Renovome guides
Home renovation guides for UK homeowners
Straight answers on the decisions that shape an extension, renovation or conversion — from planning permission and budgets to appointing professionals and signing off the work.
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Find the guide that fits today’s decision
Costs and fees
Budgets, rates, quotes and realistic allowances.
Manchester · Choosing professionals
5 building control options in ManchesterCouncil and private options, official websites, review sources and what to check before appointing.
Birmingham · Choosing professionals
5 building control options in BirminghamCouncil and private options, official websites, review sources and what to check before appointing.
Surrey · Choosing professionals
5 building control options in SurreyCouncil and private options, official websites, review sources and what to check before appointing.
Approvals & sign-off · October 2026
Building control explained: building notice vs full plansHow building control works, 2026 fee ranges, inspection stages and how to get your completion certificate.
Approvals & sign-off · October 2026
Completion certificates: what they are and how to get oneWhy solicitors ask for the certificate when you sell, how to get it after your project, and your options if work was never certified.
Do I need building regulations approval?Job-by-job answers for windows, doors, kitchens, garden rooms, rewiring and more — plus the competent person schemes that skip the application.
Building control for a loft conversionWhat the inspector checks on a loft — structure, fire escape, stairs, insulation — plus inspection stages and 2026 fees.
Approvals & sign-off · October 2026
Council building control vs approved inspectorBoth can certify your project — compare cost, speed, local knowledge and what happens if things go wrong, and choose the right route.
Money & planning · October 2026
Interest rates: what they mean for improving your homeThe latest Bank Rate, a clearly labelled forecast, and practical ways to compare renovation funding.
Renovation cost calculator
Change activities, quantities and 2026 rates to get your own total.
Do I need planning permission?
Five questions, then a clear indication against 2026 permitted development limits.
Budget & costs
Budget & costs
Bathroom renovation cost in 2026: refit, remodel and wet room
A bathroom renovation costs £7,500 - £13,000 in 2026 for a like-for-like family bathroom refit, £13,000 - £24,000 if you change the layout, and £11,000 - £22,000 for a tanked wet…
Budget & costs
Extension cost calculator: how to work out your build cost per square metre
The average extension cost in the UK is £2,100 - £5,600 per square metre in 2026, depending on region and finish. A typical 20 square metre mid-finish rear extension is about £48,…
Budget & costs
House renovation cost in the UK (2026): whole house, room by room and per square metre
A full house renovation in the UK costs roughly £900 - £2,200 per square metre in 2026, so a typical 90 square metre three-bedroom house lands between £80,000 and £200,000 dependi…
Budget & costs
How much does a house extension cost, and how do you set a realistic budget?
Most UK homeowners start with a number in their head and no idea whether it is realistic. This guide gives you the cost ranges the industry actually works to, then shows you how t…
Budget & costs
Kitchen extension cost in 2026: build, kitchen and glazing
A kitchen extension costs £52,000 - £86,000 in 2026 for a standard 20 square metre single-storey rear extension, £34,000 - £52,000 for a small 12 square metre one, and £78,000 - £…
Budget & costs
Loft conversion cost in 2026: what each type really costs
A loft conversion costs £28,000 - £48,000 in 2026 for a rooflight conversion, £48,000 - £78,000 for a rear dormer, £58,000 - £95,000 for hip-to-gable plus a rear dormer, and £75,0…
Budget & costs
Rewiring and replastering cost in 2026
Rewiring a house costs £5,000 - £8,500 in 2026 for a 2-3 bedroom terrace, £6,500 - £10,500 for a 3-4 bedroom semi and £9,000 - £16,000 for a 4-5 bedroom detached house. Replasteri…
Completion & defects
Construction
Construction
How long does a house extension or renovation take, start to finish?
People ask how long the building work takes. The build is usually the shorter half. From first idea to finished room, most extension projects in the UK run 9-18 months, and the pa…
Construction
What to expect while living through building work
Most homeowners stay put through an extension. It is possible, and it saves rent, but it works far better when the ground rules were agreed before the first delivery arrived. DECI…
Contractor selection
Contractor selection
How to compare builders' quotes beyond the headline price
Three quotes for the same extension can differ by £30,000, and the cheapest is often the most expensive by completion. The gap is rarely profit. It is scope, assumptions and provi…
Contractor selection
How to get quotes for a small job, and compare them fairly
A small job — a new basin, a few doors hung, one room repainted — does not need a full tender. It does need the same clarity you would give a big project, in a fraction of the wor…
Contractor selection
How to write a scope of works for a builder (with an example)
A scope of works is a written list of everything the builder must do, room by room, with the specification and who supplies what. It is the single most effective thing you can do…
Finding professionals
Finding professionals
Architect fees in the UK (2026): what architects charge and when
UK architects charge either a percentage of the build cost, typically 6 - 12 per cent for a full service in 2026, or a fixed fee per stage. For a £120,000 extension that is roughl…
Finding professionals
Best home renovation platforms in the UK (2026)
Renovome vs Checkatrade, Bark, MyBuilder, Rated People, Houzz and TrustATrader. Finding someone to carry out work on your home has never been easier. Finding the right people, wit…
Finding professionals
Do I need a structural engineer for an extension?
Yes. Almost every house extension needs a structural engineer, because building control will ask for calculations for the foundations, the beams over any new opening, and the new…
Finding professionals
Do I need an architect for an extension?
No, you are not legally required to use an architect for a house extension in the UK. Anyone can draw and submit plans. But for anything structural, visible from the street, or in…
Finding professionals
Structural engineer cost in the UK (2026): calculations, beams and reports
A structural engineer costs £750 - £2,500 for a typical extension or loft conversion in 2026, and £450 - £900 if you only need calculations for a single beam. A written structural…
Finding professionals
Who do I need for a house extension: architect, designer, engineer or builder?
A typical UK house extension needs four people: a designer to settle the layout and get planning, a structural engineer to design the beams and foundations, building control to in…
General advice
Party wall
Party wall
How to serve a party wall notice, and what it costs
If your work is notifiable under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996, you must tell your neighbours in writing before you start. This is the procedural guide: what to serve, when, what h…
Party wall
When do you need a party wall agreement, and how do you get one?
If you are digging foundations near a neighbour's property, cutting into a shared wall, or building right up to the boundary, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 probably applies. It is…
Planning
Planning
Building control fees and costs in the UK (2026)
Building control for a house extension costs £600 - £1,500 in 2026, usually split between a plan check and site inspections. A loft conversion is £550 - £1,100, and a single struc…
Planning
Building regulations for an extension: what you must comply with
Every house extension in the UK needs building regulations approval, even when planning permission is not required. Planning controls what the extension looks like and where it go…
Planning
Do I need planning permission for my extension or renovation?
Plenty of home projects in England and Wales are built without a planning application, under permitted development rights. Plenty of others are refused because the owner assumed t…
Planning
Do you need planning permission for a garden room or outbuilding?
Garden rooms, garden offices and studios are usually built under permitted development as "incidental" outbuildings. The rules are generous, and the two mistakes that cost people…
Planning
Do you need planning permission for a loft conversion?
Most loft conversions in England and Wales are built under permitted development rather than a planning application. But "most" is not "all", and the two things people forget — bu…
Products & finishes
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