How the estimate is built
Each line is priced one of three ways: a fixed cost (boiler, roof), a per-unit cost where you enter a quantity (doors, bathrooms, en-suites, certificates), or a per-square-metre rate applied to your floor area (rewiring £100/m², plastering £30/m², decorating £20/m², flooring £40/m²). Bathrooms and kitchens add labour at a day rate you set. Add a contingency (10% is standard) for the surprises every refurb throws up.
- Strip out and skip, rewire, plastering, internal doors, kitchen, bathroom, decorating and flooring are on by default.
- Optional extras - en-suite, radiators, smoke & heat alarms, damp rectification, certificates, roof, extension, fireplace, partition wall, boiler, windows, driveway, patio, garden and a miscellaneous line - are off until you tick them.
- Every figure is editable: defaults reflect typical UK buy-to-let refurb pricing, which is leaner than retail-quote averages.
- The result shows the works subtotal, the contingency, the total budget and the cost per square metre as a sanity check.
Worked example - light/medium refurb of a 3-bed
Strip out £1,050; rewire £4,000; plaster 6 rooms x £300 = £1,800; 6 doors x £50 = £300.
Bathroom £1,000 + 5 days = £2,500; kitchen £1,500 + 5 days = £3,000; decorating £2/m² x 85 + 6 days = £1,970; flooring £1,250.
Subtotal about £15,870; add 10% contingency (£1,587) = about £17,460 (roughly £205/m²).
External works (current UK guide prices)
- Driveway (block paving): about £90–£130 per m² installed.
- Patio: about £90–£140 per m² installed.
- Garden / landscaping: a medium garden typically £3,000–£6,000.
- New combi boiler installed: UK average around £2,400 (£1,800–£4,500 depending on system).
Treat the total as a planning budget, not a quote. Always get builder quotes for the actual job, and keep the contingency - older properties hide damp, wiring and structural surprises.