critical: a combination of pendant or lantern fittings, wall sconces and recessed lighting creates depth and warmth. Storage is built into dead space beneath staircases. Doorbells, entry systems, coat hooks, shoe storage and radiator covers are all specified as part of the design.

Utility & Storage

A dedicated utility room is one of the most requested additions in a full refurbishment. We create space for washing machine, tumble dryer (or washer-dryer), sink, drying rack, ironing station and cleaning supply storage. Plumbing and extraction are run to the utility room during first fix. Where space permits, a separate pantry with open shelving, cold storage and counter space significantly improves kitchen functionality. Plant rooms house the boiler (or heat pump indoor unit), hot water cylinder, consumer unit and any home automation hardware — keeping services accessible for maintenance while hidden from living spaces. Every cupboard and storage area is fitted with lighting and considered as part of the overall design.

Refurbish vs Rebuild

Demolition and rebuild is rarely the decision in front of a Bloomsbury owner. The terraces are heavily listed, the area lies within the Bloomsbury Conservation Area and largely on the Bedford Estate, and external change is closely scrutinised, so the elevation and the historic fabric behind it stay. The real refurbish-or-renew argument happens inside the house, and it turns on four vertical elements.

The staircase. It is the spine of the building and the single most demanding element. It consumes floor area on every storey, its rise, going and headroom reflect eighteenth or nineteenth-century convention rather than modern habit, and in a listed house it is not a realistic candidate for wholesale replacement. Repairing strings, treads, balusters and handrail — and correcting later, poorer alterations at the top flights — is almost always the route.

Floor structure. Timber floors that carried institutional or multiple-occupation loading are often deflected, notched and patched. Strengthening, sistering and re-levelling in situ usually beats replacement, which would sever historic joinery at every perimeter.

Wet zones and risers. Where soil pipes, supplies and cabling have been threaded through the house piecemeal over decades, renewing an entire vertical zone in one operation is more economical than repairing it floor by floor.

A domestic lift. Over five or six storeys the question is legitimate. It works where a genuinely stackable footprint aligns on every level — a closet wing, a redundant secondary stair, the same corner of each rear room — and where pit, headroom and machine space can be found without cutting principal plasterwork or joinery. It fails where the shaft has to wander between floors, or where the area surrendered on each storey is worth more than the journey saved. Test it at concept stage, never after strip-out.

Not every property is best served by refurbishment. Here is how to decide whether to refurbish the existing structure or demolish and rebuild.

When Refurbishment Makes Sense

Refurbishment is the right choice when the existing structure is fundamentally sound — solid walls, stable foundations, a serviceable roof. It is also the preferred route when the property has period features worth preserving (original cornicing, ceiling roses, fireplaces, panelled doors, timber floors), when planning restrictions make demolition difficult or impossible (listed buildings, conservation areas), or when budget constraints favour working with the existing shell rather than starting from scratch. Most London period properties — Victorian terraces, Georgian townhouses, Edwardian semis — fall firmly into the refurbishment category.

When Rebuild Is Better

Demolition and rebuild is justified when the existing structure has significant defects — severe subsidence, failed foundations, widespread dry rot affecting the structural timber, or extensive asbestos contamination that makes strip-out more expensive than demolition. It may also make sense when the desired layout is so radically different from the existing building that the structural alterations required would cost more than rebuilding. In some cases, a Whole Energy Retrofit analysis may show that the existing building fabric is so thermally poor that a new build to current standards offers better long-term value.

Cost Comparison

A comprehensive refurbishment typically costs £650–£1,250/sqm depending on specification level. A demolition and rebuild (excluding land value) costs substantially more per square metre. However, the rebuild figure includes foundations, superstructure, roof, external walls and all services — elements that already exist in a refurbishment. The decision should be made on a case-by-case basis following a thorough structural survey. We provide honest advice on which route offers the best outcome for your specific property.

Sequencing Your Refurbishment

A terraced house is a one-door site served by a narrow stair, and that single fact governs the programme. Every sheet of plasterboard, every bath and every skip load travels the same route the finished joinery will later occupy, so the order of operations is really a logistics plan wearing a builder's clothes.

Consents and neighbours come first. A mid-terrace house has party walls on both sides, so structural work commonly triggers notices in two directions at once, and awards on both flanks must be in place before beams, chases or underpinning start. Where Camden's scrutiny of external change and its Article 4 controls apply, roof, lightwell and rear elevation approvals need to be settled early, because they dictate when scaffolding can go up and how long it stays.

Then the sequence generally runs vertically:

  • scaffold and roof-level work early, so the building is watertight and the top storey is not reopened later;
  • strip-out and structural work from the lowest floor upwards, with temporary propping planned around the stair opening;
  • vertical services — soil stack, risers, supplies, cabling, flues — installed as one continuous operation rather than floor by floor;
  • plaster, joinery and decoration finished downwards, so the finished floors sit above the traffic;
  • the staircase itself protected throughout and completed last, because it is the site access route until the day it is not.

Living in during the works is sometimes achievable in a tall house, since a sealed, separately serviced upper or lower zone can be held back while the rest proceeds. It only works where the stair can be dust-sealed at a landing, where the household accepts a single fixed route, and where structural work is not running through the occupied floors. Many owners decant for the structural phase and return for finishes.

The order in which trades enter the building is critical. Getting the sequence wrong causes delays, rework and damage to finished surfaces. Here is the correct order and why it matters.

1

Strip-Out

Everything that is being replaced is removed: kitchens, bathrooms, floor coverings, old plaster, redundant electrics and plumbing, partition walls. The building is taken back to its structural shell. This reveals the true condition of the property — hidden damp, rotten timbers, failed lintels, asbestos — allowing problems to be addressed before new work begins. Skipping a thorough strip-out is the most common cause of cost overruns, because defects discovered after new work has started require expensive rework.

2

Structural Works

Load-bearing walls are removed and steel beams installed. Floors are strengthened, lintels replaced, timber joists sistered or renewed. Any underpinning, foundation work or damp-proofing is completed at this stage. Structural work must be finished and signed off by building control before first fix begins, because the building must be structurally stable before services are installed within it.

3

First Fix (Electrics & Plumbing)

New electrical cables are run to every socket, switch, light fitting and appliance position. Plumbing pipes are run to every tap, WC, bath, shower, washing machine and boiler location. Heating pipework (radiators or underfloor) is laid. Ventilation ductwork is installed. First fix happens before plastering because all cables and pipes need to be concealed within the walls and floors. Getting the positions right at this stage is critical — moving a socket after plastering means cutting out plaster, re-routing cable and re-plastering.

4

Plastering

Walls and ceilings are plastered to a smooth finish over the first-fix services. This creates the final surface for decoration and must be done to a high standard — imperfections in plaster are visible through paint. Plaster must dry thoroughly (typically 2–4 weeks depending on season and ventilation) before decoration begins. Rushing this stage leads to paint failure and mould. We monitor moisture levels with a hygrometer and do not begin decoration until readings are within tolerance.

5

Second Fix

Electrical face plates (sockets, switches, light fittings) are installed. Bathroom and kitchen fittings are connected. Radiators or underfloor heating thermostats are fitted. Doors are hung, ironmongery fitted, skirting boards and architraves installed. This stage brings the house from a building site to something recognisable as a home.

6

Kitchen & Bathroom Fit

Kitchen units, worktops, splashbacks and appliances are installed. Bathrooms are tiled, sanitaryware fitted, screens and mirrors hung. These are the highest-specification elements of the refurbishment and require careful protection during subsequent decoration work.

7

Decoration

Walls are mist-coated (to seal new plaster), then finished with two coats of emulsion. Woodwork is undercoated and gloss-finished (or eggshell for a contemporary look). Ceilings are painted. Wallpaper is hung where specified. This stage must happen after all dusty trades (plastering, tiling, sanding) are complete to avoid contamination of wet paint surfaces.

8

Snagging & Handover

A detailed room-by-room inspection identifies any defects: paint touch-ups, alignment adjustments, scratches, incomplete seals, stiff handles, squeaky floorboards. Every snag is logged, photographed and rectified before handover. We provide a full handover pack including appliance manuals, paint references, material specifications, electrical certificates, gas safety records and a 12-month defects liability warranty.

Building Regulations for Refurbishments

Height is what makes a townhouse a different regulatory animal. Once a floor sits more than 4.5 metres above ground level, and again at greater heights, the escape strategy stops being a formality and becomes the organising idea of the whole design.

The recurring items on a multi-storey house are:

  • Protected escape. The staircase must form an enclosed, protected route from the topmost storey to a final exit, with fire-resisting doors to habitable rooms opening onto it. Open-plan aspirations at ground or lower ground level frequently collide with this, and the resolution is usually a compensating measure — a sprinkler or mist system, or an alternative escape route — rather than a hopeful drawing.
  • Reverting from subdivided use. Where a house has been in multiple or institutional occupation, changing back to a single dwelling changes which fire and sound regime applies. Existing compartmentation is often the wrong shape for the new plan and cannot simply be inherited.
  • Stair geometry. Rise, going, headroom and guarding are assessed on any new or substantially altered flight. Retained historic stairs and new top-floor flights are treated very differently.
  • Vertical services. Water pressure to a fourth-floor bathroom usually needs boosting, and every added wet room must reach a soil stack with adequate fall. Drainage, not layout, decides where an upper bathroom can go.
  • Fabric and ventilation. Thermal upgrading and background ventilation apply across the whole house, but on a listed Bloomsbury terrace they must be delivered behind and around historic plaster, joinery and sash windows rather than through them.

Listed building consent and Camden's conservation controls run alongside building control, not instead of it. Approval under one never implies the other.

Not every refurbishment requires building regulations approval, but many elements do. Here are the key Approved Documents that commonly apply.

Part P — Electrical Safety

Any electrical work in a dwelling must be carried out by a Part P registered electrician or notified to building control. A full rewire, new consumer unit, new circuits, or work in bathrooms and kitchens all require Part P compliance. On completion, you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and the work is registered on the national database. We use Part P registered electricians on every project and provide full certification as standard.

Part L — Energy Efficiency

When you replace more than 25% of a thermal element (roof, walls, floors, windows), the replacement must meet current thermal performance standards. This means if you are replastering walls, you may need to add insulation to meet the required U-values. Similarly, window replacement triggers minimum energy performance requirements. In a full refurbishment where all elements are being renewed, a SAP assessment may be required to demonstrate overall energy performance. We design insulation strategies that improve thermal performance without compromising room proportions or period character.

Part B — Fire Safety (Flats)

If you are refurbishing a flat within a converted building, fire safety regulations apply to the means of escape. Fire doors (FD30S) must be fitted to all habitable rooms opening onto a communal hallway. Smoke detection systems must comply with BS 5839. Fire-resistant construction may be required to walls and ceilings separating your flat from communal areas and other dwellings. Where structural alterations create new openings in fire-separating elements, fire stopping must be installed to maintain compartmentalisation.

Part E — Acoustic Performance

When converting a house into flats, or refurbishing an existing flat conversion, Part E requires minimum acoustic performance between dwellings. This typically means upgrading floor and wall constructions to achieve specified airborne and impact sound insulation values. Even in a single dwelling, acoustic insulation between bedrooms and living spaces significantly improves comfort. We specify acoustic mineral wool, resilient bars, acoustic plasterboard and floating floor systems where required to achieve or exceed the minimum standards.

From Brief to Move-In Day

A structured process ensuring nothing is missed.

01
Weeks 1–2

Survey, Brief & Feasibility

Full property survey — structural condition, M&E assessment, damp checks, asbestos screening. We discuss how you use each room, your lifestyle priorities and aesthetic preferences. You receive a feasibility report with scope, budget and timeline.

Full property survey M&E condition report Design brief Budget framework
02
Weeks 3–8

Design, Interiors & Specification

Architects redesign the floor plan. Interior designers develop material palettes, colour schemes, joinery details, bathroom and kitchen schemes, lighting and furniture layouts — all in photorealistic 3D. Every selection approved from physical samples before ordering. Complete specification document locks in every finish before construction.

Floor plan redesign Room-by-room 3D renders Interior specification Fixed-price contract
03
Weeks 1–4 on site

Strip-Out & Structural Phase

Property stripped to structural shell. Old kitchens, bathrooms, floor coverings, plaster, electrics and plumbing removed. Structural engineering-led alterations: walls removed, steels installed, floors strengthened. Asbestos professionally removed where found.

Controlled strip-out Structural works Asbestos removal Damp treatment
04
Weeks 5–12

First Fix & Services

New electrical circuits, plumbing and heating throughout. Underfloor heating, insulation, plasterboarding, plastering and stud walls for new room configurations. Every socket, switch and pipe position exactly as specified.

Full rewire Full replumb Heating installation Plastering
05
Weeks 13–20+

Second Fix, Fit-Out & Interiors

Kitchen installation, bathroom tiling, flooring throughout, bespoke joinery, staircase renovation, door hanging, ironmongery, second fix electrics, painting and decoration — room by room to quality sign-off. Snagging and handover with 12-month warranty.

Kitchen & bathrooms Flooring & joinery Full decoration Snagging & handover

Transparent Pricing

Guide prices per sqm. All tiers include design, structural work, full M&E, kitchens, bathrooms and decoration.

Essential

Quality Foundations

£650/sqm
  • Full rewire & replumb
  • Layout reconfiguration
  • Good-quality kitchen & bathrooms
  • Engineered wood / LVT flooring
  • Painted finishes throughout
  • Standard lighting design
Premium

Most Popular

£1,250/sqm
  • Everything in Essential, plus:
  • Bespoke kitchen & premium bathrooms
  • Engineered oak / natural stone floors
  • Bespoke joinery throughout
  • Architectural lighting scheme
  • Underfloor heating
Luxury

No Compromise

£2,250/sqm+
  • Everything in Premium, plus:
  • Furniture-grade cabinetry & marble
  • Period detail restoration
  • Smart home integration
  • Designer fixtures & fittings
  • Full interior design service

Why Our Refurbishments Stand Apart

What makes our refurbishments different from a builder and a decorator.

Period Property Expertise

We understand Victorian proportions, Georgian joinery profiles, Edwardian ceiling heights and how to introduce contemporary elements that complement period character.

Material Library

Our Finchley Road studio houses stone samples, timber swatches, tile displays, fabric books and ironmongery collections — all for in-person selection.

Procurement Management

We manage procurement of every material and fitting — coordinating lead times across 50+ suppliers to ensure on-time site delivery.

Thermal Upgrading

Insulation improvements, draught-proofing, boiler upgrades and window enhancements that improve energy performance without compromising character.

Sash Window Restoration

Original sashes overhauled, draught-sealed, re-weighted and re-glazed rather than replaced — maintaining heritage character and avoiding replacement costs.

Project Management

Dedicated project manager coordinates all trades, manages the programme, conducts weekly inspections and provides regular client updates.

Vacant & Occupied

We refurbish both vacant properties (fastest) and occupied homes (phased room-by-room). We advise the most practical approach for your circumstances.

Pre-Purchase Refurbishments

Many clients appoint us before completing on a purchase — so the programme starts on day of exchange and the house is ready to move into on completion.

Recent Refurbishments

Selected whole-house refurbishments across London.

BEFORELOUNGEDININGKITUTILITYAFTEROPEN PLAN LIVINGISLAND KITCHENUTILITY + WCWhole House

Victorian Terrace — Complete

Crouch End, N8 — 4-Bed, 180 sqm

Full strip-back and reconfiguration. New open-plan ground floor, 3 bathrooms, bespoke kitchen and complete rewire/replumb.

180 sqm 18 weeks Premium
SECOND FL — 2 BEDS + BATHFIRST FL — MASTER + EN-SUITEGROUND — KITCHEN-DINER + STUDYPeriod

Georgian Townhouse — 3 Floors

Hampstead, NW3 — Grade II Listed

Sensitive refurbishment: new kitchen-diner, 3 redesigned bathrooms, period joinery restoration and complete M&E upgrade.

240 sqm 22 weeks Luxury
LIVINGKITCHENMASTER+ EN-SUITEBED 2BATHApartment

Mansion Block — Full Refit

Maida Vale, W9 — 2-Bed Apartment

Complete 95sqm flat refurbishment. New layout with en-suite master, open-plan kitchen-living, full rewire and contemporary interior.

95 sqm 12 weeks Premium
View Full Portfolio

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What Clients Say

We bought a tired 1890s terrace and appointed Hampstead Renovations before exchange. They started the day we got the keys. Eighteen weeks later we moved into a home that felt like it had been built for us — the layout is completely different but every period detail respected. The interior design continuity room to room makes the whole house feel intentional.

VL
Victoria L.Whole-house, Highbury N5

The 3D room renders were game-changing. We could see exactly how the herringbone floor, wall colour, pendant lights and joinery worked together before orders were placed. We made two changes in design that would have cost thousands on site. The fixed price held exactly across 22 weeks and 240 square metres.

RM
Robert M.Georgian refurb, Hampstead NW3

We refurbished our Maida Vale flat while renting it out — Hampstead managed everything without us visiting once during the 12-week build. The procurement coordination was extraordinary: every tile, fitting and piece of ironmongery arrived exactly when needed. Boutique hotel standard quality. Tenants moved in the day after handover.

DF
Daniel F.Flat refurb, Maida Vale W9
HR
Reviewed by Hampstead Renovations
RIBA Chartered Architects & Heritage Specialists whose team brings 15+ years combined experience in North & Central London residential projects.

Refurbishment Questions

Common questions about full house refurbishment.

How much does a full refurbishment cost?

All prices are in pounds sterling (GBP, £). Cosmetic refurbishment typically runs £650–£1,250/sqm, and comprehensive back-to-brick renovation £2,250–£3,250/sqm. A typical 150sqm refurbishment costs £120,000–£150,000 (GBP) fully inclusive of design, M&E, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, joinery and decoration. All prices fixed before work begins.

How long does it take?

Design 4–8 weeks. Build: flats 12–14 weeks, 3-bed houses 16–18 weeks, larger properties 20–24 weeks. Vacant properties are faster (simultaneous room access); occupied refurbishments are phased and take longer.

Do I need to move out?

For a full strip-back, we recommend vacating — there will be no working kitchen, bathroom or heating for several weeks. For partial or phased refurbishments, you can remain in residence while we work room by room, maintaining a functioning kitchen and bathroom throughout.

Do you provide interior design?

Yes — interior design is core to our refurbishment service. In-house designers develop complete specifications: colour palettes, materials, joinery, tiles, lighting, ironmongery, bathrooms and kitchens. Everything in 3D and selected from physical samples. We also work happily to an external designer's specification.

Can you refurbish listed properties?

Absolutely — a significant proportion of our work involves listed buildings and conservation areas. We handle LBC applications, heritage-appropriate materials (lime plaster, traditional joinery, period ironmongery) and the need to respect original features while introducing contemporary services.

Will it add value?

A comprehensive refurbishment typically adds 25–40% to London property value — comfortably exceeding cost. The greatest uplift comes from properties bought in poor condition and refurbished to a high standard.

How long does a full refurbishment take?

A typical full refurbishment of a 3–4 bedroom London property takes 12–24 weeks on site, depending on the scope of structural works, specification level and property size. A smaller flat (1–2 bedrooms) with no structural alterations can be completed in 8–12 weeks. Larger properties (5+ bedrooms) or projects involving basement or loft conversions may take 6–9 months. Add 4–8 weeks of design time before construction begins. We provide a detailed programme at the start of every project showing weekly milestones and key decision points.

Can I live in the house during refurbishment?

For a full refurbishment — where every room is being stripped, rewired and replastered — we strongly recommend moving out. The property will have no functioning kitchen or bathroom during the works, dust levels are significant during strip-out and plastering phases, and the constant presence of trades makes daily living extremely difficult. Most clients either rent nearby, stay with family or use short-term accommodation. For partial refurbishments (one floor at a time), it may be possible to live in the unaffected part of the property, though this extends the programme and requires careful sequencing.

