Renovation by room: What does it cost?

There are a whole host of reasons why you could be taking on a renovation project.

Perhaps you’re buying a doer-upper to renovate and sell on?

Or maybe you’re looking to create the perfect family home?

You could be a landlord aiming to boost your rental property’s popularity.

Whatever your reason for undertaking a renovation, there’s one thing you’re certain to be asking: How much does it cost?

In this guide, we’ve broken down the average costs of a renovation room-by-room…

How much does it cost to renovate a house?

Of course, the exact cost of a renovation will depend on the actual work you’re carrying out and the size of the property you’re working on.

However, for a standard three-bedroom home with no structural issues, these are some common costs you’re likely to encounter:

Work	Projected cost
Painting and decorating	£1,000 - £2,000
Plastering	£300 - £1,500
Rewiring	£2,000 - £11,000
Central heating	£2,000 - £5,000
Windows and doors	£1,600 - £12,000
Plumbing	£50 - £80 per hour
Woodwork (skirting, architraves etc)	£2,000 - £6,000

If you’re planning to add space through an extension or loft conversion, this will have a big impact on your costs.

The average cost of a flat-roof, four-metre kitchen extension, for example, would be between £17,000 and £20,000 – with a pitched roof and larger extension costing more.

A loft conversion could cost between £30,000 and £60,000 depending on the work involved and any structural requirements.

How do I estimate renovation costs?

The best place to start when calculating renovation costs is with a full structural survey of your property.

This will reveal any ‘hidden’ costs you might need to factor in before you start calculating how much you’re going to need to spend.

Once you have a better idea of any problems that need to be fixed, you should start speaking to local trades about quoting for each element of your renovation.

Keep a spreadsheet of costs

To keep on track of your budget, draw up a spreadsheet broken down room by room and list your costs under each heading.

To stay on budget, it’s important to know what you’re spending and where.

You should also factor in a 10% contingency in your budget to cover any additional costs if needed.

How much does it cost to renovate one room?

Breaking down the cost of your renovation room by room can help you keep track of your budget.

1. The cost of renovating a kitchen

As the heart of the home for many, kitchens can be one of the most expensive parts of a property renovation.

What you spend will depend on the quality and finish you want to achieve.

For example, marble or granite countertops will be more expensive than wooden or quartz counters.

The average price of a new kitchen, including appliances, in the UK is around £8,000, but you’ll need to also factor in the following preparation and decorating work:

Work	Average Cost
Removal and disposal of old kitchen	£20 - £30 per hour
Additional wiring and electrics	£300 per day
Replastering walls	£225 per day
Replace skirting and architraves	£225 per day
Fitting of new kitchen and appliances	£250 - £350 per day
Tiling	£200 per day
Plumbing	£300 per day

2. The cost of renovating a living room

A living room renovation is often one of the cheaper rooms to revitalise, with many costs coming from painting and decorating.

However, if you’re looking to install a new gas fireplace, for example, you may need to extend your gas supply, and this can be expensive.

Replacement windows, meanwhile, can also push your costs up.

Work	Average Cost
Replastering walls and ceilings	£225 per day
Additional wiring and electrics	£300 per day
Replace skirting and architraves	£225 per day
Carpet or floor fitting	£200 per day
Painting and decorating	£180 - £250 per day
New windows	£300 per window
Install gas fire	£1,500

3. En-suite renovation costs

An en-suite can be a great space to have alongside your master bedroom.

And having one could also increase your property’s value by around 5%, according to research.

What you spend on a new bathroom suite and items like tiles will depend on the quality and finish you want.

Work	Average Cost
Removal and disposal of existing suite	£20 - £30 per hour
Replastering of walls	£225 per day
Tiling	£200 per day
Plumbing and installation of new suite	£300 per day
Painting and decorating	£180 - £250 per day

These costs are based on labour for an existing en-suite space.

If you’re looking to create one from scratch, you’ll require more budget for things like:

• Additional carpentry to create partition walls
• Additional plastering and dry lining
• Installing new plumbing and waste
• Tanking for wet rooms

4. Costs for renovating a bathroom

A functional, spacious family bathroom is another renovation project that can help to increase your property’s value.

Much of the work required to fully update a full-size bathroom will be plumbing and your overall cost, as with a kitchen, will depend on the kind of finish you go for.

A roll-top bath, for example, may require additional plumbing, while a wet room-style bathroom will need extra water-proofing work.

Work	Cost
Removal and disposal of existing suite	£20 - £30 per hour
Replastering of walls	£225 per day
Tiling	£200 per day
Plumbing and installation of new suite	£300 per day
Painting and decorating	£180 - £250 per day

5. The cost of renovating a bedroom

Bedroom renovations, like living rooms, are largely decorating jobs.

However, if you require any walls to be removed or repositioned, you’ll need to factor in increased budget requirements.

Your other costs will depend on the items you wish to fill your new bedroom with, with higher specification beds and furnishings costing more.

Work	Cost
Replastering of walls and ceilings	£225 per day
Painting and decorating	£180 - £250 per day
Carpet or floor fitting	£200 per day
New windows	£300 per window
Replacing skirting and architraves	£225 per day

6. Adding an extension

The overall cost of an extension will depend on the size of the extension and the finish you’re looking to achieve.

A four-metre extension covering a single storey, perhaps for a larger kitchen and dining space, could cost around £20,000 at its cheapest.

However, a larger extension, or work over more than one storey, is likely to cost much more, with multiple-storey extensions having additional costs for things like scaffolding and other structural work.

You may also require planning permission for your extension, and this approval also comes with some extra costs on top of labour expenses.

Type of extension	Cost
Single storey	£1,700 - £4,000 per square metre
Two-storey	£2,000 – £4,500 per square metre
Side extension	£1,800 – £2,500 per square metre
Glass extension	£1,800 - £4,000 per square metre

7. Loft conversion costs

Like extensions, loft conversions can be a great way to add additional space, and value, to your property.

Loft conversion costs can vary, however, depending on the type loft conversion you choose and the structural work required.

Velux and dormer conversions are among the most popular, as these require little change to the shape and structure of the roof.

Hip to gable and mansard conversions, however, do require roof work and, as such, are far more expensive.

The bigger the conversion and the higher the finish, the more you’ll have to pay.

Type of loft conversion	Cost
Conversion with Velux window	£14,000 - £21,000
Conversion with dormer window	£28,000 - £62,000
Hip to gable conversion	£40,000 - £70,000
Mansard loft conversion	£40,000 - £70,000

These costs include everything needed to get your loft conversion ready to be fitted out, including:

• Building control costs
• Scaffolding
• Roof structure changes
• Steel to support the roof
• Roof tiling
• Electrical work
• Joinery
• Plastering of walls and ceilings
• Internal decoration

Further reading…

• The ultimate guide to buying a house for renovation
• How to renovate your staircase
• Simple ways to add value to your home