Refurbishing a London home is a significant project, and the decisions made before work starts have the biggest effect on how it goes. This article sets out a sensible order for planning, based on how we approach projects ourselves.
Start with how you want to live
Before thinking about finishes, think about layout and daily routines. Where do you cook, eat, work and relax? Which rooms feel cramped or dark? A refurbishment is the moment to open up a kitchen, move a bathroom or add storage, because the property is already being disrupted. Changing your mind later is far more expensive.
Decide what is essential and what is optional
List everything you would like to do, then split it into three groups: work that must happen (for example, failing wiring, damp or an unusable kitchen), work that adds real value to your daily life, and finishing touches that could wait. This makes it much easier to adjust the scope if quotations come in higher than expected.
Set a realistic budget with a contingency
Older London properties often reveal surprises once walls and floors are opened up. Allowing a contingency on top of the quoted work gives you room to deal with these without compromising the finish elsewhere. Be clear with your builder about the total you have available so they can advise on where money is best spent.
Get the sequence right
A well-run refurbishment follows a logical order: strip-out, structural work, first-fix services, plastering and ceilings, flooring, kitchens and joinery, then decoration. Fixing the order early avoids trades waiting on each other or finished surfaces being damaged by later work.
Check what approvals are needed
Structural changes, extensions and some other work may need Building Control approval, planning permission or a party wall agreement with neighbours. Your builder can tell you what is likely to apply, but formal confirmation should come from your local authority, an architect or a surveyor.
Prepare the property and yourself
Clear the rooms being worked on, protect anything that is staying, and decide whether you will live in the property during the work. For full refurbishments it is often more comfortable to move out for part of the programme.
If you are planning a refurbishment anywhere in Greater London, we are happy to visit, talk through your ideas and provide a written quotation.