What qualifications do I need to renovate houses?

There is no single qualification you need to renovate houses in the UK, but parts of the work are legally restricted. Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, no exceptions. Most domestic electrical work falls under Part P of the Building Regulations, so it needs an electrician registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, or separate sign-off from building control. Skip either and you will struggle when you come to sell, because the buyer's solicitor will ask for the certificates.

Structural alterations need a structural engineer. Knocking two rooms into one in a Victorian terrace, removing a chimney breast, opening up the back wall for an extension: all of it needs calculations and building control approval. We use an engineer on almost every knock-through we price in Dulwich, Sydenham and Bromley, and the fee is small against the cost of getting a beam wrong.

For general building work, no law says you need a certificate. What counts is training and evidence. Apprenticeships and NVQs are the usual way in, a CSCS card gets you onto sites, and after that your track record does the talking. When I take on trades, I want references and photos of finished work before I look at any paperwork. And if you are renovating your own place, you still need a working knowledge of building regulations and health and safety, because responsibility for the project sits with you even when the technical work is subcontracted.