Order of Works for a Full House Renovation

1. Make it watertight and structurally sound

Roof, gutters, external walls, windows and any structural repairs come first. Everything downstream depends on the building being dry, and a leak found after plastering means paying twice.

Structural work — beams, wall removals, chimney breasts, new openings — also belongs here, because it creates the most disruption and dust.

2. Strip out and resolve damp

Remove what is going, expose what needs inspecting, and deal with damp at its source. Allow drying time in the programme rather than discovering it as a delay later.

3. First fix

With walls and floors open, all the buried services go in at once.

Rewire, including every socket, switch and light position agreed in advance · Plumbing and heating pipework, radiator positions, underfloor heating · Waste and soil runs for new bathrooms and kitchens · Data, TV, alarm and any speaker cabling · Insulation, then studwork, boarding and window boards

4. Plaster, then dry out

Plastering happens once, over the whole house where possible, and then the building needs ventilating. This is the stage people compress and it is the one that punishes them, because everything decorative sits on top of it.

5. Second fix and finishes

Joinery, doors, skirting and architrave, sanitaryware, kitchen, sockets and switches, then decoration, and flooring last or second-to-last depending on the material.

Floor finishes go in as late as practical to avoid damage, with the exception of tiling that needs to run under fitted units.

6. Snagging and documentation

A walk-round in good light with a list, then certificates gathered in one place: electrical installation certificate, gas safety, building control completion, any guarantees on roofing, render or damp work. This is the paperwork a buyer's solicitor will ask for years later.

Frequently asked questions

Should the kitchen go in before or after decorating?

Units and worktops before final decoration, so paintwork is cut in around the finished kitchen rather than damaged during installation. Appliances and the splashback follow.

When should the floors be laid?

As late as possible, after plastering and after most second fix, to avoid damage. Tiling that runs under kitchen units is the main exception.

Can trades work in parallel?

Yes, and a well-run project overlaps them deliberately — but only within a stage. Overlapping across stages is what causes finished work to be cut into.

How much contingency should a renovation carry?

Enough to absorb what is found when the building is opened up, particularly in older properties. Roof timbers, wiring, drainage and foundations are the usual sources of unplanned spend.