Architects, Engineers, Surveyors & Builders Under One Roof.
Surveyor-led refurbishment advice via Hampstead Chartered Surveyors →One Studio. One Contract. One Team.
We deliver Dartmouth Park 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 Dartmouth Park. 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. Dartmouth Park properties typically include Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas, period conversions.
In Dartmouth Park's conservation area, external alterations during refurbishment require Camden approval. Our architects balance modern interior requirements with heritage exterior preservation.
Quiet, leafy residential area between Highgate and Kentish Town. Part of the Dartmouth Park conservation area with handsome Victorian streets and proximity to Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park.
Every project is delivered by our directly-employed teams — no subcontractors, no surprises, no hidden costs.
Complete renovation of Dartmouth Park 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 →London Borough of Camden · NW5
Whole-property refurbishment in Dartmouth Park frequently involves conservation-area consent — and listed-building consent where applicable — so London Borough of Camden assesses external alterations, windows and structural changes alongside Building Regulations, often with party wall agreements on terraced and semi-detached homes.
Dartmouth Park NW5 sits within the Dartmouth Park Conservation Area, and Camden enforces Article 4 directions across its conservation areas (removing many permitted-development rights) and applies its CPG basement guidance to subterranean work. Our RIBA architects prepare and submit every application to London Borough of Camden and handle pre-application discussions where a scheme is finely balanced.
Full Refurbishment in Dartmouth Park 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 through to the completion certificate.
Explore our other Dartmouth Park services — Kitchen Renovation Loft Conversions — or the Dartmouth Park renovation hub for the full picture of how we work locally.
Our in-house planning team prepares and submits every London Borough of Camden application and manages building control end to end. View our planning track record →
Camden · NW5
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.
Dartmouth Park NW5, on the slopes below Highgate, is a grid of Victorian terraces where full refurbishments take a whole house back to brick and rebuild within a protected conservation setting. 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 Camden, 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 Dartmouth Park work or book a consultation.
A whole-house refurbishment in Dartmouth Park begins with the slope. This corner of NW5 climbs between Highgate and Kentish Town, and that gradient works its way into almost every decision on a full refurbishment: how a rear extension meets the garden, where retaining is needed, how floor levels step down through the back of the house, and where usable daylight can realistically be won.
The stock is largely bay-fronted Victorian terraces and Edwardian villas, with late-18th-century terraces, detached houses with gardens, mansion blocks, smaller terraces and estate housing filling in across the hillside towards Tufnell Park and Parliament Hill Fields. Behind the cornicing these are houses planned for a Victorian household rather than a contemporary family, so the work that matters sits behind the plaster as much as in front of it — services taken back and renewed, solid walls dealt with properly, and a floor plan that no longer suits the way the house is lived in.
We resolve the layout before anything else: opening cramped ground floors, relocating bathrooms, adding utility space, improving circulation and treating the fall of the site as a design opportunity rather than an obstacle. A layer of period flat conversions runs through the same streets, and those leasehold projects carry their own requirements — acoustic separation between dwellings and managing-agent consent sit alongside the building work. Once the plan is settled, one material and joinery language is carried through every room so the finished house reads as a single piece rather than a set of separately decorated spaces.
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.
Room-by-room work in Dartmouth Park is shaped by the gradient. On the slope between Highgate, Tufnell Park and Parliament Hill Fields, garden levels, retaining and the drop from a rear room out to the garden are detailed quite differently on Dartmouth Park Hill and Dartmouth Park Avenue than on the flatter terraced runs below.
Access governs sequencing throughout, because steels and roof materials must travel up tight residential streets.
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 Dartmouth Park the choice is rarely wide open. The Dartmouth Park Conservation Area protects the steep Victorian streets and the green edge towards Hampstead Heath and Waterlow Park, Camden states that the conservation area appraisal is used when applications are assessed, and Article 4 controls apply across the neighbourhood. External change is scrutinised here, so wholesale demolition is not a realistic starting point at most addresses.
When refurbishment is the right route
When a more radical approach is worth testing
Even then, the answer in this part of Camden is usually a deep refurbishment with real structural intervention rather than a rebuild. Roof and rear extension guidance has existed for Laurier and Boscastle Roads, which gives a useful reading of how far change is expected to go in these streets. We test both routes at design stage, against the conservation position for your own address, before anything is committed.
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.
On a Dartmouth Park refurbishment the running order carries more weight than usual, because consents, shared walls and access along tight residential streets on the hill all have to line up before trades arrive.
Get this order wrong and the cost shows up twice: once in the rework, and again in the delay while a consent or an award that should have been dealt with in month one holds up a site that is otherwise ready.
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.
Camden's conservation-area and Article 4 controls decide what a Dartmouth Park house may look like. Building regulations decide how it has to perform. They are separate approvals, and on a whole-house refurbishment both usually apply.
