Full House Renovation in Kensington
A whole property taken back and rebuilt to a single standard, managed by one team from first drawing to final handover.
ExploreBuilders in Kensington, W8 & SW7
High specification refurbishment, fit out and structural work across Kensington, delivered within a tight consent regime.
Kensington, Kensington and Chelsea
Stucco, garden squares and a great deal of protection
Kensington is mid Victorian, stucco fronted and built around garden squares, and it is among the most heavily protected housing stock in the country. A high proportion is listed and effectively all of it sits within a conservation area.
Work here is defined by what you are permitted to do before it is defined by what you want to do. The Royal Borough applies strict controls, particularly on elevations, basements and anything visible from a square or a street.
Local knowledge
What building in Kensington actually involves
Listing is the norm, not the exception
A substantial share of W8 and SW7 is listed. On a listed building interior features are protected too: cornices, staircases, panelling, fireplaces and original joinery all require consent to alter.
Basement restrictions
RBKC limits basement excavation to a single storey and to a proportion of the garden, with a construction traffic management plan and independent structural verification required. It is one of the strictest regimes in the country.
Stucco needs lime
Stucco fronted elevations were built to move and breathe. Repairing them with modern cement causes cracking and traps moisture. Correct repair uses lime based materials matched to the original.
What we do in Kensington
Almost all of our W8 and SW7 work is internal and specification led: full refurbishment of period houses and mansion flats, structural openings between reception rooms, high end kitchens and bathrooms, and comprehensive services upgrades in buildings where the wiring and pipework are long past their life.
External alteration is heavily constrained. Where a project touches the elevations, the roof or the windows, establishing the consent route is the first piece of work rather than the last.
- Full period house refurbishment
- Mansion flat renovation and fit out
- High specification kitchens and bathrooms
- Structural openings and steel design
- Cornice, panelling and joinery restoration
- Rewires and heating upgrades in protected property
Listed building consent
Listed building consent is separate from planning permission and it applies to the interior as well as the exterior. Removing a cornice, altering a staircase, changing a fireplace surround or taking out original panelling can all require consent even where none of it is visible from outside.
Unauthorised work to a listed building is a criminal offence rather than a planning breach, and enforcement can require reinstatement at your expense. We check the listing and read its description before quoting, and where consent is required we build the application into the programme.
Garden squares and communal responsibilities
Many Kensington properties front or back onto private garden squares, which brings an additional layer of obligation. Garden square committees frequently have their own rules on access, working hours, scaffolding and the use of the garden for storage.
Those rules are separate from anything the council requires and they are enforced by neighbours who live there. We establish them at the outset and work within them, because a project that antagonises a square is a project that gets significantly harder.
Access, noise and neighbours
Kensington streets are narrow, parking is controlled and buildings are close together. Skip permits, bay suspensions and delivery sequencing all have to be arranged in advance rather than improvised.
RBKC also enforces noisy works hours, and in a dense terrace neighbours will notice. We keep to the permitted hours, we tell adjoining owners what is happening and when, and we keep the frontage clean. It is the difference between a project that runs and one that generates complaints.
A listed building, a garden square committee and a managing agent all to satisfy. NSPEC dealt with every one of them, kept the original features intact and produced the documentation each party wanted without us having to chase.
Homeowner, Kensington · Listed house refurbishment
What we do here
Our services in Kensington
House Extension in Kensington
Rear, side return and wrap around extensions that open up the ground floor and add genuine value to a London home.
Explore
Loft Conversion in Kensington
Dormer, mansard, hip to gable and Velux conversions that turn dead roof space into a proper bedroom and ensuite.
Explore
Kitchen Renovation in Kensington
Bespoke kitchens installed end to end, including the structural work, services, joinery and stone that sit behind them.
Explore
Bathroom Renovation in Kensington
Wetrooms, family bathrooms and ensuites, tanked and tiled properly, with the first fix and second fix handled in house.
Explore
House Refurbishment in Kensington
Sympathetic refurbishment of period and Victorian stock, from rewires and replastering to full internal reconfiguration.
Explore
Velux & Roof Windows in Kensington
Roof window and rooflight installation, including flat roof lanterns, sun tunnels and full structural openings.
Explore
Windows & Doors in Kensington
Sash window restoration, timber and aluminium replacements, bifolds and slim framed sliding doors, fitted and certified.
Explore
Questions
Building in Kensington: common questions
Can we alter the interior of a listed house?
Sometimes, with listed building consent. Protection extends to interior features, so cornices, staircases, panelling, fireplaces and original joinery are all covered. What is achievable depends on the grade and the listing description. We read both before advising, and we will not carry out unauthorised work.
Are basement extensions possible in Kensington?
On some properties, within strict limits. RBKC restricts excavation to a single storey and to a proportion of the garden, and requires a construction traffic management plan and independent structural verification. On listed buildings it is harder again. We will give you a realistic assessment on the free visit.
Do you work on mansion flats?
Yes, a great deal. In a flat the lease matters as much as the planning system: most require written freeholder consent for alterations, and many restrict layout changes and hard flooring. We work to the acoustic specifications imposed and provide the documentation managing agents ask for.
Which parts of Kensington do you cover?
W8 and SW7, including Kensington High Street, Holland Park borders, Campden Hill, Kensington Church Street, South Kensington, Queen's Gate and the garden squares. We also cover neighbouring Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham.
Free consultation
Planning work in Kensington?
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.