Full House Renovation Checklist: What to Budget and Plan For

A full house refurbishment covers far more than most people budget for on their first pass. Here's the complete checklist we work through with every client before giving a fixed price, so nothing gets discovered — or costed — halfway through the project.

Structural and first-fix

• Full electrical rewire and new consumer unit (essential on any property over 25–30 years old)
• New plumbing and central heating, including boiler location and pipe runs
• Structural alterations — removing or adding walls, steel beam calculations if needed
• Damp-proofing where relevant, particularly on ground floors of older properties

Kitchen and bathrooms

• Kitchen design, supply and fit-out
• Bathroom and en-suite design, supply and fit-out
• Tiling, waterproofing, and extraction/ventilation

Finishes

• Full replaster throughout (skimming over old plaster rarely gives a good enough finish on a full refurb)
• New flooring — decide room-by-room whether you want engineered wood, tile, or carpet before first-fix electrics are finalised, since underfloor heating changes the plan
• Internal doors, skirting, and architrave
• Complete decoration

The three things people usually forget to budget for

1. Where you'll live during the work

For a full refurbishment — rewire, replumbing, new kitchen and bathrooms, replastering throughout — moving out is almost always safer, faster, and often cheaper overall than trying to live around the work. Factor rent or family stays into your total budget, not just the build cost.

2. A contingency

Older properties, especially pre-1930s builds common across Dagenham and Barking, can reveal issues once walls are opened up — outdated wiring behind plaster, old lead pipework, or timber that needs replacing. A 10% contingency on top of your fixed quote is sensible, even with a detailed site survey beforehand.

3. Fixtures and appliances

Some quotes cover the shell (kitchen units, bathroom suite) but not appliances (oven, hob, washing machine) or sanitaryware brand/spec. Ask specifically what's included so you're comparing like-for-like when reviewing quotes from different builders.

Timeline

A full 3-bed East London terrace refurbishment typically takes 12 to 18 weeks depending on scope. We send weekly photo updates throughout, which matters especially if you're managing the project from elsewhere — a significant part of our work is landlord and investor properties where the owner isn't on-site day to day.

Ready for a proper site survey and fixed quote? See our full refurbishment service or read our guide on questions to ask before you sign with any builder.