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Tooting · SW17 · Flat Refurbishment

Flat refurbishment
in Tooting, SW17

Updated 1 August 2026

In-house RIBA Chartered Architects, structural engineers and build delivery under one contract.

Survey. Design. Consent. Build.

Plan a Tooting flat refurbishment around Wandsworth's consent route for converted flats, the lease's requirements and one coordinated design-and-build programme.

In-house RIBA Chartered Architects · £10M insurance · RICS surveying support

The consent route for a Tooting flat refurbishment

Where a Tooting flat sits in a converted house, Wandsworth Council's own householder guidance directs it to a full planning application rather than the householder form. The building type therefore changes the application route, not just the paperwork.

That is why tenure and building type are confirmed at the survey stage rather than assumed from the postal address: a purpose-built flat, a converted flat and a maisonette can each face a different consent picture for the same physical scope of work.

Alongside the council route, a leasehold refurbishment usually needs the freeholder's consent for alterations, so the licence-to-alter requirements are read together with the planning position before the programme is fixed.

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.

  1. Survey & lease review — we measure the flat, inspect the services and read your lease to identify exactly which consents apply.
  2. Design & consents — our architects develop the layout while the Licence to Alter application runs in parallel, not afterwards.
  3. Fixed-price contract — an itemised specification agreed in full, with the acoustic and tanking details written in.
  4. Strip-out & first fix — soft strip, structural openings, cabling, pipework and the acoustic carcass, all removed and delivered through agreed routes.
  5. Second fix & finishes — kitchen, bathrooms, joinery, flooring and decoration.
  6. 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 Tooting?

A flat refurbishment in Tooting 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.

SpecificationGuide rate
Essentialfrom £1,200/sqm
Premiumfrom £2,000/sqm
Heritage / Luxury£3,000–£3,500+/sqm
Typical programme16–32 weeks on site

Guide rates exclude VAT. Source: our published London refurbishment cost-per-square-metre guide.

Flat Refurbishment in Tooting: Questions

Which planning route applies to a Tooting flat refurbishment?

For a flat in a converted house, Wandsworth Council's guidance directs applicants to a full planning application rather than the householder form. We confirm whether the property is purpose-built or converted at the survey stage, because that single distinction changes the consent route.

What do you confirm before pricing a Tooting flat refurbishment?

The building type and tenure first — Wandsworth treats a flat in a converted house differently from a house, directing it to a full planning application. The lease's alteration provisions and the physical scope are then read against that route before a written project price is fixed.

How much does a flat refurbishment cost in Tooting?

Guide rates in Tooting 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

Renovation and planning guides Leasehold renovation permissions guide

Flat Refurbishment in Nearby Areas

Flat refurbishment in Balham Flat refurbishment in Wandsworth Town Flat refurbishment in Clapham Junction Flat refurbishment in Putney

More Services in Tooting

House refurbishment in Tooting Refurbishment company in Tooting

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.

020 8054 8756Mon–Fri, 9am – 6pm
contact@hampsteadrenovations.co.ukWe respond within 24 hours

Free Consultation

We survey your property, discuss your vision and provide a clear budget framework.

Enquire before 2pm — we’ll call you the same day (Mon–Fri).

Related group service: Hampstead Architecture for architectural design and planning support.