Home Renovation Soho

GS Renovation takes on whole-house refurbishments across Soho and the wider W1 area, breathing new life into the characterful period buildings and upper-floor apartments that fill these streets. We run the rewiring, replumbing, replastering and structural work as one coordinated project, so you have a single team from strip-out to snagging.

In Soho, 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 Soho: 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 Soho and bathroom renovation in Soho. With 98% of homes in Soho flats, the soil stack usually fixes where a bathroom can go, and the lease may need the freeholder's consent for either room.

Full refurbishments of Soho period homes

A full renovation is the moment to fix everything a Soho period flat has accumulated over a century: tired wiring, lead or failing pipework, damp in solid walls and layouts that no longer suit modern living. We strip back to the structure, deal with any movement or decay, then rebuild with new services, insulation and plaster. Sequencing matters, so we schedule the first fix, structural changes and second fix in the right order to avoid costly rework.

These buildings have features worth keeping. Where the cornicing, ceiling roses, panelled doors, fireplaces and sash windows survive, we restore and protect them, and we can reinstate details that earlier owners stripped out. At the same time we reconfigure the plan, opening reception rooms, relocating a dated bathroom or joining a small kitchen to the living room. The result respects the age of the Soho property while working for how you actually live today.

Housing in Soho

Of the 6,840 homes the valuation list records in the Fitzrovia West & Soho statistical area, 48% were built before 1919, 5% between the wars and 47% since 1945; 98% are flats and 2% are houses. Since most homes here are flats, a whole-flat refurbishment in Soho works to the lease: the freeholder's licence for alterations, agreed working hours and sound insulation between floors.

Renovating a newer Soho flat without upsetting the one below

The picture of Soho as period buildings is only half true: 47% of homes were built after 1945, and 27% in 2000 or later. A renovation in a newer flat meets a different set of limits from an older one. In a recent block the floors were built to meet sound insulation standards between homes, and replacing carpet with hard flooring, or fixing new joinery through an acoustic layer, can undo that for the neighbour underneath. The lease may set out what floor finishes are allowed. The acoustic build-up is checked in the building's specification before any floor is lifted, and replacement layers are specified to match it.

Westminster City Council runs its own building control service, the District Surveyors Building Control Service, and a registered approver is the alternative; the inspections either one needs become fixed points in the programme. If Westminster is chosen, it must be told the start date at least 2 days before work begins. In a Soho flat with a business below and neighbours on the shared stair, that start date is also the one the managing agent needs. We agree it once with everyone and plan the inspection visits so no plastering waits on an inspector.

One team for your Soho renovation

Running a whole-house project through separate trades usually ends in gaps, delays and finger-pointing. We keep the electricians, plumbers, plasterers, joiners and decorators under one roof, coordinated by a single point of contact who knows the whole plan. That is especially valuable in Soho, where an upper-floor apartment or occupied flat leaves little room for error and every delivery has to be timed around narrow access and Westminster parking rules.

We also fold the kitchen, bathrooms and any steel beam work into the same programme, so the structural stage, the wet trades and the decoration follow one continuous timeline instead of stalling between contractors. Notifiable electrical work, including a rewire, is certified by a registered electrician under Part P or notified to building control, and you receive the paperwork at completion. If you live in a leasehold flat, we coordinate with the managing agent and any freeholder's licence to alter as well.

• Plastering, flooring, painting and decorating
• Damp treatment, tanking and timber repairs
• Waste clearance, dust protection and daily site tidying

VOA Council Tax stock of properties, March 2025, for the Fitzrovia West & Soho statistical area, which also covers west Fitzrovia. Counts rounded by the VOA.

Before committing to home renovation in Soho, it is worth looking at load-bearing wall removal in Soho, home renovation across Westminster, design and build contracting, renovations across London, how we handle home renovation across London and How to Plan a Renovation.

Why Choose GS Renovation in Soho

A Soho renovation touches structure, services and finishes all at once, and it usually happens in an occupied period home with close neighbours. GS Renovation manages the whole thing with one accountable team, backed by our founder's 30+ years of experience, transparent pricing and tidy working. You get a refurbished home that keeps its character and gains modern comfort.

• Building control applications and inspections coordinated for you
• A whole-house programme sequenced so no trade doubles back
• Kitchen and bathroom selections planned early to hold the programme

Checked by Abdelaaziz Saaid, founder and director of GS Renovation Ltd (Companies House no. 14611254). Structural design is by the consulting engineer appointed to your project.