Full House Renovation in Chelsea
A whole property taken back and rebuilt to a single standard, managed by one team from first drawing to final handover.
ExploreBuilders in Chelsea, SW3 & SW10
High end renovation, refurbishment and structural work across Chelsea, handled with the consent constraints that come with it.
Chelsea, Kensington and Chelsea
Chelsea rewards doing it properly
Chelsea is Georgian, early Victorian and stucco fronted, much of it listed and almost all of it in a conservation area. It is the least forgiving housing stock in south west London and the most expensive to get wrong.
Work here is governed as much by consent as by construction. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea applies some of the tightest controls in the country, and on a listed building unauthorised work is a criminal offence rather than a planning matter. We establish exactly what your property is before we price anything.
Local knowledge
What building in Chelsea actually involves
Listing and conservation control
Large parts of SW3 and SW10 are covered by conservation areas, and a high proportion of the stock is listed. On a listed building interior features are protected too, including cornices, staircases, panelling and fireplaces.
The basement policy
RBKC restricts basement development significantly, limiting excavation to a single storey and to a proportion of the garden, with a construction traffic management plan required. It is one of the strictest regimes in London.
Lime, not cement
Georgian and early Victorian walls are solid brick finished in lime. Modern cement render and gypsum plaster trap moisture inside them, which is why so much of the blown plaster we strip out here is recent rather than original.
What we do in Chelsea
Most of our SW3 and SW10 work is internal: full refurbishment of period houses and mansion flats, kitchen and bathroom renovation to a high specification, structural openings between reception rooms, and the services upgrades that older properties need.
External alteration is far more constrained here than in Fulham or Battersea. Where a project does involve the elevations, the roof or the windows, the consent route is the first thing we establish, not the last.
- Full period house refurbishment
- Mansion flat renovation and fit out
- High specification kitchens and bathrooms
- Structural openings between reception rooms
- Cornice, panelling and joinery restoration
- Rewires and heating upgrades in listed property
Working on a listed building
Listed building consent is a separate application from planning permission, and it covers the interior as well as the exterior. Removing a cornice, altering a staircase, changing a fireplace or taking out original panelling can all require consent even though none of it is visible from the street.
Carrying out work to a listed building without consent is a criminal offence, and enforcement can require reinstatement at your cost. We check the listing and its description before quoting, and where consent is needed we build the application into the programme rather than starting and hoping.
Mansion flats and the freeholder
A significant share of Chelsea's stock is mansion flats, and there the lease matters as much as the planning system. Most leases require the freeholder's written consent for alterations, and many prohibit changes to the layout, the floor finishes or anything affecting the services entirely.
Sound transmission is usually the sticking point. Replacing carpet with hard flooring is commonly restricted, and where it is permitted an acoustic underlay specification is normally imposed. We work to those specifications and provide the documentation the managing agent will ask for.
Access, parking and neighbours
Chelsea is dense, parking is controlled and many streets are narrow with no scope for a skip outside the door. That is a logistics problem as much as a construction one, and it needs planning rather than improvisation.
We arrange skip permits and suspensions, sequence deliveries so vehicles are not sitting on the street, and keep the frontage clean. Neighbours here are close and often influential in the consent process, so keeping them informed is not just courtesy, it is practical.
They understood the consent position before quoting, which no other contractor we spoke to did. The refurbishment kept every original feature we wanted to keep and the paperwork was in order at every stage.
Homeowner, Chelsea · Period house refurbishment
What we do here
Our services in Chelsea
House Extension in Chelsea
Rear, side return and wrap around extensions that open up the ground floor and add genuine value to a London home.
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Loft Conversion in Chelsea
Dormer, mansard, hip to gable and Velux conversions that turn dead roof space into a proper bedroom and ensuite.
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Kitchen Renovation in Chelsea
Bespoke kitchens installed end to end, including the structural work, services, joinery and stone that sit behind them.
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Bathroom Renovation in Chelsea
Wetrooms, family bathrooms and ensuites, tanked and tiled properly, with the first fix and second fix handled in house.
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House Refurbishment in Chelsea
Sympathetic refurbishment of period and Victorian stock, from rewires and replastering to full internal reconfiguration.
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Velux & Roof Windows in Chelsea
Roof window and rooflight installation, including flat roof lanterns, sun tunnels and full structural openings.
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Windows & Doors in Chelsea
Sash window restoration, timber and aluminium replacements, bifolds and slim framed sliding doors, fitted and certified.
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Questions
Building in Chelsea: common questions
Can we extend a house in Chelsea?
Sometimes, but the constraints are significant. Much of SW3 and SW10 is in a conservation area, permitted development rights are frequently removed, and listed buildings need consent for almost any alteration. Rear extensions are more achievable than anything visible from the street. We establish what your specific address allows before quoting.
Do you work on listed buildings?
Yes, and we treat the consent position as the first item rather than an afterthought. We check the listing description, identify which features are protected and build the listed building consent application into the programme. We will not start unauthorised work on a listed property.
What about basement excavation?
RBKC operates one of the strictest basement policies in the country, restricting excavation to a single storey and to a limited proportion of the garden, with a construction traffic management plan and independent structural verification required. It is achievable on some properties and not on others, and it is expensive. We will give you a straight assessment on the free visit.
Which parts of Chelsea do you cover?
All of SW3 and SW10, including Chelsea Green, the King's Road, Cheyne Walk and the riverside, Sloane Square and World's End. We also cover neighbouring Kensington, Fulham and Battersea.
Free consultation
Planning work in Chelsea?
Book a free feasibility visit. We will look at the property, tell you what the building will allow and put a written schedule of works in front of you.