House&Home
Who would want to take on a fixer-upper?
The soaring price of materials, a lack of skilled labour and surging mortgage rates have put many
renovation plans in the UK on hold.
By Alexandra Goss. Photography by Harry Mitchell. Contribution by George Omalianakis.
This month, Tim Woodcock will finally move into the house in Hove, East Sussex, that has, over a year and a half, been gutted and completely remodelled. With its open-plan layout and sleek modern look, this four-bedroom Edwardian semi has been transformed from its downtrodden days as part of a nursing home. Yet the works have taken their toll, lasting six months longer than planned and costing double the original budget.
House&Home
Who would want to take on a fixer-upper?
The soaring price of materials, a lack of skilled labour and surging mortgage rates have put many
renovation plans in the UK on hold.
By Alexandra Goss. Photography by Harry Mitchell. Contribution by George Omalianakis.
Indeed, many architects and building companies report that homeowners are already pulling the plug on renovation works and extensions. “Rising costs have stopped many of my projects this year, with clients pausing because they decided they are not comfortable to embark on a project amid this uncertainty or because they mistakenly believe costs will go down when the rate of inflation slows,” says George Omalianakis, founder of the architecture firm GOAStudio London.
Homeowners are also finding that in the time between getting an estimate for major building works to receiving a final detailed quote — often a process that can take six to nine months — costs can rise quite significantly. A client of Omalianakis’s who was recently seeking to refurbish a top-floor flat in Camden, north London, and add a large extension saw the final quote rise 10 per cent from the initial estimates six months earlier to almost £140,000. “The rising cost is a boiling-a-frog scenario, a gradual thing that every day, every week, every month, gets worse and affects more people,” Omalianakis says.
BOROUGH SPECIFIC ARCHITECT AND PLANNING GUIDES FOR YOUR HOME PROJECT
Your local Council will have in place design and planning requirements for your home project and you will need to obtain planning approval for a wide range of extensions and alterations to your property.
When you get in touch we will offer you detailed advice about what is likely that your Council will approve and in the meantime we have prepared the following architectural and planning guides that include extracts of the relevant planning policy and examples of our projects in our Borough.
Barnet architects | Planning and design homeowner guide, Camden residential architect and planning guide, Enfield residential architect and planning guide, Hackney residential architect and planning guide, Hammersmith Fulham residential architect and planning guide, Haringey architects | Planning and design homeowner guide and planning guide, Islington residential architect and planning guide, Kensington and Chelsea Conservation architects, residential and planning guide, Lambeth residential architect and planning guide, Lewisham residential architect and planning guide, Newham residential architect and planning guide, Tower Hamlets residential architect and planning guide, Waltham Forest residential architect and planning guide, Wandsworth residential architect and planning guide, Westminster residential architect and planning guide
HOME DESIGN – Find ideas for your project.
- Side extensions London residential guide
- Rear extensions London residential guide
- Kitchen extensions London residential guide
- Roof extensions London residential guide
- Residential renovations London guide
- Mansard roof extensions London residential guide
- Contemporary extensions London residential guide
- Flat extensions London residential guide
- Garden flat extensions London residential guide
- House extensions London residential guide
We provide architectural services for residential projects in the following London Boroughs:
Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster
We specialise in
- Greener homes
- Retrofit and energy efficiency for older and traditional buildings
- Conservation areas
- Listed Buildings
- Homeowner architectural services
- Property developments architectural services
GOAStudio London residential architecture limited.
86-90 Paul Street, EC2A 4NE, Hackney
Chestnut Avenue South, E17 9EJ, Waltham Forest
t: 0203 984 3005
