Refurbishing rental property between tenancies in Torbay
For a landlord, the expensive part of a refurbishment is rarely the building work — it is the weeks the property sits empty.
That changes how a job should be planned. Scope gets fixed early, materials are ordered before we start, and trades are booked back to back rather than left to find gaps.
We work across TQ1 to TQ5 for landlords and letting agents on exactly this basis.
Planning around the void period
We price from a walk-round with the outgoing condition visible, order long-lead items before mobilising, and give you a dated programme rather than a range.
If something is found behind a panel that changes the plan, you hear about it the same day with a cost and a revised date.
What landlords usually ask us for
The most common Torbay instructions are:
- full redecoration and making good after tenancy damage
- kitchen or bathroom replacement to a hard-wearing spec
- flooring replacement throughout with durable finishes
- damp investigation and remedial work before re-letting
- carpentry repairs — doors, frames, skirtings, locks
Specifying for wear, not for a showroom
Rental specification is a different discipline. Scrubbable finishes, robust ironmongery, flooring that survives moves, and sanitaryware that can be replaced part by part rather than as a set.
It costs a little more up front and considerably less over three tenancies.
Where building work meets compliance
Refurbishment often overlaps with the checks a landlord has to satisfy before re-letting: electrical condition, gas safety, smoke and heat alarms, and adequate ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms.
We are builders rather than certifying bodies, so we carry out the construction work and coordinate qualified electricians and gas engineers around it. Certificates come back to you with the handover pack rather than being chased separately weeks later.
Where a property has been let for years without upgrade, extract ventilation and alarm coverage are the two things most often found short.
- extract ventilation upgraded in kitchens and bathrooms
- interlinked alarm coverage installed during first fix
- consumer unit and circuit remedials coordinated with your electrician
- making good after any compliance-driven intervention
Working across a portfolio
Where you have several properties across Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, we can sequence works so one team moves between them rather than remobilising each time.
Recent work of this type
Questions we get asked
How quickly can you start a void refurbishment?
It depends on the current programme, but small void works can often be slotted in faster than a full build project. Call with dates and we will be straight about availability.
Do you work with letting agents?
Yes — agents can instruct on the landlord's behalf, and we report to whoever you nominate.
Can you provide a photographic handover?
Yes. Before and after photos with the final invoice are standard on refurbishment work.
Do you handle compliance work?
We carry out the building works and coordinate qualified trades for electrical and gas elements, with certification passed on to you.
The landlord takeaway
Fix the scope early, buy the materials before mobilising, and specify for wear. That is what keeps a Torbay void short and the next tenancy quiet.