House
refurbishment
in Soho, W1
Architects, Engineers, Surveyors & Builders Under One Roof.
One Studio. One Contract. One Team.
RICS surveying support for party walls, licence to alter, conservation-area works & neighbour mattersWe've completed house refurbishments across Dean Street, Greek Street, Frith Street, Wardour Street - Georgian Townhouses, Soho Conversions, Mansion Flats Above Retail where listed-building consent, conservation detailing and structural sequencing need handling properly with Westminster.
House Refurbishment in Soho: What You Need to Know
Many Soho houses sit within the Soho Conservation Area, and a proportion are Grade II or Grade II* listed. Our in-house RIBA Chartered Architects handle Listed Building Consent applications with Westminster directly, specify heritage-appropriate materials (lime plaster, timber sash repair, period-correct paint schemes), and coordinate the build so protected features survive the project intact. Projects typically run 16–32 weeks depending on structural scope and approvals.
Creative quarter with residential properties above ground-floor commercial premises. Tight urban grain with Georgian townhouses on quieter streets. Westminster conservation area. A full refurbishment in Soho 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 Soho 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.
In Soho, refurbishment is as much about logistics and consents as construction. The area falls within the City of Westminster and its Soho Conservation Area, among the tightest, most historic street patterns in the capital. Its surviving Georgian townhouses, characterful conversions and upper-floor flats are many of them listed, standing over a famously busy mixed-use ground floor of shops, bars and restaurants. The council’s guide also records listed Victorian theatres and an archaeological-priority area running around Gerrard Street and Cambridge Circus.
That mix decides the method. The townhouses suit careful, conservation-led refurbishment of Georgian fabric, while the flats and maisonettes are leasehold projects in which acoustic separation from the night-time economy below is critical, and every job calls for meticulously-planned logistics on a street with no room to spare. Small 17th- and 18th-century houses cluster around Soho Square, Golden Square, Gerrard Street, Old Compton Street, Dean Street and Meard Street.
Measured across the borough a house renovation costs anywhere from £90,000 up to £475,000 excluding VAT, easing to £90,000–£180,000 for cosmetic schemes and climbing to £275,000–£475,000 for a full strip-back. On plots this tight, access and acoustic separation move a Soho budget far more than raw floor area.
House Refurbishment in Soho: Applied to the Local Stock
Soho sits in the City of Westminster, within the Soho Conservation Area, on one of the densest and most historic street grids in London. Westminster lists Soho conservation-area maps, a mini guide and an adopted audit. The council's Soho guide records many listed 17th and 18th century buildings, listed Victorian theatres, protected squares and an archaeological-priority area around Gerrard Street and Cambridge Circus; the Soho Neighbourhood Plan also forms part of the Westminster development-plan context.
Sources: Westminster City Council — Soho Conservation Area mini guide (May 2004) (2026); Westminster City Council — Conservation area audits, maps and guidance, L to Z (2026)
What a Full House Refurbishment Involves
A full house refurbishment takes a property back to its bones and rebuilds every layer — fabric, services and finishes — in one continuous programme. Rather than patching rooms in isolation, the whole building is brought up to a single standard, so the wiring behind a new kitchen is as sound as the cabinetry in front of it. Most projects we price cover the scope below.
- Strip-out — soft strip back to the structural shell, with condition checks as each layer comes off
- Structural alterations — steels, openings and floor strengthening, engineered and approved before services go in
- Full rewire — new consumer unit, circuits, lighting and data throughout
- Plumbing & heating — replacement pipework, boiler or heat pump, and underfloor heating where specified
- Plastering — walls and ceilings returned to a true, decoration-ready surface
- Kitchens & bathrooms — design, supply and installation, including waterproofing and tiling
- Joinery — doors, skirting, architraves and fitted storage matched to the property’s period
- Decoration — full paint system and final finishes, protected through to handover
How We Run Your Project
Six stages, each closed out before the next begins, so decisions are made on paper rather than mid-build.
- Survey & brief — we measure the building, investigate what is hidden and agree what the finished house must do for you.
- Design & planning — our architects develop the drawings and manage any consents your borough requires.
- Fixed-price contract — a fully itemised specification, priced before work starts rather than estimated during it.
- Strip-out & first fix — demolition, structural work, cabling and pipework, run in the correct order.
- Second fix & finishes — kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, flooring and decoration.
- Snagging & handover — a joint inspection and certification pack, with defects put right before we leave site.
Read the full house refurbishment guide for stage-by-stage detail, specification tiers and cost anatomy.
Building Regulations touch almost every element of a refurbishment — structure, electrics, heating, ventilation and fire safety all need formal sign-off, and we manage building control from submission through to the completion certificate. Where work affects a shared wall, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 may require notice to your neighbours before structural work begins, and conservation-area or listed status can add consent steps. Our planning guide library explains the rules borough by borough.
Why Hampstead Renovations
We hold £10 million public liability insurance with Aviva; the certificate is available on request.
Transparent Pricing
As a guide, budget £650–£1,250 per square metre for a cosmetic refurbishment that keeps the existing layout, and £2,250–£3,250 per square metre for a back-to-brick renovation, depending on how deep the work goes. A typical whole-house programme runs 16–32 weeks on site, and every project is priced line by line before you commit.
What does a house refurbishment cost in Soho?
Cost in Soho depends on depth of work. A cosmetic refurbishment that keeps the existing layout runs £650–£1,250/sqm (typically £90,000–£180,000), while a back-to-brick renovation runs £2,250–£3,250/sqm (typically £275,000–£475,000), excluding VAT. A written scope and site assessment are needed before any project price can be fixed.
| Scope of work | Guide rate | Typical total |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmetic — existing layout retained | £650–£1,250/sqm | £90,000–£180,000 |
| Back-to-brick renovation | £2,250–£3,250/sqm | £275,000–£475,000 |
| Typical programme | 16–32 weeks on site | |
Guide rates exclude VAT and are set by depth of work, not by property type. Compare scopes in our London refurbishment cost-per-square-metre guide.
Planning your refurbishment budget?
Use our 2026 London refurbishment cost-per-square-metre guide to compare the owner-confirmed Essential, Premium and Heritage/Luxury guide bands. A written scope and site assessment are still needed before any project price can be fixed.
House Refurbishment in Soho: Questions
Why is a Soho refurbishment so constrained?
Density and access. Soho falls inside the City of Westminster and the Soho Conservation Area, on one of the densest and most historic street grids in London, and every project needs tightly-planned logistics for a street with no spare space.
How do you handle a Soho flat above bars and shops?
Acoustics lead. Soho’s upper-floor flats and maisonettes are leasehold homes above the shops and bars, where screening the flats acoustically from the night-time economy below is central to the work — and many sit above a lively mixed-use ground floor, with much of the fabric listed.
What sort of buildings are refurbished in Soho?
Soho’s surviving Georgian townhouses on Dean Street, Frith Street and Greek Street are now often characterful flats and maisonettes, while Wardour Street and the surrounding blocks add upper-floor conversions over shops, bars and studios. The wider grid runs from small 17th- and 18th-century houses around Soho Square and Golden Square to larger Victorian theatre and media buildings on Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road.
Are Soho buildings listed?
Many are. Westminster’s Soho guide records numerous listed 17th- and 18th-century buildings, listed Victorian theatres, protected squares and an archaeological-priority area around Gerrard Street and Cambridge Circus, with the Soho Neighbourhood Plan forming part of the development-plan context.
How much does a Soho refurbishment cost?
The borough’s published house-renovation range spans from £90,000 to £475,000 excluding VAT; a two-bed leasehold flat overhaul is indicated at £60,000–£110,000. We translate those into a Soho figure once the scope and consent position are set.
Guides & Local Reading
House Refurbishment in Nearby Areas
More Services in Soho
Book a Free Consultation
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.
Free Consultation
We survey your property, discuss your vision and provide a clear budget framework.