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Renovations in Totteridge

Every trade under one contract across Totteridge and N20. Structural work, extensions, kitchens and bathrooms, building control handled for you.

Totteridge is large houses on generous plots, and the work reflects that. Properties around Totteridge Village, Totteridge Green and out towards Darlands Lake are substantial detached homes, many of them period, where your project is usually a full refurbishment or a significant structural alteration rather than a single room. Plots are wide, mature planting is part of the setting, and some properties are protected. We establish the consent position before design work begins and appoint the structural engineer for anything that carries load.

Consents Come Before Drawings

On a house of this kind the first question is what may be altered, rather than what you would like altered. Where a property carries statutory protection, consent is required for changes affecting its character, and that can extend to internal walls, joinery and plasterwork as well as the elevations.

Listed building consent, where it applies, is a separate matter from planning permission and from building regulations approval, and satisfying one does not discharge the others. Establishing which apply at the outset prevents a design that cannot be approved, and stops you paying for drawings that go nowhere.

Ground, Trees and New Foundations

Mature trees are much of what these plots are valued for, and they influence every new foundation. On clay ground a tree draws moisture from the soil and the ground moves seasonally with it. The depth of any new foundation is set by the engineer, with the species and distance in mind rather than a standard figure.

Felling a large tree is not the safe default, because ground kept dry for decades can swell once it has gone, lifting what sits on it. Trees may also be protected, so consent is checked before any method depends on one being removed. The engineer and an arboriculturist weigh the options.

Running a Long Programme on a Large House

A refurbishment across several floors involves rewiring, replumbing, heating, structural openings, joinery and decoration, and each trade has to follow the one before it. The programme is set at the outset so trades follow each other rather than wait, and long lead items such as joinery and windows are ordered as soon as the design is fixed.

Where consents are involved they run to their own timetables and are started at the point the scope is agreed, so they proceed alongside procurement rather than after it. A programme built on the building work alone will slip on the paperwork.

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FAQ

Renovating in Totteridge, common questions

Does work inside a Totteridge house need consent?

Where the property carries statutory protection, it can, and the protection extends to the interior. Alterations affecting character, including removing internal walls or altering joinery and plasterwork, may require listed building consent. That is separate from planning permission and from building regulations. The position is established before a design is developed rather than afterwards.

Can a large Totteridge house be extended?

Frequently, and the plot is rarely what limits it. What governs the design more often is the effect on the existing building and, where the property is protected, what consent will allow. Foundation depth is set by the ground conditions and any nearby trees. A wide shallow addition usually sits better against a substantial house than a deep narrow one.

Will removing a tree solve movement at a Totteridge property?

Not reliably, and it can cause a different problem. Ground that a tree has kept dry for years may swell once it is gone, which lifts foundations rather than settling them. The cause of any movement is diagnosed first, because drainage faults and failed lintels account for a great deal of what gets attributed to trees.

How long does a full refurbishment take here?

Months rather than weeks, and the consents often set the date rather than the trades. Rewiring, replumbing, heating, structural work, joinery and decoration follow one another in sequence across a large house. Long lead items are ordered when the design is fixed so they are not discovered on the critical path later.

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Reviews

Rated 4.9 / 5 by our clients

★★★★★ 4.9 average from 31 verified reviews on MyBuilder

★★★★★
Really great job done in our bathroom to replace the shower head in the bathtub, and install a shower screen and caddy. We are very happy with the result. The job was done excellently. Communication was really great helping us find what we…
anja33030Enfield · via MyBuilder
★★★★★
George was brilliant. Lovely bloke, very reasonably priced and a perfectionist to boot. He completed our small kitchen renovation with care and great attention to detail. I've already recommended him to others.
OscarCrofton Park, London · via MyBuilder
★★★★★
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, fittings, appliances, installations. We are tenants and the landlord initially thought that to fit…
volkan50816Stoke Newington, London · via MyBuilder
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Written and reviewed by Abdelaaziz Saaid, founder of GS Renovation Ltd, who has spent more than 30 years on the tools and on site in London homes. Structural design is specified by the consulting engineer appointed to your project.

Planning a Renovation in Totteridge?

Free, no-obligation quote for any renovation work in Totteridge. Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder, fully insured, and building control handled for you.

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