{"id":2348,"date":"2026-09-25T01:18:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T01:18:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/plan-home-refurbishment-budget-timeline\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T01:33:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T01:33:44","slug":"plan-home-refurbishment-budget-timeline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/plan-home-refurbishment-budget-timeline\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning a home refurbishment: budget, timeline and avoiding overruns"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Most refurbishment overruns are decided before the first wall is touched. A clear brief, a realistic budget and the right order of work prevent most of the surprises.<\/p>\n<h2>Write a clear brief<\/h2>\n<p>List every room and what you want done, with photos of finishes you like. The more precise the brief, the more accurate the quote.<\/p>\n<h2>Set a budget with a contingency<\/h2>\n<p>Hold back a contingency for things that only appear once work starts, such as old wiring, rotten joists or damp. Older properties need a bigger allowance.<\/p>\n<h2>Get the order right<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Structural work and first-fix electrics and plumbing<\/li>\n<li>Plastering and drying time<\/li>\n<li>Second fix, kitchens and bathrooms<\/li>\n<li>Decoration and flooring last<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Check permissions early<\/h2>\n<p>Some work needs planning permission or building regulations approval. Listed buildings and conservation areas have extra rules. Check before you commit.<\/p>\n<h2>Agree the timeline in writing<\/h2>\n<p>Ask for a written schedule and agree how changes will be priced and approved.<\/p>\n<h2>Decide what you will buy yourself<\/h2>\n<p>Some clients choose their own tiles, sanitaryware or appliances. That can save money, but late deliveries delay the whole project. Agree deadlines for client-supplied items at the start.<\/p>\n<h2>Keep a single list of decisions<\/h2>\n<p>Paint colours, socket positions, door handles and flooring all need deciding. A shared list with dates for each decision keeps the work moving and avoids expensive changes later.<\/p>\n<h2>Plan the snagging<\/h2>\n<p>At the end, walk through every room with the contractor and list anything that needs finishing. Agree a date to complete the snagging before final payment.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Can we live in the house during the work?<\/h3>\n<p>Often yes, if work is phased. Kitchens and bathrooms are the hardest to live without.<\/p>\n<h3>Do you provide fixed quotes?<\/h3>\n<p>We provide itemised written quotes after a site visit. <a href=\"\/properties\/book-appointments\/\">Book a visit<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>See our <a href=\"\/properties\/services\/\">property services<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to plan a home refurbishment in the UK: a realistic budget, the right order of work, a clear timeline and how to avoid costly overruns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2058,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-property-advice"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2348"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2402,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2348\/revisions\/2402"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cevero.co.uk\/properties\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}