House refurbishment estimate.
Full-house refurbishments involve coordinating multiple trades in sequence — from strip-out to decoration. This guide covers what to include, where costs hide, and how to build a reliable estimate.
Authored by Alexandr Vreme & Maksym Vasylkov
Published — Next review
Who this guide is for
This guide is for contractors, project managers, and homeowners planning a full-house refurbishment. If you are stripping a property back to brick and rebuilding its services, finishes, and joinery from scratch, the cost breakdowns here will help you budget realistically.
Information needed
Before pricing a full-house refurbishment, gather:
- Full house survey and any structural reports
- Existing services condition — age of wiring, pipework, boiler
- Asbestos survey for pre-2000 properties
- Scope of strip-out — full back to brick or selective
- New layout changes — wall removals, new openings
- Kitchen and bathroom specifications
- Decoration and flooring choices
Typical work breakdown
A comprehensive house refurbishment estimate breaks down into these phases:
- Strip-out and skip hire
- Structural alterations — wall removals, steel beams, lintels
- Rewiring and new consumer unit
- New plumbing and heating — pipework, radiators, boiler
- Plastering throughout — walls and ceilings
- Joinery — doors, skirting, architraves, fitted wardrobes
- Kitchen and bathroom installation
- Decoration — painting, wallcoverings
- Flooring — screed, underlay, final floor finish
Commonly missed costs
Even experienced contractors overlook these items:
- Asbestos removal — survey and licensed removal can add 2–5% to budget
- Making good after rewire chasing — filling and replastering chased channels
- Upgrading heating controls — smart controls, zoning, thermostats
- Building regulations approval for new windows and structural changes
- EPC requirements — improving insulation and energy performance post-refurb
- Temporary WC hire if the only bathroom is out of action for weeks
Miniature worked example
A 3-bed terrace house full refurbishment back to brick:
| Strip-out & skips | £4,000 |
| Structural alterations | £8,000 |
| M&E (rewire, plumbing, heating) | £14,000 |
| Plastering | £6,000 |
| Joinery (doors, skirting, architraves) | £5,000 |
| Kitchen supply & fit | £10,000 |
| Bathroom supply & fit | £6,000 |
| Decoration | £4,000 |
| Flooring | £4,000 |
| Total | £61,000 |
Excluding kitchen and bathroom unit supply costs, which vary significantly by specification.
Questions to ask
- Has an asbestos survey been done? If not, budget for one before strip-out.
- Is the existing consumer unit up to current regulations or does it need full replacement?
- Will the gas boiler be relocated or replaced as part of the refurbishment?
- Are all new windows and doors compliant with current building regulations Part L and F?
- What is the sequence of trades — can the property be lived in during works?
- Have you allowed for skips, site welfare, and temporary services?
Related guides
See our detailed guides for kitchen refurbishment estimating and bathroom refurbishment estimating for specialist cost breakdowns on those rooms.