Know what the renovation costs before you buy the property.
For buyers, homeowners and investors looking at a London property that needs work. Bayocorp prepares a contractor-led renovation cost plan: what the property needs to reach the standard you want, what that is likely to involve, and what to find out before you commit.
Important: This is not a certified condition report, building survey, structural survey or mortgage valuation. We do not provide formal certified survey reports. It is a renovation-focused cost plan, prepared from a contractor's perspective.
A tired property and an expensive one can look the same on a viewing.
A dated kitchen, worn floors and poor decoration are easy to see and easy to price. Structural walls in the way of the layout you want, drainage that will not reach where the bathroom should go, wiring that needs replacing rather than extending, damp with a cause still to find, or a lease that restricts what you can change: these are the things that move a renovation budget, and most of them can be spotted or at least flagged before exchange.
A cost plan prepared before you buy puts a contractor's eye on exactly those questions, so the price you offer and the budget you hold back are based on the work the property really needs.
Read more: 10 things to check before buying a London property to renovate
What we need before the visit.
Once we have this, we confirm whether we can arrange a site visit, subject to the property being within our service area.
- A floor plan
- Photos or listing details of the property
- Images or examples of finishes and styles you like
- A brief description of what you want to achieve
- The property location
What the cost plan includes.
Every appraisal is reviewed individually, based on the property, the scope, the information available, the visit and the level of reporting needed. We confirm the fee before we carry out the appraisal.
- Outline scope of works
- Itemised renovation requirements
- Suggested works based on the finish you want
- Outline pricing
- Practical contractor-led comments
- Key considerations before moving forward
- Indicative allowances, where enough information is available
- Notes on areas that may need further specialist input
Buying a flat: the lease decides as much as the building.
In a leasehold flat, moving a kitchen, adding a bathroom or removing a wall usually needs the freeholder's consent under a licence to alter, and the freeholder may want drawings, an engineer's design and opening-up works before agreeing. That changes both the programme and the cost, so we flag it in the cost plan wherever the works you want would need one.
Read more: What is a licence to alter?
How Bayocorp runs the work.
Send the details
Floor plan, photos or listing, the finish you want and the location.
Fee confirmed
We review the property and confirm the fee before any work is done.
Site visit
A contractor's walk-round, looking at the layout, the structure, the services and the condition against what you want to achieve.
Your cost plan
Outline scope, itemised works, outline pricing and the points to resolve before you commit.
London properties we are asked to look at.
Period terraces, converted flats and mansion blocks make up much of what buyers ask us about in North London, and each brings its own pattern: party walls and tight access in the terraces, the lease and the freeholder in the flats. Our borough pages carry the local detail.
Pre-Purchase Cost Plan questions we hear often.
Is this a building survey?
No. It is not a certified condition report, building survey, structural survey or mortgage valuation. It is a renovation-focused cost plan from a contractor's perspective. Many buyers have both: a survey for the condition, and a cost plan for what the renovation they want will involve.
How much does a pre-purchase cost plan cost?
Every appraisal is reviewed individually, based on the property, the scope, the information available and the level of reporting needed. We confirm the fee before we carry out the appraisal.
What do I need to send you?
A floor plan, photos or the listing, examples of the finishes you like, a short description of what you want to achieve and the property location.
Will it tell me whether I can remove walls or move the kitchen?
It will flag where the layout you want depends on structural changes, drainage or a licence to alter, and what that is likely to involve. A structural engineer's design is still needed before a load-bearing wall is removed.
If I buy, can Bayocorp do the work?
Yes, if you want us to. The cost plan is useful whoever builds it, but it also means we already know the property if you ask us to price the full project.
Further reading before you start.
10 things to check before buying a property to renovate
A practical guide from the Bayocorp Advice Hub.
Read the guide →Does my home need rewiring before renovation?
A practical guide from the Bayocorp Advice Hub.
Read the guide →Damp walls: find the cause before replastering
A practical guide from the Bayocorp Advice Hub.
Read the guide →What a full flat refurbishment costs in London
A practical guide from the Bayocorp Advice Hub.
Read the guide →Other work this often goes with.
Quantity Surveying
Contractor-side quantity surveying and estimating in London.
Open page →Kitchen Refurbishment
Kitchen refurbishment and installation in North London.
Open page →Bathroom Refurbishment
Bathroom and en-suite refurbishment in North London.
Open page →All Services
Every service Bayocorp offers, including refurbishments, maintenance and Higher-Risk Building small works.
See all services →Tell us about the property and what you want from it.
Send the details, a few photos or a floor plan, and we will tell you what the work involves and the right next step.
Based in Archway N19, working across London.
Bayocorp, Flat 22 Eddison Court, 253 Sussex Way, London N19 4DW · 02039 10 00 01 · info@bayocorp.uk · Federation of Master Builders member