Flat Refurbishment in Kensington, W8
Refurbishment of flats and apartments in Kensington, from a single bathroom to a complete lateral conversion, with the licence to alter and the building's rules handled for you.
Covered under one contract
- Strip-out, replastering and new ceilings
- Rewiring and lighting design
- Plumbing, boilers and underfloor heating
- Structural openings and layout changes
- Kitchens, bathrooms and joinery
- Flooring, decoration and finishing
Flat Refurbishment in Kensington.
Refurbishing a flat is a different job from refurbishing a house. The design questions are the same, but the approvals, the logistics and the neighbours are not. In Kensington most flats sit in mansion blocks or converted houses, which means a freeholder or managing agent to satisfy, restricted working hours, lift and stair access to plan, and sound insulation between floors to prove at inspection.
We handle all of it. Before work starts we prepare the drawings and method statements the freeholder needs for a licence to alter, agree deliveries and hours with the building, and protect the common parts. On site, our own team does the strip-out, services, joinery, kitchen, bathrooms and decoration, so the flat is closed up and finished in one continuous programme.
Because we supply the Italian and German kitchens and the bathroom furniture ourselves, we can design the whole flat as one scheme and order everything at once, which matters when access is difficult and every delivery has to be booked.
- Area
- Kensington, W8
- Council
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
- Housing
- Stucco and red-brick Victorian terraces, garden squares, mews houses, mansion flats and large detached villas off Kensington Church Street
- Transport
- High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road
- Scope
- Strip-out to handover
- Design stage
- 4 to 8 weeks
- Build, two-bed flat
- 8 to 12 weeks
- Contract
- Written, itemised, fixed scope
- Aftercare
- Snagging and workmanship guarantee
Kensington: the houses and the planning rules.
Kensington is one of the most consistently protected residential districts in London: white stucco terraces and garden squares south of the High Street, red-brick Queen Anne revival houses around Kensington Court and Phillimore Gardens, and a scatter of mews behind them. Almost every street is in a conservation area and a large share of the houses are listed.
The projects we see here are deep refurbishments of houses that have been divided and reunited over the years, lateral flats in the mansion blocks, and basements under the larger houses where the borough's policy allows. Design quality is scrutinised closely, so drawings and heritage statements have to be right first time.
The Kensington, Kensington Square, De Vere, Edwardes Square and Kensington Palace conservation areas cover almost the whole district.
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
Basements
The borough's basement policy limits new basements to a single storey under no more than half the garden, with a construction traffic management plan and an impact assessment.
Listed buildings
Many houses are Grade II listed, so internal alterations need listed building consent alongside planning permission.
Approvals for flat refurbishment in Kensington.
Flats need a licence to alter from the freeholder or managing agent as well as building regulations approval; the sound insulation between flats is checked at inspection, and any change to the exterior, including windows, needs planning permission.
RBKC decides applications and has some of the most detailed conservation area guidance in London, with Article 4 directions on many streets removing permitted development rights.
What flat refurbishment in Kensington includes.
- Strip-out, replastering and new ceilings
- Rewiring and lighting design
- Plumbing, boilers and underfloor heating
- Structural openings and layout changes
- Kitchens, bathrooms and joinery
- Flooring, decoration and finishing
From site visit to handover.
- 01
Site visit & consultation
We visit, listen and measure. Brief, budget and constraints understood before any advice is given.
- 02
Design & itemised quote
Our architects and engineers draw the scheme, and from that we provide a transparent, itemised quotation for your approval.
- 03
Planning & approvals
Planning applications, building control and party wall matters handled for you.
- 04
Build, managed weekly
Our own trades, sequenced by a site manager. Progress reported every week.
- 05
Handover & aftercare
Joint snagging walk-through, documentation, and a guarantee on our workmanship.
Flat Refurbishment in Kensington: your questions.
Do I need the freeholder's permission to refurbish a flat in Kensington?
Almost always, through a licence to alter. We prepare the drawings and method statements the freeholder or managing agent asks for and build their approval time into the programme so it does not hold up the start.
How long does a flat refurbishment take?
A two-bedroom flat typically takes eight to twelve weeks on site once approvals are in place. Lift access, parking and the block's working hours all affect the programme, so we plan around them from the outset.
Which parts of Kensington do you cover?
All of Kensington and W8, including Kensington Church Street, Phillimore Gardens, Kensington Square, Edwardes Square, Victoria Road, Campden Hill Road, and the neighbouring districts. We are based in London and our teams work across central, north, north-west, west and south-west London.
Other services in Kensington.
House Refurbishment in Kensington
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House Extensions in Kensington
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Structural Alterations in Kensington
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Loft Conversions in Kensington
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Basement Conversions in Kensington
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Kitchen Renovation in Kensington
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Bathroom Renovation in Kensington
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Bespoke Joinery & Fitted Furniture in Kensington
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Architectural & Interior Design in Kensington
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Planning Permission & Building Regulations in Kensington
Read moreFlat Refurbishment across London.
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All of North-West LondonTalk to us about a flat refurbishment in Kensington.
We will visit, listen and explain what is possible for your property and how it would be approved. No pressure, no sales pitch.