What are renovations called?

Renovations get called refurbishments, home improvements, modernisation, remodelling or alterations, depending on who is doing the talking. All of these are umbrella terms for the same thing: improving an existing building rather than pulling it down and starting again.

Estate agents have their own dialect. 'Fully refurbished' or 'recently modernised' on a listing means the work is done. 'In need of updating' or 'offers potential' means it has not been touched since the 1970s and you should budget for a full renovation. We see plenty of ex-rental flats in Lewisham and Sydenham sold with exactly that wording.

Builders keep it plainer. On site we talk about a full refurb, a strip-out, first fix and second fix. Contracts use the formal version, 'alteration and refurbishment works', with a scope of works listing every item. That list is what actually matters. The label on the front page of a quote tells you nothing; the itemised scope tells you what you are paying for. When we quote a renovation in Crystal Palace or Bromley, the scope runs to several pages so there is no argument later about what was included.