Realistic Costs for House Reno

[KingMungBean]

We’re looking at a Reno project in the South East/North Kent, I’ve seen similar posts so I was wondering what a realistic budget for the following would be based on recent experience? Post 2022 hopefully.

Moving boiler/replacing all radiators

opening up chimney breasts

new kitchen including moving back door to install french window (our ikea kitchen costs £5k all in during the pandemic, but think this will be massively out of date)

removing wood chip wallpaper/re plastering most rooms in house (not urgent for us)

ripping up carpets/sanding floorboards in all downstairs rooms

new bathroom fixtures/tiles but not layout changes

truly an extra but installing built in bookcases and cupboards in living room recesses (expect to be able to afford this one in 2034!)

thank you so much in advance! We have done some work on our current place but it was slightly different and feel out of date with 2025 prices plus we’re a lot more time poor for DIY now

North Kent last year we had all radiators replaced 3 bed house. £2800 inc 3 designer radiators.

We are in a 3-bed Edwardian terrace, SE London and had all our boards resanded, gaps properly filled, and the boards wax oiled two years ago. It cost about £10k for an excellent job - but it wasn’t sanding from scratch which will probs cost more. You can save some money by removing the carpet yourself. It’s an annoying job but not difficult and it will save you cash.

We also had bookcases built about three years ago. Two big bookcases with cupboards below - we have wide and deep alcoves so they are quite big - a linen cupboard and some shelves in an alcove upstairs cost about £6k. We used a local joiner.

Radiators shouldn’t be too expensive - we’ve replaced ours gradually for a few hundred a time.

Our builders are from Kent so I reckon not much different in terms of price. You’ll save a bit if they don’t need to travel.

We had a whole new heating system,inc boiler, and had our new boiler placed upstairs (old one was downstairs). It cost £4.8k but that included replacing every pipe throughout the house! We also paid £1k more for 7 matt black column radiators and a towel rail.

We paid 8k for rads, new pipes and boiler

I would guess around £50k for all of that; potentially minus the built in furniture. Sounds like you’d benefit from getting some quotes in.

Sw here so prices might not be the same

Moving boiler/replacing all radiators
opening up chimney breasts- the boiler how old is it? I just asked a friend plumber to do ours and he said that it was not worth it cuz of the age pf the boiler. That a new one would cost me as much as moving it.
we just removed roof - loft and first floor chimney , cost us 2.5k with the plasterer. Haven’t don’t the ground floor but would be a bit less I hope

new kitchen including moving back door to install french window (our ikea kitchen costs £5k all in during the pandemic, but think this will be massively out of date) - I just bought kitchen. It really depends on what materials , size and appliances. A U shape one from magnet was 18k. I’ve gone with someone else. My neighbour had a wickes one for 4k.

removing wood chip wallpaper/re plastering most rooms in house (not urgent for us) - I’m removing the wood chip. I’m unsure how much it’d cost a professional… I do swear a lot so I’d charge a lot cuz it’s a horrible job 😂. Won’t be plastering the whole house but a friend just did it for 3.5k.
ripping up carpets/sanding floorboards in all downstairs rooms - na
new bathroom fixtures/tiles but not layout changes - na

Can help you with some of the above as also moved into a Reno project. 1970s 4 bed detached.

Previous owners had air vent heating system. We removed this in favour of gas central heating (10k)

Re floor boarding whole of upstairs-husband did this himself but materials cost about £200-300.

Don't even get me started on the fucking chipboard paper ceiling. It's like Satan himself has decorated 😭 we stripped, sanded and liner papered and painted our dining room ceiling as couldn't afford plaster everywhere. Looks really, really good, however our living room is double the size, so we have a plasterer coming just to skim (we have pre- stripped and sanded) at just under £400 for the work to be done.

Original parquet flooring sanding/restoration for the hallway, living room and dining room we're looking at about a grand.

Brilliant, thanks all! This information is so helpful, so far nothing completely unexpected, although the floor sanding may have to wait a few years