House renovations in Edgbaston

Planning your renovation in Edgbaston

Work inside your Edgbaston 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.

Homes built or refurbished before 2000 should have textured coatings and old boards tested for asbestos before strip-out.
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: B15
Planning and building control: Birmingham City Council
From our West Bromwich base: 5 miles

Choices to weigh up in Edgbaston

Renovation with layout changes

Adds structural work such as knocking the kitchen and dining room together, moving a bathroom, or forming an en-suite. These changes need structural calculations and Building Regulations approval and are designed before anything else is ordered, because they decide where pipes, cables and lights go in every room affected.

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.

How much should you budget in Edgbaston?

For a home in Edgbaston, 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. Access, parking and the state of what's there now can move the price — the survey settles it.

Before you book in Edgbaston

What paperwork will I get at the end?

You'll get the electrical installation certificate for the rewire, gas safety and commissioning records for any gas work, building control completion certificates for structural work or new bathrooms, and manufacturers' guarantee documents for fittings, with the terms set out in your quote. Keep them together, as a buyer's solicitor will ask for them. Ask us for current insurance details with your quote.

Do you cover Edgbaston?

Yes. Edgbaston (B15) is about 5 miles from our West Bromwich base and inside the area we cover. Call 0800 088 6248 or send the form on this page to book a free survey.

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.

Does Birmingham City Council need to approve my renovation?

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.

House renovations near Edgbaston

Other work we do in Edgbaston

Not sure where to start? Show us the house and we'll suggest the order of works, free and with no obligation.