House renovations in Castle Vale

Before your renovation in Castle Vale

Work inside your Castle Vale home isn't development, so planning permission doesn't apply — the exception is a listed building, where Birmingham City Council would need to give listed building consent. Structural work, new electrics and drainage changes come under Building Regulations.

Any gas work, including moving or replacing a boiler, must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Setting aside a contingency of around 10% is sensible on older houses, where hidden problems are common.
Hacking off and re-plastering more than half of an external wall can trigger a requirement to insulate it.

Postcode district: B35
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 9 miles

Choices to weigh up in Castle Vale

Refresh: rewire, re-plaster and redecorate

For a house with a sound kitchen and bathroom but dated electrics and tired walls. The rewire happens first, then walls and ceilings are skimmed or re-plastered, and the house is ready for decoration. It's the lightest whole-house option, and the one where living at home is most practical.

Full refurbishment

Rewire, heating upgrade, re-plastering, a new kitchen and bathroom, new internal doors, skirting and floors. This is the usual scope for an older home that hasn't been updated in a long time. The trades are sequenced so the kitchen and bathroom go in after all the dusty, wet work is finished, which protects the new fittings.

What does your renovation cost in Castle Vale?

For a home in Castle Vale, our guide range is £18,000–£130,000 depending on size and specification. Full refurbishment of a three-bed semi: rewire, re-plaster, heating, kitchen and bathroom: usually £50,000–£68,000.

Guide prices for house renovations
Option	Guide price	Good to know
Refresh: rewire, re-plaster and decorate prep	£18,000 – £32,000	Kitchen and bathroom kept
Full refurbishment	£45,000 – £75,000	The usual scope on a three-bed semi
Renovation with layout and structural changes	£75,000 – £130,000	Steels, moved rooms, more trades and a longer programme

Guide ranges include VAT where it applies. Your fixed price for the agreed specification follows a free survey at your Castle Vale address.

House renovations in Castle Vale: common questions

Is VAT charged at 20% on renovation work?

Renovating an occupied home is normally standard-rated. Where VAT is charged, a house that has been empty for at least two years before work starts can qualify for the reduced 5% rate on qualifying work, with evidence such as a letter from the council confirming how long it's been empty. Your quote sets out exactly how VAT applies to your job.

Which postcodes in Castle Vale do you work in?

We cover B35 and the streets around them. If you're on the edge of Castle Vale, neighbouring Castle Bromwich and Erdington are covered too.

What happens if you find problems once walls are opened?

We stop, show you, and price the extra work in writing before doing it. Common finds in older homes include damp, rotten joists, old lead water pipes and wiring hidden behind plaster. Your quote is a fixed price for the agreed specification, and nothing outside it is added without your written agreement. We also point out at the survey anything we suspect but can't yet confirm.

Who approves house renovations in Castle Vale?

Not for planning — internal work isn't development unless the house is listed. Building Regulations approval is needed for structural work such as removing a load-bearing wall, through Birmingham City Council or a registered building control approver.

Nearby places we cover

Other home improvements in Castle Vale

Get a rough guide price for your Castle Vale renovation online, then a fixed price for the agreed specification after the survey.