Refurbishing and renovating a whole house

The JLE Studio team has a lot of experience in full-house refurbishments. Such projects are exciting and creative for our architects and designers, as well as for our clients. The opportunity to completely reimagine and uplift a whole property is a challenge we are happy to accept.

Whole property project

Rescuing, repairing and refurbishing an entire house is always an enjoyable, if not formidable, challenge. For the JLE Studio team, the satisfaction of knowing our clients are delighted with their newly transformed home is never underestimated. High-end house refurbishment projects may take months or even years, depending on the starting point. 

We may be looking at rescuing a building that has been neglected for a very long time. This could mean all sorts of problems to solve, from a damp basement to a leaking roof.

Equally, the project may be less about repairing and rebuilding, and more about streamlining and refreshing a tired decorative scheme and a dated layout. We may be restoring architectural features and renovating historical details to bring a period home back to its intended glory, or updating a jaded interior with ultra-contemporary ideas.

Steps for a full property renovation: from basement to roof

The outline plans for a full-house renovation are launched by an initial visit to the site. This may be after the house has been purchased or, very often, whilst our clients are considering the purchase. 

We may have already visited the site to get a preliminary overview of the scale of the task. In some instances, there may have been conversations with our client regarding the estimated costs of the task at hand, and a discussion about possible issues that may arise. 

At this stage, it is a case of considering different aspects of the project, such as converting a basement, adding an extension or perhaps a loft conversion, and assessing how much interior renovation needs to be done. 

In some cases, it may be that it’s mostly internal décor and layout that needs addressing; in others, it may be that there is structural damage that needs fixing ahead of interior and decorative work.

Looking at the layout

Assessing the overall layout of the existing house means that everyone gets a better idea of the scale of the alterations to come. It may be that our client thinks that the kitchen would be better positioned on the ground floor rather than in the basement, or that they would be expecting each bedroom to have an en-suite and a dressing room. Perhaps they would like to include a gym or exercise space as well as plenty of storage facilities. 

A work-in-progress shot from a recent project, stripped back to reveal the potential of the space

Our experience as architects means that we can take a first look and provide a good overview of the possibilities. For example, moving an existing kitchen from a dark basement up a floor to a sunny ground floor position with access to the garden is likely to be fairly straightforward. Our architects will be able to suggest layouts that keep the flow of the house practical and accessible, whilst making the best use of the spaces that are repositioned. 

In a total refurbishment, everything is reviewed, from floor to ceiling, including the staircases. From many years of experience, we know that it’s vital to look at the house as a whole whilst reworking a layout to everyone’s satisfaction. 

What permission do I need for a home renovation? 

Whole-house projects need to cover hundreds of possibilities, and we will discuss with our clients what the time scale may be. We need to think creatively and practically.

If the home in question is Grade II Listed, any work apart from general repairs, such as painting, is likely to need Listed building consent. 

Extending the home may involve attaining planning permission or staying within the boundaries of permitted development. Major projects may involve access issues for machinery and transport, and even smaller projects can involve gaining a party wall agreement. 

Our teams will be creative and innovative, whilst being very conscious of the practical aspects of a whole-house project. Some large-scale whole-house refurbishments may involve a feasibility study, which we have recently covered in our Journal pages. 

The JLE Studio expert view

A full property renovation will involve various members of our team, who will be allocated according to their individual areas of expertise.  A whole-house renovation is exciting and naturally involves a lot of hard work for all concerned. However, the satisfaction of knowing that we have achieved the very best for our clients is always the aim of every member of our team. Read more about our full renovation projects here and get in touch with our team today to discuss your house renovation project.