What is another word for redecorate and renovate?

Refurbish is the single word that covers both redecorating and renovating, and it is the one you will hear most in UK property. It stretches from a repaint right through to new kitchens, bathrooms and rewiring.

Clients and builders use different words for the same job. Homeowners say they are doing up the house, giving it a makeover or modernising it. The trade says refurb, strip-out and refit. Estate agents write 'revamped' or 'updated throughout'. Same work, different register.

The word you pick does hint at scale. Redecorate means surfaces: paint, paper, maybe new flooring. We decorate rooms from £400, so it sits at the cheapest end. Renovate means the fabric of the building comes into it: plaster, services, layout. Refurbish covers both, which is why it is so useful and so vague. If a builder quotes you for a 'refurb', make them list exactly what is in it. Remodel is a different animal again: that is when walls move. Whether renovation and refurbishment count as different things is a separate question.