House renovation order of works: what happens first, and why

1. Survey, plan and approvals

Start by understanding what you have bought or are living in. A condition survey, plus opening up a few areas where problems are suspected, tells you whether there is damp, rot, structural movement or outdated wiring that will change the scope. Agree the layout you want before anything is removed, because moving a kitchen or bathroom changes drainage, plumbing and electrical routes.

This is also the time to check whether planning permission, listed building consent or Building Regulations approval is needed, and whether a structural engineer has to design any openings. Approvals take time, and waiting for them is far cheaper than stopping halfway through.

2. Strip-out and structural work

Once the plan is fixed, remove what is being replaced: old kitchens, bathrooms, damaged plaster, redundant pipework and any walls coming out. Strip-out reveals the real condition of floors, joists and walls, so allow a pause to review what has been found before committing to the next stage.

Structural work comes next. New openings, steel beams, repairs to joists, underpinning or chimney breast removal all happen before anything decorative, because they create dust, vibration and sometimes small amounts of movement that would crack new finishes.

3. Make the building weathertight

Roof repairs, chimney work, gutters, external render, repointing and new windows should be dealt with early. Water getting into the building damages everything that follows, and damp walls need time to dry out before they are plastered. Where damp is present, the cause should be fixed now rather than covered later.

4. First fix services and carpentry

First fix is everything that goes inside walls, floors and ceilings before they are closed: cables, back boxes, pipework, waste runs, heating circuits, ventilation ducts and any data cabling. Carpentry first fix includes stud walls, door linings, floor repairs and noggins for heavy items such as wall cupboards or radiators.

Decide where sockets, lights, radiators and appliances will go before this stage. Changing your mind after plastering is one of the most common and avoidable renovation costs.

5. Insulation, plastering and screeds

With services in place, insulation goes into walls, floors and lofts, followed by plasterboard, plastering or lime plaster as the building requires. Floor screeds are laid at a similar point. Both need drying time, and rushing decoration onto damp plaster or screed causes problems with paint and flooring later.

6. Second fix, kitchens and bathrooms

Second fix connects and completes what first fix prepared: sockets and switches, light fittings, radiators, sanitaryware, kitchen units, worktops, internal doors, skirting and architraves. Tiling usually happens here too. Kitchens and bathrooms are installed now, because their finishes would be damaged by the earlier, messier stages.

7. Decoration, flooring and snagging

Decoration comes near the end, followed by final floor coverings so they are not damaged by ladders, paint and trades. The last step is snagging: walking through the house to list small defects and putting them right before handover. Certificates for electrical work, gas and Building Regulations sign-off should be collected at this point.

Common questions