A whole house renovation is really a dozen smaller jobs that all depend on each other. The roofer needs to be out before the plasterer starts upstairs, the electrician needs the joists open before the floor goes down, and the kitchen fitter needs flat, dry walls. Running it as one programme under one contractor is what keeps those handovers tight.
Stage one: survey, design and decisions
Before anyone picks up a hammer, walk the house with the person who will run the job. Look at the roof, the damp, the wiring age, the heating and any walls you want gone. The decisions made here, such as whether a wall is coming out or the boiler is moving, change every stage after it.
This is also the point to settle whether any part needs planning permission or building regulations sign off. Removing a load bearing wall, altering a listed building or adding a dormer all bring paperwork, and it is far cheaper to know about it now than to stop halfway.
Stage two: strip out and structural work
Strip out means removing old kitchens, bathrooms, ceilings, floor coverings and anything being replaced. It always reveals something: rotten joist ends, old leaks, patched lintels. Build a contingency into your thinking for exactly this reason.
Structural alterations come next. New steels, knocked through openings, repaired joists and any roof work go in while the house is at its most open. Doing structure after new plaster is the single most expensive mistake we see.
- Roof repairs and any re-roofing
- Steel beams and new openings
- Floor joist repairs and levelling
- Window and external door replacement
Stage three: first fix
First fix is the pipes, cables, ducting and timber grounds that end up hidden. Electricians run new circuits, plumbers set out waste and supply runs, and carpenters fit door linings, noggins for wall cupboards and backing for heavy items like TVs or radiators.
Think about the finished room at this stage. Where will the bed go, where does the sofa face, where does the kitchen island sit? Sockets and lighting points placed now cost almost nothing; moving them after plastering means chasing walls again.
Stage four: plastering, screeds and drying time
Once first fix is signed off, walls are boarded and skimmed, older walls are patched or re-plastered, and floors are screeded where needed. Then everything needs time to dry. Rushing decoration onto wet plaster or laying timber floors on damp screed causes cracking, cupping and flaking paint.
Use this window for work that does not need dry surfaces, such as external decoration, garden walls or ordering the kitchen once final measurements can be taken from the plastered walls.
Stage five: second fix, kitchens, bathrooms and finishes
Second fix brings the house back to life: sockets and switches, radiators, sanitaryware, doors, skirting, architrave, fitted furniture and the kitchen. Bathrooms are tiled, flooring goes down, and decorators work through room by room.
The last job is snagging. Walk every room with the contractor and a list, and agree what gets put right and when. A good finish is as much about this final week as the months before it.
Why one contractor for the whole job helps
When separate trades are booked independently, gaps between them add weeks and nobody owns the joins. With one team running carpentry, building, roofing and finishing, the programme can overlap trades safely and problems are fixed by the same people who caused them.
We have over 40 years of experience running renovations this way. Every job starts with a free site visit and a fixed-price written quote that sets out each stage, so you know what is included before work begins.
Common questions
Can I live in the house during a whole house renovation?
Sometimes, if the work can be phased so one bathroom and a basic kitchen stay usable. Strip out, structural work and plastering are dusty and noisy, so many people move out for at least part of the job.
Should the kitchen be ordered before work starts?
Choose it early, but confirm final sizes from the plastered walls. Lead times can be long, so ordering straight after plastering usually keeps the programme moving.
When should flooring go down?
Towards the end, after plastering and screeds are dry and most wet trades are finished, so it is not damaged by ladders, plaster or dropped tools.
Do you provide a fixed price for a full renovation?
Yes. After a free site visit we provide a fixed-price written quote covering each stage of the work.