Blog
Plain-English articles on costs, permissions and how building projects run, written from the schedules and programmes we produce on real jobs.
Ealing is a borough of period houses. Victorian terraces of London stock brick around Ealing Broadway and West Ealing, Edwardian red brick with deep bays through Hanwell and Acton, and the Arts and Crafts cottages of Brentham. Period house renovation in Ealing is therefore less about what you want to build and more about what […]
Read the article: Renovating a Victorian or Edwardian House in EalingConservation area planning permission is not the wall most homeowners assume it is. If your house sits in a conservation area, you have not lost the right to alter it. You have lost the right to alter some of it without asking. That distinction matters, because it changes the sequence of your project rather than […]
Read the article: Conservation Area Planning Permission: A London Homeowner’s GuideA house renovation cost in London falls between roughly £1,400 and £3,500 per square metre in 2026, and the borough you build in moves that figure more than most homeowners expect. A stripped-back refurbishment in Ealing and a structural remodel in Notting Hill can share an identical spec sheet and still differ by 40%. This […]
Read the article: House Renovation Cost London: The 2026 Borough-by-Borough GuideWho pays for fire doors in flats depends on the lease. This guide explains who usually pays for flat entrance and communal fire doors, what the 2022 fire safety rules require, and when Section 20 consultation applies.
Read the article: Who pays for fire doors in flats? A guide for leaseholders and managing agentsTwo honest quotes for the same job can be tens of thousands of pounds apart. This checklist shows how to compare builders’ quotes line by line, from preliminaries and provisional sums to contingency, exclusions and payments.
Read the article: How to compare builders’ quotes: a line-by-line checklistA 750 sq ft coffee shop fitted out from white box in London costs £135,000 to £201,000 at a standard finish, including equipment, contingency and VAT. Here is what goes into that figure, per square foot and line by line.
Read the article: Coffee shop fit-out costs in London: a 2026 breakdownA 24 m² single-storey extension in London costs £92,000 to £123,000 at a standard finish once fees, contingency and VAT are included. Here is how that figure is built up, what moves it, and how to keep it under control.
Read the article: How much does a house extension cost in London? 2026 pricesTwo minutes on our enquiry form, or call us. Drawings help but are not needed.
We look at the property, the access, and anything that affects price: structure, services, neighbours, the landlord’s requirements.
Every line itemised, with provisional sums and exclusions stated, so you can compare it line by line with any other quote.
