Architects, Engineers, Surveyors & Builders Under One Roof.
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We deliver Paddington full refurbishment 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.
This is our broadest refurbishment service in Paddington. It covers structural alterations, complete M&E replacement, new kitchens and bathrooms, joinery, flooring, and decoration in one coordinated programme — with a single project manager as your point of contact throughout. Fixed price, weekly progress reports, and a 10-year structural guarantee on completion. Paddington properties typically include Italianate stucco terraces, canal-side houses, mansion flats.
Mix of grand Victorian terraces near Hyde Park and characterful streets around Little Venice. Westminster conservation area protections. Paddington Basin regeneration area. A full refurbishment in Paddington 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 Paddington refurbishment projects are managed through a single point of contact, coordinating architects, structural engineers, M&E specialists, and specialist subcontractors. We work within Westminster's planning and building control requirements to deliver on time and on budget.
Every project is delivered by our directly-employed teams — no subcontractors, no surprises, no hidden costs.
Complete renovation of Paddington townhouses and period homes. Structural work, full rewire, replumb, and luxury finishes throughout.
View details →Mansion block and period conversion specialists. We handle freeholder consent, Party Wall compliance, and communal area management.
View details →Bespoke kitchen design and installation. Custom cabinetry, premium appliances, and finishes tailored to your property.
View details →Luxury bathroom design with underfloor heating, walk-in showers, freestanding baths, and natural stone finishes.
View details →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.
Paddington W2 spans the early-Victorian stucco terraces of Tyburnia and the modern apartments of Paddington Basin, so a full refurbishment might rebuild a whole period house or completely re-fit a modern lateral flat. Our architectural design and structural engineering teams lead the design so layout, structure and services are resolved together under one fixed-price process.
Refurbishment works fall under Westminster, and where the property is listed or in a conservation area, alterations to protected fabric can require listed building consent. We establish the relevant designations at feasibility and run the planning and conservation consents in parallel with the build.
A full refurbishment touches structure throughout — openings, beams and often a basement or loft — so works to shared structures engage the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, and the programme is sequenced from strip-out through first fix, plaster, second fix and fit-out. See our Paddington work or book a consultation.
A whole-house refurbishment in Paddington begins with a question that is specific to W2: how much of the work touches visible fabric, how much sits behind a leasehold approval, and how much is structural. Those three strands need separating early, because on a stuccoed terrace under Westminster control they run to different consents and different timescales.
The stock is not uniform. Gloucester Square and Hyde Park Square carry handsome white-fronted terraces and garden-square houses; Sussex Gardens runs broad and stuccoed; Porchester Terrace and the streets towards Little Venice add villas and canal-side houses; behind them sit mews houses and mansion flats. A scheme drawn for one of these rarely transfers to the next.
In a house, the programme usually starts with structure — floors, party walls, the roof and any basement interface — before the layout is settled and finishes are chosen. The stucco elevation is treated as a conservation item in its own right, restored with authentic stucco and joinery rather than absorbed into the decorating package, because the frontage belongs to a protected run rather than to a single address.
In a mansion flat the order changes. Structure, acoustics and freeholder consents are handled together, under Westminster conservation control, so the Licence to Alter and the construction programme develop side by side rather than one after the other. Central W2 access, storage and neighbour management then shape how the works are staged, floor by floor and week by week.
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.
A full refurbishment touches every element of your home.
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.
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.
Full replumb replacing lead pipework. New condensing boiler or heat pump, radiator upgrade or underfloor heating, pressurised hot water systems and new waste connections.
Bespoke kitchen design with premium cabinetry and appliances. Bathroom fit-outs with wall-hung sanitary ware, walk-in showers, freestanding baths and underfloor heating.
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.
Architectural lighting schemes layering ambient, task and accent lighting. Smart control (Lutron, Rako), multi-room audio pre-wiring, automated blinds and centralised home control.
