Renovation cost: what drives it, room by room

The things that affect every room

Some cost drivers apply wherever you are in the house. Condition comes first: a room with sound plaster, level floors and modern wiring costs far less to renovate than one with blown plaster, sagging ceilings and old sockets. Access is next, because a top floor room in a terrace with no parking takes longer to strip and supply than a ground floor room with a driveway. Waste matters too, as old plaster, flooring and units need skips or removal.

Then there is how much is changing. Refreshing a room in its current layout is always cheaper than moving things around, because moving fittings means moving the services that feed them.

Kitchens

Kitchen cost is driven by the number of units and worktop runs, whether the layout stays the same, the worktop material, and what needs to happen to the plumbing, gas and electrics. Keeping the sink, hob and oven where they are makes a large difference. Wall condition matters because tiles coming off often take plaster with them. Any gas work goes to a registered engineer and new electrical circuits to a qualified electrician. The fitting itself is covered on the kitchen fitting page.

Bathrooms

In bathrooms the biggest drivers are whether the layout is moving, the amount of tiling, the floor condition under the old suite and the shower choice. A level access shower or wet room costs more than a tray. Because this site already sets out bathroom price bands in detail, they are not repeated here.

Living rooms and bedrooms

These rooms are often the least expensive to renovate, but the cost rises sharply with the amount of preparation. A room that just needs filling and decorating is a modest job. One that needs ceiling repairs, a new floor, replaced skirting and architrave, and built in storage in the alcoves is several jobs combined. Removing old wallpaper, textured ceilings and multiple layers of gloss all add time. Joinery such as alcove shelving and cupboards is priced on size and finish.

• Plaster and ceiling condition
• Number of doors, windows and lengths of skirting
• Floor type and whether the subfloor needs work
• Fitted storage or shelving
• Wallpaper removal or textured ceilings
• Colour changes needing extra coats

Hallways, stairs and landings

Halls look small but often cost more than expected, because they have lots of doors, a lot of woodwork, high walls over the stairs that need access equipment, and heavy wear on floors. Decorating a stairwell safely takes longer than a bedroom of the same floor area. New staircases are not something CRF offers, but the walls, woodwork and floors around them are.

What pushes a budget over

The most common reason a renovation budget overruns is hidden condition: rotten joists under a floor, loose plaster behind wallpaper, or old wiring discovered when a socket comes off. The second is changing your mind once work has started. A sensible contingency, decisions made before the start date and a written quote that lists each part of the job all help. Electrical, gas and major structural work is left to the right specialist and priced separately where needed.

Planning room by room

Renovating one or two rooms at a time spreads the cost and keeps the house liveable. It also helps to do the messiest work first, such as plastering, before floors and decorating, so that new finishes are not damaged. Grouping rooms that share a trade, for example decorating the hall, stairs and landing together, uses time efficiently.

Need it sorted? Book a renovation

When you know which rooms you want to tackle, book through renovations, where the type of work taken on is explained. Send photos of each room and a short list of what you want changed through the contact page for a written quote.

Frequently asked questions

House InteriorsRenovations