Specialist Refurbishment Areas

Period properties are among the most beautiful and characterful homes in the country, but they come with unique challenges that require specialist handling. From Georgian townhouses and Victorian terraces to Edwardian semis and interwar houses, each era has its own construction methods, materials, and architectural features that must be understood and respected during any refurbishment work.

Heritage Building Expertise

Our team has extensive experience working with period properties of all ages and construction types. We understand the principles of traditional building construction -- solid walls, lime mortar, natural ventilation, and breathable materials -- and how these differ fundamentally from modern building methods. This knowledge is critical because inappropriate modern materials and techniques can cause serious damage to older buildings, trapping moisture, preventing natural drying, and accelerating deterioration.

We take a building-first approach, assessing the property's construction, condition, and existing issues before recommending any work. This ensures that our interventions are sympathetic to the building's fabric and do not create new problems while solving old ones.

Traditional Materials and Craft Techniques

Period property restoration often demands the use of traditional materials and craft techniques that are simply not available from mainstream building suppliers. We source and work with lime mortar and lime plaster for repointing, rendering, and internal plastering -- essential for maintaining the breathability of solid-wall construction. We use natural stone, reclaimed bricks, and traditional timber to repair and replace damaged elements, matching the original materials as closely as possible.

Our craftsmen are skilled in traditional techniques including lath and plaster repair, decorative plasterwork restoration, cornicing and ceiling rose reproduction, timber sash window repair, and bespoke joinery. These skills allow us to repair and restore original features rather than replacing them, preserving the character and value of the property.

Listed Building Consent and Liaison

If your property is listed (Grade I, II*, or II), any alterations that affect its character require Listed Building Consent from the local authority. This applies to both internal and external changes, including seemingly minor works such as replacing windows, removing internal walls, or altering original fireplaces. Working without consent is a criminal offence.

We have experience navigating the Listed Building Consent process and work closely with conservation officers to develop proposals that are acceptable while still meeting your practical needs. We prepare detailed heritage impact assessments, method statements, and supporting documentation to give your application the best chance of approval.

Period Feature Restoration

Many period properties have had their original features removed or damaged over the years. We specialise in restoring and recreating period features including original fireplaces, ceiling roses, cornicing, dado rails, picture rails, panelled doors, sash windows, encaustic floor tiles, and decorative plasterwork. Where original features survive but are damaged, we repair and restore them. Where they have been lost, we can recreate them using traditional methods and materials.

Sympathetic Modernisation

Period property owners deserve the comfort and convenience of modern living without sacrificing the character of their home. We specialise in sympathetic modernisation that introduces modern kitchens, bathrooms, heating, electrics, and insulation while respecting the building's historic fabric. This includes discreet routing of services, careful selection of modern materials that complement period features, and design solutions that blend the best of old and new.

With energy costs at record levels and growing awareness of climate change, improving the energy efficiency of your home is one of the most impactful investments you can make. A well-planned energy upgrade during refurbishment can dramatically reduce your heating bills, improve comfort, and increase your property's value and EPC rating. Because we are already working on the building fabric during a refurbishment, energy upgrades can often be integrated at minimal additional cost compared to doing them as standalone projects.

Comprehensive Insulation

Heat loss through walls, roofs, and floors accounts for the majority of wasted energy in UK homes. We install a comprehensive range of insulation solutions tailored to your property type. For cavity wall properties, we check existing cavity fill and upgrade where necessary. For solid wall properties, we install internal wall insulation (IWI) or external wall insulation (EWI) depending on the property, planning constraints, and your preferences.

Loft and roof insulation is upgraded to current standards (minimum 270mm mineral wool or equivalent), and floor insulation is installed beneath new or renewed floors. We pay careful attention to eliminating cold bridges -- the junctions and penetrations where insulation gaps allow heat to escape -- using thermal modelling where appropriate to optimise performance.

High-Performance Windows and Doors

Replacing single-glazed or poorly performing windows and doors is one of the most effective energy upgrades available. We supply and fit high-performance double and triple-glazed units in uPVC, aluminium, and timber frames. For period properties, we offer slim-profile double glazing that replicates the appearance of traditional single-glazed sash and casement windows while delivering modern thermal performance.

We also install thermally broken aluminium bi-fold and sliding doors that provide large openings to gardens and patios without compromising insulation. All windows and doors are installed with careful attention to airtightness and thermal detailing around the frames.

