Whether you’re looking to increase your property’s value, add space, or simply give your home a fresh, new feel, renovation is a great option. Having said that, it doesn’t come cheap. Home renovation projects can require a serious financial investment and it’s important to know what you’re getting yourself into, before you commit.
The first question on your mind when considering a project like this is usually, ‘how much does it cost to renovate a house?’ While the answer very much depends on the type of project, quality of work, size of property and more, we can help you get a ballpark figure in your mind to help your decision.
What impacts the cost of a property renovation?
As we mentioned above, the costs of your renovation project will be specific to you. This is because there are a lot of factors that can impact costs and no two projects are alike. Here are a few key factors that are going to impact how much you’ll need to budget for the work:
- Size of the property
- Condition and age of your home
- If you require structural work
- If you’re building an extension to your property
- The complexity of your plans
- The quality of renovation e.g. materials
- Furnishings, design and decoration
- Your location – for example, labour costs in London or the South East can be more expensive than in the North East
- What painters & decorators charge
A quick word on budgeting
Before we dive further into how much your renovation is going to cost, let’s talk budgeting.
When you’re planning a renovation, unexpected costs can come up from out of the blue. It’s vitally important that you budget your renovation thoroughly and always keep extra funds secured for any unforeseen expenses.
Be sure to get estimates from traders, shop around when looking for furnishings and keep on top of your finances.
Find out what needs to be done
Are you renovating a whole house, or just a single room? Do you require a new heating system in place or is the work purely aesthetic?
These are the questions you’re going to need to ask yourself prior to any renovation project. The best way to get an accurate cost estimate will be to build out a checklist of the work that needs to be done for your property to be in your desired condition.
Below, we’ll take a look at some of the jobs you might have to do and give the average price to do this for a 3 bedroom house. This can then help you start to identify how much you’ll need to have to feasibly work on your own property.
The average cost of renovating a 3 bedroom house
On average, it would cost you £77,000 to complete a total renovation of a 3 bedroom house to a good quality. This amount is looking at a complete renovation from top-to-bottom and includes upgrading heating, gas, wiring and more.
Here’s how much you can expect to pay for each task:
New heating system – £5,500
A new heating system can be costly and is likely to set you back around £5,500 for a 3 bedroom property. This price includes the addition of a combi boiler and new radiators.
Rewiring a house – £5,750
The cost of rewiring a house depends on both the complexity of the electrical system and the size of the property. On average, you can expect this to cost around £5,750 for a 3 bedroom property.
New gas supply – £1,500
Adding a new gas supply to a property will cost in the region of £1,500 but you may incur additional charges if any work is needed to extend the gas supply line.
Replastering walls – £2,500 – £15,000
The cost of replastering walls differs greatly. This is due to the number of walls you need doing and the size of your property. Be sure to get at least 3 quotes prior to any work being carried out.
New windows – £2,500 – £6,000
Installing new windows throughout a 3 bedroom property ranges between £2,500 to £6,000 depending on the type of windows you install and the number of windows required.
Installation of a new toilet – £1,250
If you’re looking to install a new toilet, it will cost around £1,250 if you also require tiling and plumbing / pipework. If you don’t require tiling, the cost will be lower. If, however, you require a new room built for the toilet, the costs will be significantly higher.
A new bathroom – £4,250
If you want to build a new bathroom, you can expect to pay in the region of £4,250. This cost will vary based on the quality of the fixtures and fittings you wish to include.
A new kitchen – £10,000 – £25,000
The kitchen can be one of the most expensive rooms in the house to renovate. Expect to pay between £10,000 to £25,000 for a new kitchen. This includes designs, supply of materials and the installation itself.
A kitchen extension – £19,500
If you wish to build out a kitchen extension, the average cost for a 4 metre kitchen extension with floor space of 12m2 is £19,500. As always, labour costs will differ greatly depending on your location.
Knocking down walls – £1,750
Many home renovations require removing walls. If you’re considering knocking down walls for your renovation, expect to pay an average of £1,750.
Don’t forget labour costs
A home renovation project will require work from a number of different tradespeople. It’s important to consider that each tradesperson will have their own costs and you should factor this into your budget. Be sure to get at least 3 different quotes before agreeing to work with a tradesperson.
Most tradespeople will charge a daily rate for their work, though it’s important to discuss this in advance.
Here are some tradespeople you’ll likely work with and their average daily costs:
- Plumbers – £325 daily
- Electricians £325 daily
- Painter and decorator – £200 daily
- Plasterer – £225 daily
- Carpenter – £225 daily
- Roofer – £225 daily
- Tiler – £225 daily
- General builder – £200 daily
Additional costs to consider
The costs of labour and materials aren’t all you’ll encounter when renovating your property. There are other expenses which you’ll need to factor into your budget.
If you’re thinking of adding an extension if you need to make any structural work, you’ll need a survey and planning permission. While if you’re thinking of buying a property to renovate, you’ll need to consider stamp duty charges and legal costs too.
Don’t forget to add in some costs to your budget for contingencies. If, for example, you discover rotting beams in your property, there will be additional costs to rectify these issues before continuing the renovation project.
Thinking of renovating a property?
If you’re considering renovating a property, you’ll need a significant amount of support. It’s important to find a good local architecture that can help. Our handy tool can help you with getting in touch with someone to discuss your plans.
Last Updated: August 22nd, 2023
