June 30, 2024

When calculating the costs for a home renovation, it’s easy to drown in a sea of variables such as what materials to include and exclude, what specifications to choose, and regional price variations. So, we’ve done the analysis for you. 

In this 2024 guide, we provide several comprehensive cost breakdowns. We compare three different types of specifications (basic, standard, and high), to accommodate a range of budgets, and we also break the cost down per square metre.

Renovating A 3-Bedroom House 

Before we look at the numbers, here are some things we’ve factored into the cost of renovating a 3-bedroom house:

1. The total floor area of the average house in the UK is 94m2. All our calculations are based on a house of this size comprising three bedrooms, one bathroom, one kitchen, one WC, one living room, a landing, and an entrance hall. 
2. All appliances are included in the price, such as a built-in dishwasher, fridge, freezer, washing machine, extractor fan, hob, and oven. The only exclusion is a central heating boiler (radiators are included).
3. A renovation (or house refurbishment) is not to be confused with a remodel. A renovation focuses exclusively on replacing the finishings and fittings in their existing locations and does not involve changing the layout of a structure.

In terms of build specification, our BuildPartner pricing tool gives you three options (which can be revised by item at a later point):

• Basic spec is a basic finish; e.g. Leyland, Everest, Wickes.
• Standard spec is a standard finish; e.g. Dulux, Hamilton, Slim Line.
• Premium spec is a high-spec finish; e.g. Farrow & Ball, Fine Line, Siemens.
  

For each specification, we’ve provided a range of prices to reflect the varying types of contractors:

• Low benchmark – smaller companies are generally lower cost but less specialised and with low project management function; good for low/mid-spec projects and tight budgets.

• Mid benchmark – medium-sized companies offer a balanced mix of cost-effectiveness and specialisation; good for mid-range projects for effective execution within moderate budgets.

• High benchmark – larger companies generally have a higher cost base but can handle a wide variety of specialist tasks; good for mid/high-spec projects and project management.

Cost Of A Basic-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a basic-spec project in the UK:

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a 3-bed house to a basic spec:

• It costs 26% more to renovate a 3-bed house in London than in other regions.
• The minimum cost is £38,357 and the maximum cost is £62,138.
• The total average cost is £45,986, or £494 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a basic-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£56,586	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	7.1%
Heating and cooling	£2,772	4.9%
Plumbed appliances	£3,347	5.9%
Wired appliances	£7,513	13.3%
Wall preparation and finishes	£2,477	4.4%
Floor preparation and finishes	£9,948	17.6%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£10,828	19.1%
Decoration	£15,092	26.7%
Fixtures and fittings	£515	0.9%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a basic-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£56,586	100%
Bathroom	£8,644	15.3%
Bedroom 1	£5,744	10.2%
Bedroom 2	£5,744	10.2%
Bedroom 3	£5,744	10.2%
Entrance Hall	£2,807	5.0%
Kitchen	£20,933	37.0%
Landing/stairs	£2,539.03	4.5%
WC	£4,432.45	7.8%

Remember, appliances are included in the costs, which is why the kitchen accounts for a disproportionate amount of the total expense.

Cost Of A Standard-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a standard-spec project in the UK:

3-Bedroom House Refurb (Standard Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low-Benchmark Contractor	Mid-Benchmark Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor
East Anglia	£52,842	£57,646	£62,450	£562	£613	£664
London	£61,652	£69,492	£76,302	£656	£739	£812
Midlands	£51,478	£56,158	£60,837	£548	£597	£647
North England	£51,043	£55,684	£60,324	£543	£592	£642
N. Ireland	£49,898	£53,276	£57,716	£520	£567	£614
Scotland	£50,959	£55,591	£60,224	£542	£591	£641
South East	£56,719	£63,423	£69,610	£656	£733	£805
South West	£52,207	£59,087	£64,852	£562	£629	£690
Wales	£51,571	£57,666	£61,974	£549	£613	£659
Average	£53,152	£58,669	£63,810	£571	£631	£686

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a 3-bed house to a standard spec:

• The minimum cost is £49,898 and the maximum cost is £76,302.
• The total average cost is £58,544, or £629 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a standard-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£69,492	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	5.8%
Heating and cooling	£3,324	4.8%
Plumbed appliances	£4,818	6.9%
Wired appliances	£8,242	11.9%
Wall preparation and finishes	£3,111	4.5%
Floor preparation and finishes	£13,147	18.9%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£16,384	23.6%
Decoration	£15,488	22.3%
Fixtures and fittings	£884	1.3%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a standard-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£69,492	100%
Bathroom	£11,053	15.9%
Bedroom 1	£6,479	9.3%
Bedroom 2	£6,479	9.3%
Bedroom 3	£6,479	9.3%
Entrance Hall	£3,029	4.4%
Kitchen	£27,957	40.2%
Landing/stairs	£2,775.49	4.0%
WC	£5,238.83	7.5%

