What order should you renovate a house in?
By Eli Gjoka · Updated
Short answer
Renovate from the outside in and from the structure out: fix the roof, damp and structure first, then strip out, do first-fix plumbing and electrics, plaster, fit kitchens and bathrooms at second fix, decorate, and lay carpet and vinyl last. Getting the order right stops you paying for the same work twice, like chasing cables into fresh plaster.
On this page
1. Survey the house and plan the work
Start by finding out what you're dealing with: the condition of the roof, any damp, the age of the wiring and the heating, and whether any walls you want to change are load-bearing. This is also the time to check whether any of the work needs planning permission or building regulations approval.
If the house was built or refurbished before 2000, the Health and Safety Executive's advice for buildings is to assume asbestos may be present. Having an asbestos survey before anything is stripped out is the safe approach.
2. Make it sound and weathertight
Roof repairs, damp, drainage and any structural work come first, because everything inside depends on them. There's no point plastering a wall that's still getting wet.
3. Strip out
Old kitchens, bathrooms, flooring and anything else being replaced come out, so the trades that follow can see and reach what they need.
4. First fix
This is the work that goes inside the walls, floors and ceilings before they're closed up: new pipework for heating and water, waste pipes, electrical cables and back boxes, and any new stud walls or door frames. It's done now because chasing cables or moving pipes later means cutting into finished plaster.
Some of this work has rules of its own. In England, a new consumer unit, a new circuit or electrical work around a bath or shower is notifiable under Part P, and all gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
5. Plaster
With the services in place, walls and ceilings are plastered or skimmed. Plaster needs to dry properly before it's decorated, so this is where patience pays off.
6. Second fix
Now the visible parts go in: kitchen units and worktops, bathroom suites and tiling, sockets and switches, radiators, internal doors, skirting and architraves. The pipes and cables for the kitchen and bathroom were run at first fix; the units and fittings go in after plastering.
7. Decorate
Painting and wallpapering come after second fix, so trades aren't knocking fresh paintwork as they fit doors and skirting.
8. Floors: it depends on the type
This is where guides disagree, and the honest answer is that it depends on the floor:
- Hard floors, such as engineered wood or tiles, are sometimes laid before second fix, for example under kitchen units, and then protected while the other trades finish.
- Carpet and vinyl go down last, after decorating, so they don't get paint or dust on them.
9. Sign-offs and snagging
Collect your paperwork: electrical certificates, the Gas Safe building regulations compliance certificate for notifiable gas work, and any building control completion certificate. Then walk round the house and list anything that needs finishing or fixing.
Living in the house while you renovate
If you're staying put, the order changes from the whole house at once to room by room. A common approach is to keep one bathroom and some kitchen facilities working for as long as possible, and to do the dustiest work in rooms you can close off. We often work in homes while the owners live in them, and Eli plans the order of rooms with you before the work starts.
Planning work like this?
Eli comes to see the job for free and gives you a written, fixed-price quote.
Common questions
What should you renovate first in a house?
Anything that keeps the house sound and dry: the roof, damp, drainage and structure. Inside work comes after.
Do you paint or lay flooring first?
It depends on the floor. Hard floors can go down earlier and be protected; carpet and vinyl go down after decorating.
Should the kitchen go in before or after plastering?
The pipes and cables go in before plastering. The units and worktops are fitted after.
What is first fix and second fix?
First fix is the pipes, cables and framing that go inside walls and floors. Second fix is the visible fittings, such as units, sockets, doors and skirting.
Can I live in my house during a renovation?
Often, yes, if the work is done room by room and a bathroom and some kitchen facilities are kept working.