None of this substitutes for the planning side. A scheme can be fully compliant and still be refused externally because it does not sit with the conservation area appraisal, and an approved external design still has to be built to the regulations. We run the two together from the first drawing so neither one ambushes the 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 Dartmouth Park.
What drives the cost of a refurbishment here? Less the postcode than the constraints attached to the address. The main variables in NW5 are the gradient and any retaining or garden-level work it forces, the extent of structural intervention, whether the roof is being altered in a conservation area, whether an existing cellar is being converted or new space excavated, party-wall procedure on a terrace, and access for steels and materials through narrow streets on the hill. Two houses on the same road can sit a long way apart once those are priced. We survey, resolve the design and the consent position, then price the actual scope rather than a rate per square metre.
Do I need permission for external work? Almost certainly. Dartmouth Park is a Camden conservation area and the council states that its conservation area appraisal is used when applications are assessed. Article 4 controls apply across the neighbourhood, which removes permitted development rights that homeowners elsewhere would rely on. Assume that windows, roof alterations, extensions and anything visible from the street need to be applied for and designed to be defensible.
How does the protected view affect my roof? The Kenwood-to-St Paul's protected vista crosses the western side of the neighbourhood, so proposals there have to address roof form, visibility and townscape rather than simply demonstrating that the volume is modest. Roof and rear extension guidance has also existed for Laurier and Boscastle Roads. In practice that means the loft type follows the roof and the setting: rear dormers are straightforward on some terraces, while other roofs need a more careful approach.
Can I put a basement under the house? There are two very different projects here. Converting an existing cellar works with space you already own, and the question is head height, damp, drainage and light. Excavating new basement space is a structural project with underpinning, temporary works and its own party-wall route. The slope helps in some places, because a lower ground floor can open to a garden that has already dropped away, and complicates others where the ground has to be retained.
What about party walls? The bay-fronted terraces on Chetwynd Road and York Rise share walls along their full depth, so beams, chimney breast removals, underpinning and excavation near a neighbour's foundation all engage the party wall process. Notices go out early, because the award timetable, not the building work, is what usually sets the earliest realistic start.
My property is a flat conversion — is that different? Yes. Leasehold works in the period conversions around the Heath and Waterlow Park run to a different rhythm: the lease and the managing agent set what may be altered and when, acoustic separation between dwellings has to be built in rather than added afterwards, and consent has to be granted before the strip-out, not negotiated during it.
How long will it take? Design and consent come first, and in a conservation area with Article 4 controls that stage is not compressible. Once on site, a leasehold flat refurbishment is generally the shortest programme, a whole-house refurbishment of a bay-fronted terrace longer, and a villa on the hill involving structure, roof and lower-ground works longer still. Party-wall awards and any managing-agent consent are the two items most likely to move the start date, which is why we get both moving on day one.
Do I need to move out? For a full strip-back we recommend it. Taking a Victorian house back to its shell means no working kitchen, bathroom or heating for a sustained period, and on a terrace it also lets structural and party-wall work proceed without stopping and restarting around a household. Room-by-room and phased refurbishments can be lived through, and leasehold flat projects are often planned that way to suit the building's own restrictions on working hours and access.
Can you keep the original features? That is normally the point. Cornicing, ceiling roses, fireplaces, panelled doors and timber floors are exactly what the conservation area exists to protect, and retaining them sits comfortably with a modern layout, insulated fabric and renewed services. Where detail has already been lost, joinery profiles are matched to what survives elsewhere in the house.
Can the house be made warmer and the services brought up to date? That is one of the main reasons people refurbish here. The Victorian and Edwardian stock is solid-walled, so the fabric work has to be designed rather than assumed, and it has to be reconciled with what the conservation area allows to change externally. Heating, hot water and ventilation are replanned at the same time as the layout, which is the moment to move bathrooms, add an en-suite or bring a lower-ground room into proper use rather than a compromise reached later.
How disruptive is the work for neighbours? On these streets it is a genuine planning question rather than a courtesy. Terraces are attached, the roads are narrow and they climb, so skips, deliveries, lifting steels and roof materials all need to be scheduled instead of turning up. Neighbours are told what is happening and when, and the party wall procedure gives them a formal route as well.
Which streets do you cover? The whole of Dartmouth Park in NW5, including Chetwynd Road, York Rise, Dartmouth Park Hill and Dartmouth Park Avenue, and the neighbouring areas the hill runs into — Highgate, Kentish Town, Hampstead, Camden Town and Crouch End.
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 Dartmouth Park NW5.
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 Dartmouth Park and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Our design studio at 250 Finchley Road NW3 is just 10 minutes from Dartmouth Park. Visit to see materials, meet the team, and discuss your project in person.
Our RIBA architects have extensive experience with Camden Council's planning department, conservation officers, and building control team. We know what gets approved.
From the Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas and converted mansion houses on Dartmouth Park Hill, Chetwynd Road, York Rise and Highgate Road — we understand the specific construction challenges and planning context of every property type in NW5.
The same NW3 design-build team covers the neighbouring areas: