Flat refurbishment
in East Sheen, SW14
In-house RIBA Chartered Architects, structural engineers and build delivery under one contract.
Survey. Design. Consent. Build.
Plan an East Sheen flat refurbishment around Richmond's adopted village guidance, the lease's consent requirements and one coordinated design-and-build programme.
Planning context for an East Sheen flat refurbishment
Richmond Council formally adopted the East Sheen Village Planning Guidance Supplementary Planning Document on 8 January 2016 to define, maintain and enhance the village's character. Where a flat scheme touches external elements — windows, roof-level alterations or anything visible from the street — the proposal is tested against that adopted guidance first.
The borough register identifies Christchurch Road, East Sheen Conservation Area, designated on 14 January 1969 and later extended, and East Sheen Avenue Conservation Area, designated on 14 June 1988. For a leasehold flat near either boundary, the designation is checked directly on the council record before any external consent strategy is priced.
Internal-only refurbishment work sits outside those controls, so the first survey task is to separate the internal scope from anything that engages the village guidance, a conservation boundary, or the freeholder's own consent requirements.
Flat Refurbishment in East Sheen: Applied to the Local Stock
Richmond Council formally adopted the East Sheen Village Planning Guidance Supplementary Planning Document on 8 January 2016 to define, maintain and enhance the character of East Sheen Village. Richmond Council's conservation-area register identifies Christchurch Road, East Sheen Conservation Area as designated on 14 January 1969 and later extended, and East Sheen Avenue Conservation Area as designated on 14 June 1988.
Sources: Richmond Council — East Sheen SPD adoption statement (2026); Richmond Council — conservation area appraisals (2026)
What a Flat Refurbishment Involves
Refurbishing a flat means renovating inside a building you share — so the job is as much about leases, neighbours and building rules as it is about kitchens and finishes. We plan every project around the consents your lease demands and the protocols your block expects, then deliver the technical work under one fixed-price contract. A typical scope covers the elements below.
- Licence to Alter — lease review, application pack and freeholder’s surveyor queries handled on your behalf
- Acoustic build-up — separating floors and walls upgraded to meet Building Regulations Part E and any stricter freeholder schedule
- Wet-room tanking — certified waterproofing beneath every bathroom, flood-tested before tiling and covered by an insurance-backed warranty
- Rewire & replumb — new circuits, pipework and heating, coordinated with the building’s risers and stacks
- Layout changes — internal openings engineered, approved by building control and cleared with the freeholder where the lease allows
- Kitchens & bathrooms — designed, supplied and fitted to the specification tier you select
- Period detail — cornicing, sash windows and fireplaces retained and repaired in conversion flats
- Block protocols — lift protection, booked deliveries, restricted noisy hours and daily cleaning of communal areas
How We Run Your Project
Six stages, sequenced so freeholder consent never holds up the start on site.
- Survey & lease review — we measure the flat, inspect the services and read your lease to identify exactly which consents apply.
- Design & consents — our architects develop the layout while the Licence to Alter application runs in parallel, not afterwards.
- Fixed-price contract — an itemised specification agreed in full, with the acoustic and tanking details written in.
- Strip-out & first fix — soft strip, structural openings, cabling, pipework and the acoustic carcass, all removed and delivered through agreed routes.
- Second fix & finishes — kitchen, bathrooms, joinery, flooring and decoration.
- Testing & handover — snagging, certification and reinstatement of any communal areas before the keys come back to you.
Read the full flat refurbishment guide for flat typologies, specification tiers and the Licence to Alter process in detail.
Almost every leasehold flat needs formal freeholder consent — a Licence to Alter — before structural work, new flooring or services alterations can begin, and proceeding without one puts your lease at risk. Building Regulations apply on top: Part E sound insulation between dwellings, electrical and heating sign-off, and fire safety where walls or floors are opened. Flats and maisonettes also have no permitted development rights, so external changes always need a planning application. Our planning guide library covers the rules borough by borough.
Why Hampstead Renovations
Flat refurbishment rewards a team that already knows what freeholders and managing agents will ask for. Design is led by our in-house RIBA Chartered Architects, lease and party-structure matters are supported by RICS surveying through our sister company, Hampstead Chartered Surveyors, and the build is carried out by our own long-standing teams. Every contract is fixed-price on JCT terms, backed by £10M professional indemnity and public liability insurance — the level major London freeholders require — plus a 12-month defects period and a 10-year workmanship warranty. Enquire before 2pm on a weekday and we will call you back the same day.
What does a flat refurbishment cost in East Sheen?
A flat refurbishment in East Sheen typically runs from £1,200/sqm for an Essential specification, from £2,000/sqm for Premium work, and £3,000–£3,500+/sqm at Heritage/Luxury level, excluding VAT. Most full programmes take 16–32 weeks on site. A written scope and site assessment are needed before any project price can be fixed.
| Specification | Guide rate |
|---|---|
| Essential | from £1,200/sqm |
| Premium | from £2,000/sqm |
| Heritage / Luxury | £3,000–£3,500+/sqm |
| Typical programme | 16–32 weeks on site |
Guide rates exclude VAT. Source: our published London refurbishment cost-per-square-metre guide.
Flat Refurbishment in East Sheen: Questions
Does East Sheen planning guidance affect a flat refurbishment?
Do East Sheen's conservation areas affect flat works?
How much does a flat refurbishment cost in East Sheen?
Guide rates in East Sheen run from £1,200/sqm for Essential work, from £2,000/sqm for Premium, and £3,000–£3,500+/sqm for Heritage/Luxury specifications, excluding VAT, over a typical 16–32 week programme. A written scope and site assessment come before any fixed price.
Guides & Local Reading
Flat Refurbishment in Nearby Areas
More Services in East Sheen
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We survey your property, discuss your vision and provide a clear budget framework.