What is the difference between refurbishment and renovation?

The terms are often used interchangeably, but in the construction industry, a refurbishment implies a more comprehensive scope than a renovation. A renovation might involve updating kitchens and bathrooms, redecorating and minor repairs — working with the existing layout and services. A full refurbishment typically means stripping the property back to its structural shell and rebuilding everything: new electrics, new plumbing, new heating, new layout, new finishes throughout. It is essentially creating a new home within an existing shell. Our full refurbishment service covers the complete scope from strip-out to handover.

Do I need planning permission for a refurbishment?

Internal refurbishment work generally does not require planning permission — you can rewire, replumb, replaster, fit new kitchens and bathrooms, and redecorate without any planning application. However, planning permission is needed if you are: changing the external appearance of the building (new windows, changing door positions, removing chimneys), making structural alterations visible from outside, changing the use of the property, or working on a listed building (where Listed Building Consent is required for most internal and external works). In conservation areas, window replacement and external changes may also require planning consent.

How much does a full house refurbishment cost per sqm?

Our full refurbishment costs typically range from £650–£1,250/sqm, depending on specification level. A standard refurbishment sits at the lower end of that range and includes complete rewire, replumb, plastering, new kitchen, new bathrooms, flooring and decoration to a good quality. A premium specification sits mid-range and adds bespoke joinery, designer kitchens, high-end sanitaryware, engineered timber flooring and architectural lighting. An ultra-premium specification sits at the top of that range and includes top-tier brands (Bulthaup, Lefroy Brooks, Dinesen), smart home systems, and bespoke everything. For a 150 sqm London house, expect total costs of £75,000–£180,000 depending on specification.

What is included in a full refurbishment?

Our full refurbishment scope covers: architectural layout redesign, 3D visualisations, complete strip-out, structural alterations (wall removals, steels), full electrical rewire to 18th Edition, full replumb in copper and plastic, new heating system (boiler or heat pump), plastering throughout, new kitchen design and installation, new bathroom design and installation, flooring throughout (timber, stone, tile or LVT), bespoke joinery (wardrobes, shelving, media walls), staircase renovation, door replacement or overhaul, ironmongery, lighting design, decoration (paint, wallpaper), and snagging. Interior design specification is included as part of the package — not charged separately.

Do I need building regulations approval?

Yes, for most elements of a full refurbishment. Electrical rewiring must comply with Part P and be certified by a registered electrician. Structural engineering-led alterations (wall removals, new beams) require building regulations approval under Part A. Replacement windows must meet Part L energy standards. Heating installations must comply with Part J (combustion appliances) and Part L. In flats, fire safety (Part B) and acoustic (Part E) requirements apply. We manage all building regulations applications and inspections as part of our service, ensuring full compliance and providing all necessary certificates at handover.

How do you protect period features during refurbishment?

Protecting original features is a priority on every period property refurbishment. Before strip-out, we conduct a detailed survey identifying features to retain: original cornicing, ceiling roses, fireplaces, floor tiles, timber floors, panelled doors, balustrades, stained glass and decorative plasterwork. These are either protected in situ with boarding, dust sheets and impact protection, or carefully removed, labelled and stored off-site for reinstatement. Our specialist plasterers can repair damaged cornicing and cast new sections to match existing profiles. Original timber floors are sanded and refinished. Fireplaces are restored, re-lined where necessary and fitted with appropriate grates or log burners. Where original features have been lost in previous unsympathetic alterations, we commission faithful reproductions from specialist craftspeople.

Explore Our Other Services

A full refurbishment often includes elements from our specialist services. Explore the detail.

Further Reading

Related Guides & Articles

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Victorian Property Renovation in North London
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Kitchen Renovation Services
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Bathroom Renovation Services
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Structural Engineering Services
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Full Refurbishment in Hampstead
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Our design studio is 15 minutes from Bloomsbury. Camden planning specialists.

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