Every room in a full refurbishment has its own technical requirements, specification decisions and sequencing considerations. Here is what is involved in each.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
In Paddington the refurbish-or-rebuild decision is usually settled by the address rather than by the condition of the building. The stucco terraces, canal-side houses and mansion flats of W2 are largely of group value, much of the stock is leasehold, and Westminster scrutinises external change — so working with the existing shell is the realistic route on the great majority of streets.
Why refurbishment is normally the answer here. A protected stucco run reads as one composition. The terraces around Gloucester Square and Hyde Park Square, and the broad stuccoed frontages of Sussex Gardens, depend on that continuity, and the conservation areas covering these streets exist to hold it. Where a building is listed — and listed buildings do sit within W2, sometimes alongside unlisted neighbours — the interior fabric is in scope too, not only the elevation. In a leasehold mansion flat the structure is not yours to remove at all: the freeholder's consent governs what may be altered, alongside Westminster's own controls.
Where the ambition goes instead. Rather than demolition, Paddington schemes grow downwards, upwards or backwards — basement extensions beneath an existing house, roof developments above it, rear extensions behind it. Each has its own consent path, and each meets the existing fabric at a junction that has to be designed rather than assumed. Canal-side houses add a further requirement, since anything facing the water is detailed for that outlook.
Questions worth answering before the design is fixed:
Answering these first tends to shorten the programme. Where visible fabric, leasehold approvals and structural scope are separated at the outset, each can be pursued on its own timeline; bundled together, the slowest approval sets the pace for everything else.
Not every property is best served by refurbishment. Here is how to decide whether to refurbish the existing structure or demolish and rebuild.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paddington sits in the City of Westminster, and approval here normally runs on two tracks at once: the council, and - where the property is leasehold - the freeholder.
Westminster scrutinises external change closely. Conservation areas protect the stuccoed streets and the canal basin at Little Venice's edge, so the long stucco runs, facade alterations and anything read from the street or the water are governed by conservation and facade planning rules before they are a construction matter. W2 also contains listed buildings, where consent is a separate and stricter route again. Roof developments, rear extensions and basement extensions each raise their own planning question rather than sharing a single answer.
Leasehold changes the order of work. Much of the mansion-flat stock here is leasehold, so a Licence to Alter has to be pursued alongside, not after, any council application, with structure and acoustics forming part of what the freeholder assesses.
Party-wall obligations apply where work touches a shared wall or excavates beside a neighbour, and canal-side positions carry their own detailing demands.
The practical rule in W2 is to separate visible fabric, leasehold approvals and structural scope at the outset - knowing Westminster's conservation rules early is what keeps a Paddington scheme on programme.
Not every refurbishment requires building regulations approval, but many elements do. Here are the key Approved Documents that commonly apply.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A structured process ensuring nothing is missed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Guide prices per sqm. All tiers include design, structural work, full M&E, kitchens, bathrooms and decoration.
What makes our refurbishments different from a builder and a decorator.
Layout redesign by a RIBA architect and interior specification by a dedicated designer — working in tandem from day one. Spatial planning and material palette developed together, not sequentially.
Every room rendered in photorealistic 3D before construction. See exactly how finishes, furniture and lighting work together. Changes on screen, not on site.
One price for design, M&E, structural work, kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, joinery and decoration. Not a builder's quote with interiors as an extra — a single all-inclusive figure.
We understand Victorian proportions, Georgian joinery profiles, Edwardian ceiling heights and how to introduce contemporary elements that complement period character.
Our Finchley Road studio houses stone samples, timber swatches, tile displays, fabric books and ironmongery collections — all for in-person selection.
We manage procurement of every material and fitting — coordinating lead times across 50+ suppliers to ensure on-time site delivery.
Insulation improvements, draught-proofing, boiler upgrades and window enhancements that improve energy performance without compromising character.
Original sashes overhauled, draught-sealed, re-weighted and re-glazed rather than replaced — maintaining heritage character and avoiding replacement costs.
Dedicated project manager coordinates all trades, manages the programme, conducts weekly inspections and provides regular client updates.
We refurbish both vacant properties (fastest) and occupied homes (phased room-by-room). We advise the most practical approach for your circumstances.
