Home Renovation Borough
Whole-home renovations in Borough, layout, structure, kitchen and bathroom planned as one job, structure first, then services, then finishes.
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- London guide: £40,000 to £150,000+
- Free site survey, itemised quote
GS Renovation carries out whole-home renovations across Borough and SE1, where almost every home is a post-war flat and houses are few. One team manages the rewire, replumb, replaster and reconfiguration, working on homes from near Borough Market out towards Bermondsey and Elephant and Castle.
In Borough, a full house refurbishment typically costs £40,000 to £150,000 or more (indicative London ranges, MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026). GS Renovation Ltd, a building contractor based in Potters Bar, does the work in Borough: we carry the structure, services and finishes as one contract.
The two rooms that cost the most have their own pages, with prices: kitchen renovation in Borough and bathroom renovation in Borough. With 94% of homes in Borough flats, the soil stack usually fixes where a bathroom can go, and the lease may need the freeholder's consent for either room.
Price guide
| Work | Indicative London range |
|---|---|
| Full house refurbishment | £40,000 to £150,000+ |
| Kitchen renovation | £18,000 to £60,000+ |
| Bathroom renovation | £6,000 to £20,000+ |
Indicative London ranges (MyBuilder and Checkatrade, 2026), not a quotation. Prices checked September 2026. Full breakdown: Full House Renovation Cost.
Quick estimate for Borough
Borough range: choose above
Reconfiguring dated Borough homes
Most Borough homes are post-war flats, and many still carry an original layout of separate rooms that no longer suits modern living. We reconfigure these homes sensibly, opening up the kitchen and living space with properly engineered steel beams where a wall carries load, once the freeholder's licence to alter is agreed, and moving a bathroom only where the shared soil stack allows. One team sequences the structural work, services and finishes as a coherent whole.
A full refurbishment of an SE1 flat usually means a complete rewire and replumb, fresh plaster throughout and often new floors. We plan the order carefully, doing the messy structural and first-fix work before plastering, kitchens, bathrooms and decoration follow. Living in a flat during works is easier when one contractor controls the programme, keeps to the building's working hours and keeps dust and disruption contained on a tight urban site.
Housing in Borough
The Council Tax list puts Borough at about 12,140 homes, 94% flats against 6% houses; 18% went up before 1919, 3% between the wars and 73% after 1945. Refurbishing a flat in Borough starts with the freeholder's licence for alterations, which matters here because most homes are flats.
Renovating a Borough flat in a block built since 2000
Half the housing in Borough is recent: the VOA records 50% of homes as built in 2000 or later. A whole-flat renovation in one of those blocks is mostly about replacing first-generation fittings rather than repairing old fabric. If the flat has a heat interface unit on a communal heating system or a mechanical ventilation unit in a cupboard, those belong to systems the managing agent maintains. We ask for the building manual before pricing, so new ceilings, kitchens and wardrobes leave access to the equipment the building needs to service.
The older part of the stock is different. The VOA records 18% of Borough homes as built before 1919, and a renovation there can include windows. If the building sits in the Liberty of the Mint Conservation Area, broadly west and south of Borough Tube Station, the SPD rule against UPVC in conservation areas applies to every window, front and back. Sash or casement replacements there are made in timber or metal, and the order goes in as soon as the survey is done.
Restoring period features near the South Bank
Borough's older buildings, a minority among its post-war blocks, often retain cornices, ceiling roses, panelled doors, fireplaces and sash windows worth keeping. Where these original features survive, we restore and protect them, matching mouldings and repairing rather than stripping out the character that makes these SE1 homes desirable. Sympathetic renovation respects the age of the building while bringing the services and comfort fully up to date.
Balancing old and new is the craft of renovating one of Borough's older homes. We upgrade insulation, heating and electrics behind the scenes, then blend modern kitchens and bathrooms with the period proportions of the reception rooms. Structural changes are covered by building regulations, and new circuits or consumer unit changes are notifiable under Part P, certified by a registered electrician or notified to building control, all of which we arrange, so the finished home is signed off and true to its Victorian or Edwardian roots.
- Complete property refurbishments and whole-house renovations
- Kitchen and bathroom design, supply and installation
- Snagging list agreed and worked through before handover
VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for Borough & Southwark Street and Southwark St George's. Counts rounded by the VOA.
