It is the first question almost every client asks, and the hardest one to answer in a single sentence. A whole-house refurbishment in London usually takes between 12 and 24 weeks on site, but the number that catches people out is the one before that. The design, consents and procurement that happen before a single tool comes out can easily add another three months. After more than twenty years working on London homes, here is how the time actually divides up.
Design and brief: 4 to 8 weeks
Before anyone quotes, the scheme has to exist on paper: layouts, structural intent, and a first pass at specification. This stage moves at the speed of your decisions rather than ours. Clients who arrive with a clear brief and a folder of references routinely finish it in a month, while those still deciding whether the kitchen moves take considerably longer. Every week spent here saves roughly two on site.
Consents and party wall: 4 to 12 weeks, in parallel
Planning permission runs to an eight-week statutory target, and conservation areas rarely beat it. Party Wall Act notices need two months of grace before works begin if a neighbour dissents. The useful part is that this stage overlaps with design and procurement, so it only becomes a delay if it starts late. Serving notices in week two rather than week ten is one of the cheapest savings available to any programme.
Strip out and structure: site weeks 1 to 4
Soft strip first, then any steels, new openings or underpinning. This is the phase most likely to produce surprises in an older property: hidden damp, undersized joists, or drainage that does not run where the drawings said it did. It is also the phase where a sensible contingency stops being theoretical. Expect a week of slippage on almost any property built before 1940, and treat it as budgeted rather than as bad news.
First fix: site weeks 4 to 8
Wiring, pipework, drainage, insulation and stud work all go in while the walls are still open. Nothing visible changes for a fortnight, which is usually the point at which clients quietly start to worry. It is normal. What matters is that the decisions behind it, such as socket positions, lighting circuits and whether the bath is freestanding, are locked before first fix rather than after it.
Plaster, joinery and second fix: site weeks 8 to 16
Plastering needs drying time that cannot be compressed, and bespoke joinery and stone typically carry a lead time of six to ten weeks from the day an order is placed. This is where programmes most often slip, and almost never because of the trades on site. Order long-lead items during first fix and the sequence holds.
The programme rarely slips because of the building work. It slips because a decision was not made six weeks earlier.
Snagging and handover: the final 2 weeks
Decoration, commissioning, testing, and a proper snagging list walked with you rather than emailed to you. Building a fortnight of genuine snagging into the programme is what separates a finished house from one you are still chasing six months later. Ask any prospective builder how they handle snagging before you sign, because the answer tells you a great deal about how the last month of your project will feel.
Thinking about timings for your own project?
Every house is different, and a realistic programme is worth more than an optimistic one. We would be glad to walk you through a likely timeline for your property, with no obligation, before you commit to anything.
