Category: Repairs & Renovations

People save the same way for renovations as they do for vacations; people look at the big number and forget the small ones. The kitchen quote is forty-five thousand. The actual spend is seventy-five thousand, and you’re still fighting the contractor over the grout. The loft conversion quote is thirty-six thousand. After the party wall surveyor, the building regulations, the structural engineer, the staircase to fit to the new layout, and the redecoration of the rooms below where the dust got everywhere, you’re over the fifty-thousand mark.

This is not a supply issue. This is a quote issue, and happens almost everywhere.

What the Quote Doesn’t Include

Most builders’ quotes in the UK assume when they build the walls the space is going to fit around the walls. A quote from a builder usually doesn’t cover the party wall surveyor fees, planning application fees, structural engineering fees, building control fees, and the connection charges if you’re adding bathrooms or moving services. It assumes all the walls and ceilings are more than strong enough to hold a nice, big closet. It assumes all the ceiling joists are more than good enough to hold the ceiling. It assumes nothing fails at the last minute before the plasterer works his magic.

It’s intelligent to add twenty to twenty-five percent to the total price to cover the costs and see all the small ones, and if you can’t afford the project at twenty-five percent over the total price, you can’t afford to do the project.

Allowed Development, Planning, and the oh so lovely bureaucracy

The good news with planning, is that there is a good chunk of development that doesn’t require planning permission. There are many perks to permitted development that cover most extensions and outbuildings. Some sections of internal reconfiguration also fall under permitted rights. However, as with most things, there are conditions that tighten depending on the area, including conservation areas, AONBs, National Parks, and on listed buildings.

One of the most common misunderstandings within the development niche is planning permission vs. building regulations. Building regulations and planning permission are governed by separate pieces of legislation and are controlled by different departments within the council (or private approved inspectors). It is possible to get planning permission and not be compliant with building regulations. Additionally, the opposite is true. This often comes as a big shock for homeowners when they go to sell their house and their conveyancer asks for a building regulations completion certificate.

Regularisation of unauthorized works is often an option, but costly and not guaranteed. Indemnity insurance, which is a temporary fix, is more and more frowned upon by buyers’ solicitors.

Party Walls and a Most Awkward Conversation

The Party Wall Act of 1996 pertains to work on most party or boundary walls done within three to six meters of the opposing property line, depending on the depth of excavation, and requires you to serve notice to the adjoining owner. An adjoining owner can agree, disagree, or do nothing, which will be formally registered as a disagreement, within a specified time period.

It is for good reason that the process is somewhat cumbersome. It is entirely possible for your renovations to negatively impact your neighbor’s property, but the process is tedious, surveyors are expensive, the range being from £900-£1,500 (and usually you will be responsible for paying for your surveyor and the adjoining owner’s surveyor), and the process requires you to complete and submit multiple forms. At any point, a court can issue an order to stop your work in progress.

The state of the construction market and trades for 2026

Since 2021, the construction market has seen a tightening of trade availability and continued demand. The best trades are typically booked for 3-6 months. Those trades that are available for booking within the next 5 business days, are most likely not good trades, and often fail to complete their work. Increased deposit fraud has also been observed. The best contractor will be the one that is able to exhibit completed work that is less than 20 minutes from where you reside, and for that work, the homeowners will be able to provide positive testimonials.

A good renovation is one of the most beneficial things you can do to a property. A bad renovation is one of the costliest mistakes you can make. The difference between the two is for the most part the amount of time you spend planning months in advance before the project starts.