Cost Of A Premium-Spec Renovation

Here’s a table showing the average building costs of renovating a 3-bed house for a premium-spec project in the UK:

3-Bedroom House Refurb (Premium Spec)	Total Average Build Cost			Average Cost Per Sq Metre
	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor	Low-Benchmark  Contractor	Mid-Benchmark  Contractor	High-Benchmark  Contractor
East Anglia	£74,642	£81,428	£88,213	£794	£866	£938
London	£83,452	£93,868	£103,057	£888	£999	£1,096
Midlands	£73,278	£79,940	£86,601	£780	£850	£921
North England	£72,843	£79,466	£86,088	£775	£845	£916
N. Ireland	£71,386	£77,876	£84,366	£759	£828	£898
Scotland	£72,759	£79,373	£85,988	£774	£844	£915
South East	£76,775	£85,849	£95,248	£817	£913	£1,013
South West	£74,007	£83,463	£91,606	£787	£888	£975
Wales	£73,371	£82,042	£87,738	£781	£873	£933
Average	£74,724	£82,590	£89,878	£795	£879	£956

All costs exclude VAT.

Here’s what the data shows for the cost of renovating a house to a premium spec:

• The minimum cost is £71,386 and the maximum cost is £103,057.
• The total average cost is £82,397, or £877 per square metre.

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Project Stage – London

Here’s an example of the associated costs for the different stages of a renovation for a premium-spec project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£93,868	100.0%
Preliminaries	£51	0.1%
Demolitions	£4,043	4.3%
Heating and cooling	£4,641	4.9%
Plumbed appliances	£6,886	7.3%
Wired appliances	£9,779	10.4%
Wall preparation and finishes	£5,221	5.6%
Floor preparation and finishes	£19,864	21.2%
Units, worktops and kitchen appliances	£24,736	26.4%
Decoration	£17,012	18.1%
Fixtures and fittings	£1,634	1.7%

Renovation Cost Breakdown By Room – London

Here’s a breakdown of the associated costs by room for a premium-spec renovation project – when using a mid-benchmark contractor in London:

Total	£93,868	100%
Bathroom	£16,303	17%
Bedroom 1	£7,702	8%
Bedroom 2	£7,702	8%
Bedroom 3	£7,702	8%
Entrance Hall	£3,715	4%
Kitchen	£40,546	43%
Landing/stairs	£3,246.50	3%
WC	£6,950.75	7%

Summary Of The Average Cost To Renovate A UK Home

So, how much does a house renovation cost in the UK? Based on the three different specifications covered in this article (basic, standard, and high), you can expect that renovating a 3-bed home to cost on average (when using a mid-benchmark contractor):

• Basic spec – £46,054, or £495 per sq metre.
• Standard spec – £58,669, or £631 per sq metre.
• Premium spec – £82,590, or £879 per sq metre. 

Depending on specification, for a 3-bedroom house, the cost of the renovation work ranges between £38,357 and £103,057. Please remember that these costs do not include VAT and there may be other additional costs, such as obtaining planning permission (in certain exceptions), structural surveys, unexpected repairs, and custom finishes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Home Renovations

Here are a few questions which will shed some light on UK home renovations.

How long does a home renovation take?

Based on a 3-bedroom property comprising the rooms listed above, a renovation would take approximately nine to 12 weeks when two tradespeople are carrying out the scheduled work (demolitions, heating and cooling, wall preparation, floor preparation, plumbed and wired appliances, kitchen units, decoration, and fixtures and fittings).

What’s the difference between remodelling and renovating a house?

The terms “remodelling” and “renovating” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different projects. Renovating focuses on updating or restoring the house without altering its structure, such as installing new kitchens or bathrooms, replacing flooring or windows, and refreshing the home’s current condition.

Remodelling involves changing the structure of a house, such as altering the layout or adding new rooms, like creating open-plan spaces, adding bathrooms, and converting basements to transform the house’s function and appearance.

Do I need planning permission for my renovation?

Planning permission is not needed for internal renovations that don’t alter the structure or layout of a property. Exceptions include renovating a listed property or if you live within a conservation area, especially for alterations that affect the external appearance. Ultimately, it’s up to the local council to decide if the “character of the building” will be affected.