Project type
Renovations and refurbishments: pricing the unknown
Refurbishment is harder to price than new work, because you are buying into a building nobody has fully seen. Damp, wiring, timber, drainage and previous alterations only reveal themselves once work begins. That is not a reason to avoid it; it is a reason to structure it differently.
Investigate before you price
- A condition or damp and timber survey where the building is old or has been empty.
- Electrical condition report and a view on the heating system's remaining life.
- Drainage survey where there is any history of blockage or settlement.
- Opening up small, agreed areas before tender, which is far cheaper than discovering later.
Structure the money for uncertainty
- Separate the certain works from the provisional ones, in the quote itself.
- Hold a larger contingency than you would for new build.
- Agree how discoveries are priced before one happens: rates, mark-up and approval process.
- Stage the works if the budget is tight, so the project can pause cleanly rather than stall.
Sequencing that saves money
Make the building watertight and sound before spending on finishes. Roof, windows, damp and structure first; kitchens and decoration last. Homeowners who reverse that order often pay twice.
Decide early whether you will live in the property. Working around an occupied house is slower and usually costs more, which should be visible in the price rather than argued about later.
Case-style example
The rewire that changed the plan
A couple budget for a cosmetic refurbishment of a 1930s house: kitchen, bathroom, decoration. Two weeks in, the electrician reports that the installation needs replacing rather than extending.
A full rewire means lifting floors and chasing walls, which undoes decoration that had not yet started. Fortunately it had not started.
Where the survey work happens before the finishes are chosen, this becomes a budget decision rather than a crisis.
How The Construction Clinic helps with this decision
We help you plan for what you cannot see: what to investigate first, how to phrase a provisional sum, and how to agree the rules for discoveries before the first one appears.
Common questions
Questions homeowners ask about this
How much contingency should a renovation carry?
More than an extension. Many homeowners hold fifteen per cent or more on older properties, and treat it as untouchable for upgrades.
Should I get one contractor or several trades?
A single contractor buys coordination and one point of responsibility. Managing trades yourself can be cheaper if you have the time, and it means the sequencing risk is yours.
Do renovations need building regulations approval?
Many elements do: structural alterations, electrics, new drainage, replacement windows, insulation and heating work among them.
Can I live in the house during the work?
Sometimes, but say so before pricing. It affects programme, access and cost, and it is a common source of dispute when assumed.