House and Flat Renovation in London

House renovation in London, for houses and flats, designed and managed from the first survey to the last snag.

A renovation is a long project with a lot of people in it: designers, engineers, builders, joiners, suppliers, Building Control, sometimes a freeholder. Most of the stress comes from the gaps between them. We have run house renovation projects in London, from terraces to mansion flats and penthouses, for over 18 years, and our job is to make sure those gaps are covered before they become your problem.

Our house renovation services in London

• Full house renovations and refurbishments, including period houses.
• Flat and apartment refurbishments, including building-management and Licence to Alter approvals.
• Renovations combined with an extension, basement or loft (see architectural design and planning).
• New kitchens and bathrooms as part of the renovation (see our kitchen design and bathroom design pages).
• Phased renovations, where you stay in part of the house or the work happens floor by floor.
• Taking over a project that has stalled, or one started by another designer.

How a house renovation in London runs

1. Inspiration. Brief, lifestyle, budget and existing conditions. A measured survey gives us accurate plans to work from.
2. Concept. Layouts and design direction, the agreed brief, permissions and specialist appointments, and an updated programme and cost.
3. Technical design. Construction drawings and specifications for structure, services, lighting and finishes, coordinated with the engineers.
4. Project realisation. Tender, contractor appointment, the build, procurement and installation. One lead designer is your point of contact throughout, and every drawing, decision and site update lives in one shared project portal rather than scattered across email and WhatsApp.
5. Handover. Walkthrough, snagging, care instructions, warranties and completion documents.

As a rough guide, the interior design of a home where the kitchen and bathrooms are staying usually takes around six months. A build takes longer, and we will give you a written programme and keep it updated. You can read more in project timelines: a rough guide.

What we tell clients before the builders arrive

• Agree the budget and the priorities first. Early cost bands are a guide. Spending more in one room usually means saving in another, and it is better to decide that on paper.
• Look at build costs and furnishing costs separately. They behave differently and are easy to blur together.
• Open up early. A small amount of strip-out before the main build finds the hidden things (mould under old flooring, air-conditioning units buried in joinery, drawings that do not match the structure) while the design and price can still respond.
• Compare quotes properly. Check inclusions, exclusions and whether the price matches the drawings, not just the total at the bottom.
• Put every change in writing. A quick word with a tradesperson on site can change cost, lead time and programme. We record decisions in the shared project record so nothing is agreed by accident.
• Decide on wiring, data and heating before the walls are finished. After tiling or decorating it is very hard to change.
• Order long-lead items early and measure on site before commissioning anything bespoke.
• In a flat, read the building rules. Noisy work is often restricted to set days, and access and waste removal can shape the whole programme.
• Build some breathing room into your move-in date. Construction can overrun, and joinery and furniture installation need their own time after the builders leave, plus a builders’ clean before furniture goes in.

There is more in how to prepare your home for builders and inviting contractors to quote.

Recent house renovation projects in London

• A townhouse in Kensington. Extensive refurbishment across a house and separate cottage, including structural alterations, new doors, fireplaces, heating, kitchens and bathrooms, through to warranties and handover. Read about the Kensington townhouse renovation.
• A house in Stoke Newington. A new kitchen and living area with rooflights, sliding doors and structural alterations, bespoke joinery and blinds.
• A house in Battersea. A substantial refurbishment with basement and structural works, where strip-out findings led to revised costs agreed before the work went ahead.
• A house in Fulham. Taken from concept to handover, with a loft and bathroom added as a separate scope so it did not hold up the rest of the house.
• A flat in Bermondsey. New layouts and finishes with an acoustic underfloor system, building-management approval, procurement and installation.
• A flat in Hampstead. A phased refurbishment with careful protection of communal areas and planned deliveries.
• A flat in Marylebone. A project we took over from a previous designer, reassessing the property and refining the design before completing it.
• A house in South Norwood. A refurbishment alongside a new extension, with phased handovers so work could start in the main house while the extension was finished.

The honest bit

Renovations find things. A screed takes longer to cure than the programme allows. A fire door delivery date moves and takes the move-in date with it. Items arrive damaged or incomplete. What you are paying a designer for is someone who has seen it before, already has a plan B, and tells you about it on the same day rather than at the end of the month.

Questions we get asked

Do I have to use your builder? No. Clients can use their own builder. We prepare tender information so everyone prices the same scope.

Can we live in the house during the work? Sometimes, with phasing. It usually adds time and cost, and we will tell you honestly whether it is sensible.

How do your fees work? See our pricing page. We also explain how we manage costs.

Next step

If you are planning a house renovation in London, the first conversation is free, and we can usually meet within a few days. Tell us about the property and what you want from it. Get in touch here.