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.
Selected whole-house refurbishments across London.
Full strip-back and reconfiguration. New open-plan ground floor, 3 bathrooms, bespoke kitchen and complete rewire/replumb.
Sensitive refurbishment: new kitchen-diner, 3 redesigned bathrooms, period joinery restoration and complete M&E upgrade.
Complete 95sqm flat refurbishment. New layout with en-suite master, open-plan kitchen-living, full rewire and contemporary interior.
Need a same-day repair in NW London?
Visit Hampstead On Demand →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.
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.
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.
Common questions about full house refurbishment in Paddington and the wider W2 area.
Does a full refurbishment in Paddington need planning permission? Internal work usually does not; external change frequently does. Paddington sits in the City of Westminster, with conservation areas protecting its stuccoed streets and the canal basin at Little Venice's edge, and Westminster scrutinises external change closely. Anything affecting the front elevation, the roofline, a rear addition or a basement should be assessed on its own merits before the design is fixed.
How do I find out whether my house is listed or in a conservation area? Both are checked at the address, not at the street. Listed buildings exist in W2 alongside unlisted properties on the same terrace, and conservation boundaries do not always follow the obvious lines. Confirming the position at the start determines whether you are dealing with planning alone or with listed building consent as well.
Can the stucco frontage be altered? The long stucco runs are protected, and the terraces around Gloucester Square and Hyde Park Square, along with the broad stuccoed frontages of Sussex Gardens, are largely of group value. The elevation is therefore read as part of a composition rather than as one house. Restoration with authentic stucco and joinery is the normal route; departures from the run are not.
What about the sash windows? Facade and sash decisions are among the items that most affect both consent and cost on a W2 refurbishment. Where a frontage is protected, the profile, glazing pattern and material of the sashes matter as much as their condition, and the choice between repair and replacement is made once the conservation position is established.
My flat is leasehold — what is a Licence to Alter? It is the freeholder's formal permission for alterations to a leasehold property, and much of Paddington's mansion-flat stock needs one. Because so much of W2 is leasehold, refurbishment here is governed by both Westminster and the freeholders, so the two approvals are pursued in parallel and structure, acoustics and freeholder consents are handled together.
Are mansion flats harder than houses? They are different rather than harder. A house concentrates the difficulty in structure and facade; a mansion flat concentrates it in approvals, acoustics and neighbours above, below and alongside. Leasehold flats pull structure, acoustics and freeholder consents into a single exercise under Westminster conservation control, which changes the order of the work rather than its standard.
Can I create or extend a basement in W2? Basement extensions form part of the picture in Paddington, and there is a real difference between converting an existing cellar and excavating new space beneath a house. The second engages underpinning, neighbouring structures and party wall procedure far more heavily. The interface between the new basement and the existing building is the detail that governs the programme.
Is a roof development possible on a Paddington terrace? Roof developments are part of the W2 heritage picture, but a roofline on a protected stucco run is a highly visible change and is treated as such. What is feasible depends on the terrace, its group value, the conservation area position, and how the new structure meets the existing roof.
Does the same thinking apply to rear extensions? A rear extension is one of the routes Paddington houses commonly take, alongside roof developments and basement work. Behind a protected frontage the rear is often where change is most achievable, but the junction with the existing house, the party wall position and the outlook of neighbouring gardens still shape what can be drawn.
Will I need a party wall award? Frequently, yes. Terraced houses, mansion flats, and any basement or roof interface all place work close to or across a boundary. A party wall award is the statutory agreement with the adjoining owner covering how that work proceeds, and it is settled before those elements begin rather than during them.
Does being near the canal change anything? It changes the detailing. Canal-side houses, and the villas along Porchester Terrace and the streets towards Little Venice, face the water, so elevations, materials and external works are handled with that outlook in mind. Access to a water-facing property also affects how deliveries and waste removal are organised.
