How much does a house refurbishment cost in London in 2026?

A whole house refurbishment in London that includes a new extension runs roughly £1,100 to £1,350 per square metre of all the floor worked on, ex VAT, at a standard specification. A whole house refurbishment of around 310 m² with a new 45 m² extension priced at around £490,000, and a 130 m² house refurbished alongside a new 20 m² extension came to between £165,000 and £195,000 for the extension and refurbishment together.

These are indicative figures from typical London jobs priced by the same engine that powers the instant estimator on this site, current as of October 2026. Every house starts from a different condition, so treat them as a realistic starting point rather than a quotation. All figures exclude VAT.

Rounded figures from typical London jobs priced on our estimator in October 2026, all ex VAT:

• Whole house refurbishment of around 310 m² with a new 45 m² extension: around £490,000, roughly £1,400 per square metre across all 355 m².
• A 20 m² extension plus full refurbishment of a 130 m² house (around 150 m² overall): £165,000 to £195,000.
• Full rewire of a large house (around 165 m²): around £34,000.
• Builder's work to refit an existing kitchen diner (around 42 m²): around £23,000.
• Family bathroom, renewed in the same layout: £13,500 to £14,000. Converting an existing bathroom into a wet room: around £13,000. A new cloakroom WC under the stairs: around £5,000.
• Redecoration of a 75 m² flat: around £6,500 in good condition, and around £8,100 where walls need real preparation. Condition alone moved that price by a quarter.
• Laying new engineered wood flooring (around 35 m²): around £4,500.

These figures cover the building work. Kitchen units, worktops and appliances are not included, and windows, doors, sanitaryware, tiles and wood flooring are priced for fitting only, with the products supplied by you.

A refurbishment's cost per square metre is not set by decoration taste alone. What actually drives it:

• Condition: the same scope on a tired house and a sound one prices differently, as the two redecoration figures above show. What is found when things are opened up is priced when it is found, which is why honest estimates carry a range, and why keeping a renovation on budget starts with a survey.
• Services: a refurbishment that renews wiring, heating and plumbing is a different project from one that repaints and refloors. The rewire figure above is a real slice of any deep refurbishment.
• Wet rooms: kitchens and bathrooms concentrate cost per square metre more than any other room. Count them before you count anything else.
• Layout changes: moving walls, opening structure and relocating stairs turn decoration into construction.
• Specification: joinery, stone and bespoke finishes can move a whole house project by six figures without changing a single wall.

For one common house, see what it costs to renovate a typical Victorian terrace, building work and finishes together.

Our figures are calibrated to inner west London, the Fulham, Chelsea and Wandsworth belt. From our regional pricing research: prime central projects often price 8 to 25 percent above these figures, and outer London commonly runs 10 to 20 percent below. Period fabric, conservation areas and listed status add cost wherever the house stands, because the right way to work on old buildings takes time and skill. Our period and listed renovation service covers the consents and the approach.

No two refurbishments start from the same house, which is why per square metre rules only take you so far. The instant estimator on this site prices your project from your own description: tell it about the house and the scope you have in mind, answer a short set of tailored questions, and a realistic priced range arrives on screen and in your inbox within minutes.