Heat Pumps and Renewable Energy

Air source heat pumps are rapidly becoming the heating system of choice for refurbished properties. They extract heat from the outside air and deliver it to your home via radiators or underfloor heating, operating at efficiencies of 300% or more. We design and install air source heat pump systems sized to your property's heat loss, integrated with appropriate emitters and hot water cylinders.

Solar PV panels generate free electricity from daylight, reducing your reliance on grid power and your electricity bills. When combined with a battery storage system, you can store excess generation for use in the evenings when demand is highest. We design and install solar PV and battery systems tailored to your roof orientation, available space, and energy consumption patterns.

Smart Controls and Ventilation

Smart heating controls including intelligent thermostats, zoned heating, and TRVs (thermostatic radiator valves) ensure that you only heat the spaces you are using, when you need them. These controls can be managed remotely via smartphone apps, allowing you to adjust your heating from anywhere.

Improving insulation and airtightness must be balanced with adequate ventilation to maintain indoor air quality and prevent condensation. We install mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems in well-sealed properties, recovering up to 90% of the heat from extracted air. For less airtight properties, positive input ventilation (PIV) or decentralised mechanical extract ventilation (dMEV) provides effective moisture control.

EPC Rating Improvement

All of the measures above contribute to improving your property's Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating. A higher EPC rating increases property value, reduces running costs, and may be required to meet future legislation. We can advise on which measures will have the greatest impact on your EPC rating and help you prioritise upgrades within your budget.

Making a home accessible for people with reduced mobility, disabilities, or age-related needs is one of the most important and rewarding types of refurbishment work. Whether you are adapting your home for a family member, planning ahead for later life, or creating a property that works for everyone, we design and deliver accessibility improvements that combine practicality with dignity and style.

Wheelchair Adaptations

Wheelchair-accessible adaptations transform the layout and features of a property to ensure full independence for wheelchair users. This includes widening doorways and corridors to a minimum of 900mm clear width, creating level thresholds at all external doors, adapting room layouts to provide adequate turning circles (minimum 1500mm diameter), and ensuring that key areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, and living spaces are fully usable from a seated position.

We also adapt kitchens with lowered worktops, pull-out shelving, accessible appliance positioning, and knee-space under sinks and hobs. These adaptations are designed to maintain a beautiful, modern aesthetic -- accessibility improvements should enhance a home, not detract from it.

Lifts and Stairlifts

For multi-storey properties, stairlifts and platform lifts provide safe, comfortable access between floors. We supply and install straight and curved stairlifts from leading manufacturers, as well as through-floor lifts (also known as home lifts or platform lifts) that provide step-free access without the need to use stairs at all. Through-floor lifts require structural modifications to create the shaft, and our team handles the full installation including structural work, electrical connections, and finishing.

For properties where a lift is not practical, we can redesign the ground floor layout to create single-storey living with a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living area all accessible without stairs.

Accessible Bathrooms and Kitchens

Accessible bathrooms are one of the most important elements of any accessibility adaptation. We design and install level-access wet rooms with non-slip flooring, grab rails, fold-down shower seats, thermostatic shower controls, and appropriate drainage. Toilets are positioned at accessible heights with support rails, and vanity units are specified at usable heights with lever taps.

Accessible kitchens feature adjustable-height worktops, pull-out storage, accessible oven and hob placement, side-opening ovens, and clear floor space for wheelchair manoeuvrability. We design each kitchen around the specific needs and abilities of the user, ensuring maximum independence and safety.

Ramps, Access, and Door Widening

External ramps provide step-free access to the property. We design and construct ramps to current standards, with appropriate gradients (maximum 1:12), non-slip surfaces, handrails, and level landings. Where space is limited, we explore alternatives such as platform lifts, stepped ramps with half-landings, or re-grading external levels.

Door widening is often necessary to accommodate wheelchair access. We widen doorways by modifying the structural opening, installing wider door frames, and fitting wider doors. Where walls are load-bearing, we install appropriate lintels and temporary support during the alteration. We also install automatic door openers where hands-free access is needed.

Safety and Mobility Aids

Beyond major structural adaptations, we install a range of safety and mobility aids that improve day-to-day living. These include strategically placed grab rails, non-slip flooring throughout, improved lighting with motion sensors, emergency pull cords, lowered light switches and raised sockets, lever-style door handles, and visual or audible alerts for doorbells and smoke alarms.