How does central W2 affect the site itself? Access, storage and neighbour management are genuine constraints in Paddington rather than administrative details. The area brings together Victorian terraces, mansion flats, mews houses and the streets around Sussex Gardens within a busy canal and station setting, so refurbishment has to balance residential quiet with central-London access. Deliveries, waste and working hours are planned around that reality.
Can I stay in the property while the work is carried out? On a full strip-back there is no working kitchen, bathroom or heating for a sustained period, so vacating is the practical option. Phased, room-by-room work suits some properties. In a leasehold flat the decision is partly not yours to make, since the freeholder's licence and the building's management commonly set access arrangements and permitted working hours.
What should be established first on a Paddington project? That visible fabric, leasehold approvals and structural scope are three separate strands. Cost and programme here are driven by terrace structure, mansion-flat acoustics, freeholder approvals, facade and sash decisions, roof or basement interfaces, and central W2 access, storage and neighbour-management constraints — and each of those belongs to one of the three strands. Separating them early stops one slow approval from stalling the rest.
Which streets define Paddington's housing stock? The characteristic W2 addresses run from Gloucester Square and Hyde Park Square through Sussex Gardens to Porchester Terrace. Each has its own pattern: white-fronted period houses and garden-square frontages in the squares, a broad stuccoed run along Sussex Gardens, and villas and water-facing houses on the streets towards Little Venice.
Do you work in the surrounding areas as well? Yes — Bayswater, Lancaster Gate, Marylebone, Mayfair, Belgravia and Knightsbridge all sit alongside Paddington, and several share its terraced and mansion-flat character. Paddington's own combination of grand stucco and the water, though, sets requirements that a scheme drawn for a neighbouring street will not automatically satisfy.
Common questions about full house refurbishment.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A full refurbishment often includes elements from our specialist services. Explore the detail.
Bespoke kitchen design, premium cabinetry, integrated appliances and stone worktops — our dedicated kitchen service delivers the heart of your refurbished home.
Walk-in showers, freestanding baths, wall-hung sanitaryware and underfloor heating — every bathroom designed as a spa-like retreat.
Wall removals, steel beam installations, floor strengthening and foundation work — the structural backbone of every refurbishment project.
Use these area-specific guide pages to compare the next build routes, planning questions and cost topics people commonly research in Paddington W2.
Visit our studio or invite us to survey your home. We'll assess scope, discuss design possibilities and provide an honest budget framework — completely free.
We survey your property, discuss your vision and provide a clear budget framework.
Book Free ConsultationWe're not a national chain — we're a local design and build practice with deep roots in Paddington and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Our design studio at 250 Finchley Road NW3 is just 8 minutes from Paddington. Visit to see materials, meet the team, and discuss your project in person.
Our RIBA architects have extensive experience with Westminster Council's planning department, conservation officers, and building control team. We know what gets approved.
From the Stucco terraces, period conversions, mansion flats and townhouses on Sussex Gardens, Norfolk Square, Spring Street and Praed Street — we understand the specific construction challenges and planning context of every property type in W2.
Westminster City Council · W2
Whole-property refurbishment in Paddington frequently involves conservation-area consent — and listed-building consent where applicable — so Westminster City Council assesses external alterations, windows and structural changes alongside Building Regulations, often with party wall agreements on terraced and semi-detached homes.
Paddington W2 sits within Paddington's conservation areas, and Westminster applies a demanding conservation and listed-building regime, and many mansion blocks and townhouses here are listed or sit within tightly controlled estates such as the Grosvenor, Howard de Walden and Crown estates. Our RIBA architects prepare and submit every application to Westminster City Council and handle pre-application discussions where a scheme is finely balanced.
Full Refurbishment in Paddington must satisfy Building Regulations — covering structural alterations to Part A, fire safety to Part B, thermal upgrades to Part L, and electrical and gas certification. Our in-house engineers manage Building Control from initial notice to completion certificate.
Explore our other Paddington services — Kitchen Renovation Loft Conversions — or the Paddington renovation hub.
Our in-house planning team prepares and submits every Westminster City Council application and manages building control end to end. View our planning track record →
The same NW3 design-build team covers the neighbouring areas: