How long does it take to refurbish a house?

Allow four to six weeks on site for a light refurbishment of a three-bed house, eight to twelve weeks for a mid-level job, and three to four months or more for back-to-brick. Then add the lead-in time before anyone turns up, which is the part most people forget to plan for.

Light means decorating, flooring and minor repairs, and four to six weeks holds if decisions are made before we start. Medium, with a new kitchen, new bathroom, partial rewiring and full redecoration, runs eight to twelve weeks. Back to brick, with a full rewire, new plumbing and heating, and replastering in every room, is twelve to sixteen weeks on a typical Victorian terrace. Older houses add surprises. Open up a wall in a Dulwich terrace and you can find rotten joist ends at the party wall or wiring from the sixties. Each surprise costs days.

Lead-in matters as much as the build. From first call to starting on site, allow four to eight weeks for the survey, the fixed quote and a slot in our diary. Kitchens run on order lead times of several weeks, made-to-order windows longer. If the job needs planning permission or a party wall agreement, add two to three months before a tool comes out.

The pattern from our own jobs is simple. Decisions made before we start keep the programme; decisions made mid-job stretch it. We issue a written programme with the quote so you know the weeks before you commit.