Start with the dwelling and its boundaries
The City of London Corporation is the planning authority for properties within its boundary. Its residential guidance distinguishes flats from houses: householder permitted development rights cannot simply be carried across to an apartment. EC1–EC4 are useful search districts, but they do not define that administrative boundary. At the first visit we establish the property, its existing use and the parts included in the proposed work, before deciding which professional information is needed.
The building record matters as much as the room dimensions. Historic England describes a Grade II listed pair of houses at Cloth Fair with a mansard roof and stuccoed elevations. That is evidence of a particular historic building type, not evidence that another property has the same construction or development rights. For your home we record actual roof access, floor levels, retained details and previous alterations. A flat refit, a house renovation and a proposal to create additional accommodation begin with different questions.
Sources: City Corporation: residential planning permission · Historic England: listed Cloth Fair houses
Choose a scope that solves the daily problem
A kitchen may need better storage rather than a larger footprint. A bathroom may be uncomfortable because of its doorway, ventilation or awkward maintenance access. We ask how the home works when several activities happen together: cooking while someone passes through, working from home while appliances run, or getting ready without blocking a narrow landing. The resulting brief names the difficulty and the desired improvement, so that a drawing can be assessed against something more useful than a preferred photograph.
Our area services cover kitchens, bathrooms, flat and house refurbishment, bespoke joinery, decorating and heritage restoration. Architecture and planning support help define proposals before construction. Extensions, lofts and basements are also available for property-specific assessment; their inclusion does not mean every City home can accommodate them. A project can combine services, but we identify the interfaces clearly. The kitchen supplier, ventilation designer and electrician need one coordinated layout, while a cabinet fitted beside a door must respect its full opening movement.
Check heritage and consent against the actual proposal
The Corporation publishes conservation-area mapping and character guidance. A map establishes the relevant designation; the supporting document explains what matters there. Listed-building records require a separate check. We use these records to ask precise questions about the proposed work, such as whether a new external terminal, altered window or removed internal feature affects something of significance. An address in a conservation area is not a substitute for inspecting the building or reviewing the individual alteration.
The City's recorded Article 4 direction concerns office-to-residential change of use. It should not be presented as a general prohibition on refreshing an existing home's interior. If a proposal changes use, we establish its correct application route before treating the space as residential. Where the property has its own estate management guidance, that guidance also needs specific attention. This service starts from your dwelling and proposed works; broad assumptions about permissions are kept out of the construction brief.
Sources: City Corporation: conservation maps and character documents · City Corporation: listed buildings and alterations · City Corporation: office-to-residential Article 4 direction
Make access and installation part of the design
Before selecting large components, we measure the delivery route from the building entrance to the room. A worktop may need a joint, a wardrobe may need to arrive as smaller parts, and a bath may be unsuitable for a tight stair turn. We discuss how common areas are protected, where deliveries can be received and where materials can be held without obstructing access. These arrangements are agreed with the relevant building contact, rather than inferred from another block's rules.
Service connections receive the same attention. We identify isolation points, drainage routes and equipment that must remain reachable after the work is complete. Moving an appliance on a plan can have consequences for ventilation or the floor below. For a larger refurbishment, a room-by-room schedule records what is retained, removed, repaired and installed. This allows the design team and trades to work from the same decisions and makes the remaining uncertainties visible before finishes conceal the construction.
Review the finished home as a working whole
Samples are reviewed in the rooms where they will be used, with attention to daylight, artificial lighting and adjacent materials. We check the junctions between trades: skirting against cabinetry, tiled thresholds against timber floors, and access panels against the decorative scheme. These details affect both appearance and future maintenance. A finish that looks convincing in isolation may be unsuitable beside a retained surface, so the specification records the intended combination rather than a collection of unrelated products.
At completion the review follows normal use of the home. Doors and drawers should open without conflict, removable panels should be accessible, and the owner should understand the controls and care requirements for installed equipment. The handover records the agreed scope, relevant documents and any outstanding items. Photographs in our wider portfolio retain their real project locations; we do not present another London project as a City commission. Bring existing plans, building correspondence and a short list of priorities to the feasibility discussion.
Before work begins
Renovating in City of London: questions
Does EC1–EC4 automatically mean the City Corporation is my council?
No. We confirm the property against the authority boundary rather than relying on the district postcode. The Corporation's guidance applies within its area. An adjoining address may need a different council's planning records and policies, even when its postal district looks similar.
Can you renovate one room rather than the entire flat?
Yes. We can define a single-room scope while checking its connections to the rest of the dwelling. A bathroom or kitchen can involve shared drainage, electrical capacity or ventilation, so the initial inspection includes those interfaces before a detailed specification is agreed.
Are lofts and basements suitable for every City property?
No. Ownership, existing construction, access, headroom and the approval route all need investigation. We can assess the proposal and record what prevents or limits it. A useful outcome may be an internal rearrangement that meets the brief without adding a new level.
Do you have a City project shown on this page?
This page makes no claim to a completed project at a City address. Our project register provides the documented work available to review, with its actual locations. The discussion about your home is based on its own condition, requirements and evidence.
What should I send before a first visit?
Send the property location privately, photographs of the rooms, any existing drawings and relevant building-management correspondence. Explain what is difficult about the current layout and which features you want to retain. That gives the visit a clear purpose without requiring a finished design.
Official sources
City Corporation: residential planning permission · Historic England: listed Cloth Fair houses · City Corporation: conservation maps and character documents · City Corporation: listed buildings and alterations · City Corporation: office-to-residential Article 4 direction
Sources checked on the dates recorded in the source register, most recently 5 November 2026. Maps, list entries and directions must be checked for the individual property and proposed work.