How Long Does a Luxury Home Renovation Take in London?

For a substantial whole-home renovation involving layout changes, extensive refurbishment and bespoke interiors, nine to eighteen months can be a useful initial planning allowance from briefing to handover. It is not a universal average or a guaranteed programme.

A smaller refurbishment may take considerably less time. Complex alterations, consent requirements or unexpected building conditions can extend the schedule.

The most useful timeline separates design, approvals, procurement, construction and completion—and explains which activities can overlap.

Does the Renovation Timeline Include Design?

It should. A construction programme alone does not tell you how long the complete project will take.

Before work starts, your team may need to survey the property, develop layouts, coordinate technical information and obtain quotations.

For a substantial renovation, an initial design allowance of around two to four months may be appropriate, depending on the brief and decision-making process. Your team should confirm this against the actual scope.

During space planning, decisions about furniture, storage, kitchens and bathrooms help establish what the construction work needs to deliver.

What Happens During Each Renovation Stage?

Stage	What happens	What affects the timing
Brief and surveys	Assess the property, priorities and budget	Access, survey requirements and available information
Design development	Resolve layouts, materials and fitted elements	Project complexity and client decisions
Technical coordination and approvals	Prepare detailed information and address required permissions	Specialist input and approval processes
Procurement	Order materials, equipment and bespoke items	Manufacturing, measurements and delivery dates
Construction	Complete the agreed refurbishment works	Scope, site conditions, access and trade sequencing
Completion and handover	Test installations, review outstanding work and provide documents	Readiness of the works and resolution of defects

These stages are connected. Some procurement can run alongside construction, while other items require completed site measurements before manufacture.

How Long Does the Building Work Take?

For a substantial whole-home project, six to twelve months may be an initial construction allowance. A focused internal refurbishment can be shorter, while particularly complex work can take longer.

The description “luxury renovation” does not determine the duration. The programme depends on what is being built and installed.

Ask your contractor to explain:

• The sequence of work.
• Which trades can work alongside one another.
• Drying and curing periods.
• Required inspections and testing.
• Delivery and installation dates.
• The tasks that determine the completion date.

A realistic programme should show these dependencies rather than simply list a start and finish date.

Will I Need Planning Permission Before Starting?

Not every renovation requires planning permission. Internal alterations often do not, and some house extensions or loft conversions may qualify as permitted development, subject to conditions and restrictions.

Listed building consent is a separate consideration. It can be required for alterations affecting a listed building’s special character, including internal work.

Ask your project team to identify the approvals relevant to your property and scope before setting a construction start date.

How Much Time Should I Allow for Planning Permission?

For many applications, the statutory decision period is eight weeks once the application is valid. Longer periods can apply or be agreed, so this is not a guaranteed approval date.

You also need time to prepare the application and respond to any requests for information or revisions.

Avoid treating the decision period as the entire approvals programme. Establish what needs to happen before work can start and which other design activities can progress meanwhile.

Why Does Bespoke Joinery Affect the Programme?

Bespoke joinery needs design development, approved drawings, material selection, manufacture and installation. Some items also depend on final site measurements.

A wardrobe, for example, may require coordination with sockets, lighting, flooring and ceiling details before production.

For bespoke joinery, agree:

• When drawings must be approved.
• When measurements will be verified.
• Which finishes need sampling.
• The manufacturing period.
• Delivery access and installation dates.

Obtain written supplier lead times for your specification. A general estimate is not a confirmed production slot.

When Should I Order Stone, Lighting and Furniture?

Identify items with long lead times during design development, then order when the specification is sufficiently resolved.

Ordering early can help, but ordering the wrong dimensions or quantities creates another problem.

Different products have different dependencies. Decorative lighting may be ordered from an approved schedule, while a stone worktop may need templating after cabinetry is installed.

Keep a procurement schedule recording approvals, orders, expected deliveries and installation requirements.

Can I Stay in the House During the Renovation?

Possibly, depending on the work and whether a usable living area can be maintained.

An occupied renovation may need phased working, temporary facilities and additional protection. These arrangements can extend the programme because trades cannot always work across the whole property at once.

Discuss access, noise, dust, utility interruptions and separation from the work areas before deciding.

For extensive refurbishment, temporary accommodation may make the works easier to organise, but its cost should be included in your planning.

What Commonly Delays a Renovation?

Potential delays include incomplete design information, late decisions, unexpected site conditions and products arriving after they are needed.

Examples include:

• Changing a bathroom layout after services are installed.
• Revising joinery after manufacture begins.
• Discovering repairs beneath existing finishes.
• Delayed appliance specifications.
• Restricted delivery or working hours.
• Several teams using different drawing versions.

Regular reviews help identify these issues early. Any change should be assessed for its effect on both cost and timing.

Does Design and Build Make a Renovation Faster?

A coordinated design-and-build team can reduce gaps between design, procurement and construction. It does not remove approval periods, manufacturing times or unforeseen conditions.

The benefit comes from clear responsibilities and shared information.

Oraanj’s design and build service connects interior design with refurbishment planning and delivery within the agreed appointment.

Ask how the team will manage decisions, drawing updates, procurement and progress reporting.

How Much Extra Time Should I Keep Before Moving Back In?

Set the buffer around the project’s remaining risks rather than assuming one fixed allowance suits every renovation.

Discuss which outstanding tasks could affect occupation and whether furniture installation, snagging and final documentation are included in the forecast completion date.

Where possible, keep some flexibility around removals and temporary accommodation. A programme should distinguish between completion of major building work and readiness for you to move in.

How Can I Get a Timeline for My London Property?

Start with the scope, property condition and the changes you want to make. Share available plans, photographs, your approximate budget and any date you need the property ready.

Oraanj’s London renovation team can discuss the design stages, investigations and delivery requirements needed to develop a project-specific programme.

Discuss your renovation with Oraanj before committing to a move-in date.