Cost guides · 6 min read
How much does it cost to renovate a house?
Just bought a tired house, or finally getting yours up to standard? Renovation budgets vary more than any other project because "renovate" covers everything from paint to a back-to-brick rebuild. Here is a realistic way to frame it for a typical three-bed in our area.
Three levels of renovation
| Level | What it covers | Typical three-bed budget (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Light refresh | Decoration, flooring, minor repairs | £15,000 to £30,000 |
| Medium refurbishment | New kitchen and bathroom, some rewiring, replastering, decoration | £40,000 to £75,000 |
| Full renovation | Strip-out, full rewire, new heating, replaster, new kitchen and bathrooms, possible structural changes | £75,000 to £150,000+ |
The big-ticket items
- Full rewire: typically £5,000 to £9,000 depending on size and finish.
- New heating system with boiler and radiators: £5,000 to £8,000.
- Replastering throughout: £8,000 to £15,000.
- Kitchen supplied and fitted: from £11,000. Bathroom: from £6,500.
- Windows throughout: £8,000 to £15,000 depending on style.
Sequence is everything
The expensive mistake in renovation is doing work twice: decorating before the rewire, tiling before the plumbing moves. The right order is strip-out, structural, first fix (wires and pipes), plaster, second fix, kitchens and bathrooms, then decoration. Project-managing every trade in that order on one programme is exactly what a design and build team is for.
Older houses, honestly handled
Much of the housing around Enfield and Cheshunt is Victorian to 1930s. Budget honestly for what these houses hide: old wiring, damp needing proper treatment rather than a coat of paint, and lath-and-plaster ceilings. A contingency of around 10% is not pessimism, it is experience.
Frequently asked questions
Can I live in the house during a full renovation?+
For light and some medium refurbishments, yes, in phases. A full strip-out is faster, cheaper and far less stressful with the house empty, and we will tell you honestly which yours is.
Do I need planning permission to renovate?+
Internal renovation almost never needs planning permission, though building control applies to electrics, structural work and sometimes windows. Listed buildings and flats have extra rules.
How long does a full renovation take?+
A full three-bed renovation typically runs 12 to 20 weeks on site depending on structural work, and we give you a room-by-room programme with the quote.