House Renovations in Preston, Lancashire and the North West

What does a house renovation include?

A renovation improves the house you already have rather than adding floor area. It can be a partial renovation, such as a new kitchen and bathroom, or a whole house renovation. A whole house job often includes:

• structural changes, such as opening up rooms or removing a chimney breast
• a full or partial rewire
• new plumbing and heating
• new kitchens and bathrooms
• replastering, new joinery, flooring and decoration
• windows and doors

We agree the exact scope with you and set it out in the written quote.

What order does the work happen in?

Getting the order right is what stops you paying to redo finished work. A typical sequence is:

1. Survey and scope

   We look at the condition of the house and agree the scope with you, then give you a written, fixed price quote.

2. Strip out and structure

   Old finishes come out and any structural work, such as opening up walls, is done first.

3. First fix

   New wiring, plumbing and heating pipework go in before walls and ceilings are closed up. Gas work is done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

4. Plastering and finishing

   Plastering, then second fix, kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, flooring and decoration, with certificates for the electrical and gas work.

Timescales depend on the size and type of project and are confirmed in your written quote.

Do I need planning permission or building regulations?

Most internal renovation work does not need planning permission, unless the house is listed or in a conservation area. Some parts of a renovation do fall under building regulations or approved installer schemes:

• Structural work. Removing or altering load bearing walls or chimney breasts needs building regulations approval and a structural engineer's calculations.
• Electrical work. A rewire, a new consumer unit or new circuits are notifiable work. You should receive an electrical installation certificate and a building regulations compliance certificate.
• Gas and heating. Gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and a new boiler is registered with building control through that scheme.
• Windows and doors. Replacement windows must meet the energy and safety rules, usually through an installer who can self certify.

Keep all of these certificates. A buyer's solicitor will ask for them when you sell.

How should I plan a renovation?

Start with what matters most to you and what the house needs, such as heating or wiring that is past its best. Make the big layout decisions early, because moving a kitchen, a bathroom or a wall later is far harder than getting it right at the start. Decide where sockets, lights and radiators go before the walls are closed up. A clear specification also makes the quote accurate, because everyone is pricing the same job.

Do I need a structural engineer?

Only if the renovation changes the structure, for example removing a wall, a chimney breast or part of a floor, or if the survey finds a structural problem such as a failed lintel. The engineer designs the fix and the calculations go to building control. Our structural alterations guide explains how that works.

Can I live in the house during a renovation?

Sometimes. On a partial renovation you can often stay while the work moves room by room. On a whole house renovation, with a rewire, new heating and no working kitchen or bathroom for a while, many people move out for part of the work. It also makes the work quicker and safer. We talk this through before agreeing the plan.

What problems come up in older houses?

Older houses often hide things that only show once work starts, for example old wiring, lead or iron pipes, damp, rotten timbers, weak lintels or uneven floors. A careful survey finds as much as possible before quoting, and the quote says clearly what is included. Allowing a contingency in your own budget for anything hidden is sensible on any renovation of an older house.

Should I renovate or extend?

It depends on whether the problem is the condition and layout of the space you have, or simply not enough space. Renovating improves what is there, while an extension or loft conversion adds floor area. Many projects combine both, and doing them together means the trades only come through once.

What affects the cost of a renovation?

• The scope of the work
• The age and condition of the house
• Rewiring, heating and plumbing
• Kitchens and bathrooms
• Any structural changes

After a site visit and an agreed specification, we give you a written, fixed price quote, so the price is agreed before work starts.

Why choose Introspec Construction?

Introspec Construction is a builder based in Preston, Lancashire. The team has more than 100 years of combined experience. We are fully insured, and every job is priced with a fixed price quote.