UK renovation-budget planner

Give the project a realistic cost envelope.

Combine room, structural, energy, exterior and professional budgets, then add an explicit contingency.

Project allowances

Replace every starting figure with scoped quotations.

Kitchen

£0£200,000

Bathrooms

£0£150,000

Structural work and extensions

£0£1,000,000

Decorating and flooring

£0£200,000

Energy upgrades

£0£250,000

Exterior and garden

£0£250,000

Design and professional fees

£0£200,000

Other costs

£0£200,000

Contingency

0 %50 %

Available project budget

£0£2,000,000

Itemised project budget

Allowances are not contractor quotations.

Project area	Allowance
Kitchen	£15,000
Bathrooms	£10,000
Structural work	£20,000
Decorating and flooring	£8,000
Energy upgrades	£5,000
Exterior and garden	£5,000
Professional fees	£7,500
Other costs	£2,500
Contingency	£10,950
Total project budget	£83,950

Build the budget from a defined scope

Room labels alone are not specifications. Record what is being retained, repaired or replaced, the intended finish, access constraints and who supplies each item. Compare quotations on the same scope.

Why contingency is separate

A contingency is an allowance for uncertainty, not a target to spend. Older buildings, opening-up work, incomplete surveys and evolving designs can justify more headroom. Professional advice should determine the right allowance for the project.

Commonly missed costs

Consider surveys, structural engineering, architectural or design work, planning and building-control fees, temporary accommodation, storage, waste, utility changes, VAT and final decoration. The planner does not estimate value added or return on investment.

Reviewed by the Properties & Homes editorial team
Last reviewed: 14 August 2026.