Why Choose GS Renovation in Borough
Borough homeowners choose GS Renovation because a single team runs the whole refurbishment, sequencing structure, rewiring, replumbing, plastering, kitchens and bathrooms so nothing falls between trades. Our founder's 30+ years on the tools means we know how Borough's flats and older buildings are built, how to restore their features and how to keep an occupied home liveable.
- Room by room handover so you can move back in stages
- First fix and second fix planned around a realistic decorating date
- Photographs kept at each stage for your records
George always kept to commitments and arrived on time. He offered helpful suggestions during his initial visit and promptly provided a reasonably…
Saaid is the best craftsman I have worked with. He knows what he is doing from the very beginning. He has a great knowledge of construction…
George was brilliant. Lovely bloke, very reasonably priced and a perfectionist to boot. He completed our small kitchen renovation with care and great…
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Home Renovation Borough
Which parts of a home renovation project in Borough cost the most?
Labour and the making good usually cost the most on a home renovation project in Borough, within £40,000 to £150,000 or more (indicative). The days on site at SE1 depend on access, condition and how many trades must follow each other: strip-out comes before first fix, and first fix before plaster. GS Renovation sequences them to avoid idle time, which is the practical way to control cost.
Can you renovate my whole Borough terrace while keeping the original features?
Yes. Terraces are few in Borough, but we refurbish them while restoring cornices, fireplaces, sash windows and panelled doors. One team handles the rewire, replumb, replaster and any structural work, sequencing everything in the right order. Structural changes fall under building regulations, and new circuits or consumer unit changes are notifiable under Part P and certified by a registered electrician, all of which we arrange for you.
Does a postwar Borough flat need an asbestos survey before renovation?
Yes, if the block predates 2000, and with 73% of Borough homes built since 1945, a lot of them do. Look for it in textured ceilings, old floor tiles, riser boxing and former storage heater cupboards. Survey before strip-out; ask the managing agent first, as they may already hold a report for the common parts that saves duplicating work.
Who needs to approve a full renovation of my Borough flat?
The freeholder, through the lease, for structural work and for moving a kitchen or bathroom. The managing agent usually sets working hours, lift bookings and delivery rules. Building control covers structural work, new circuits under Part P and extraction under Part F. Getting the licence to alter in place first avoids stopping work later.
Why does floor finish matter in a Borough flat renovation?
Because the people downstairs hear every footstep. Borough leases commonly insist that swapping carpet for boards or tiles keeps the acoustic performance at least as good, so an acoustic layer goes underneath. That adds depth, which affects door heights and thresholds. The flooring choice is made before first fix so the build-up can be planned.
In what order are services renewed in a Borough flat renovation?
Water and power are isolated first, often at shared valves or risers, which the managing agent coordinates. Then rewiring and new pipework run through open walls and floors, and are tested before plastering. Kitchen and bathroom fit-out follows, with decoration last. Connections to shared stacks and risers are made once, correctly, to avoid disturbing neighbours again.
Which version of Southwark's householder guidance applies to a Borough renovation?
The current Householder Development Supplementary Planning Document. Southwark's Cabinet decided to adopt it at its meeting of 07/07/2025, so advice written before that date may be out of step. For a Borough renovation that includes any external change, from windows to a rear addition, the drawings are checked against that document. Internal work alone falls under the building regulations rather than the SPD.
Does renovating inside a listed Borough building need anything beyond building control?
Yes, listed building consent for work that affects its character, including internal alterations. Southwark's final fees and charges schedule sets a pre-application fee for householder listed building development, extensions or internal alterations. Among Borough's older commercial buildings, confirm the listing before the scope is fixed. Pre-application advice on which walls, joinery and floors must stay is cheaper than redrawing a refused scheme.
Does a Borough renovation need building control if no walls are moving?
It can. A renovation without structural work can still include notifiable items: a new WC or shower where there was none, which has its own line in Southwark's fees schedule, new electrical circuits, and replacement windows. Electrics and windows are normally certified by installers registered with a competent person scheme. Anything else goes to Southwark as a building notice or full plans application, and the completion certificates are kept together for the sale.
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