A full house renovation in Manchester in 2026 costs between £800 and £1,500 per square metre depending on the property type, condition, and specification. For a standard three bedroom house of around 90 to 100 square metres, that puts the total cost at £72,000 to £150,000. For a four bedroom property of 120 to 140 square metres, expect £96,000 to £210,000.
These figures cover a complete internal renovation: rewiring, replumbing, new heating, plastering, kitchen, bathroom, flooring, decoration, and all fixtures and fittings throughout. They do not include extensions or loft conversions, which are additional.
This guide gives you a realistic, room by room cost breakdown for a full house renovation in Manchester in 2026 so you can set your budget before work begins.
What Does a Full House Renovation Include?
A full house renovation means stripping the property back and rebuilding the interior from scratch. Every room is gutted, every system is replaced, and every surface is finished to a consistent standard throughout. Here is what that typically involves:
Full rewire of all electrical circuits and consumer unit. Full replumb of hot and cold water supply. New central heating system including boiler and radiators. Replastering of all walls and ceilings. New kitchen with worktops, appliances, and fittings. New bathroom (and often an additional WC or ensuite). New flooring throughout. New internal doors and door furniture. Full decoration of all rooms. Any necessary structural repairs or alterations.
This is a fundamentally different project from a room by room update. When you renovate the whole house at once, trades work in sequence across the entire property rather than working around occupied rooms. This approach is more cost effective per square metre and delivers a more consistent finish.
Full House Renovation Cost Breakdown for Manchester
Electrics
£5,000 to £8,000 for a full rewire.
A full rewire includes a new consumer unit (fuse board), new ring mains and lighting circuits on every floor, hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and adequate sockets in every room. Properties across Bolton, Stockport, and Bury built before the 1980s almost always need a full rewire. Even properties rewired in the 1990s may need upgrading to meet current standards.
An EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) costs £150 to £300 and tells you whether the existing wiring is safe or needs replacing. Get one before you set your budget.
Plumbing and Heating
£6,000 to £12,000 for a complete system.
A new combi boiler with radiators throughout costs £4,000 to £7,000. Replumbing the hot and cold water supply adds £2,000 to £4,000. If you are installing underfloor heating on the ground floor, add another £2,000 to £4,000.
Manchester’s older housing stock, particularly the Victorian terraces in Salford and the 1930s semis in Trafford and Stretford, often still has lead water supply pipes. Replacing the internal lead pipework is included in a full replumb. However, the section from the water main to your property boundary is the responsibility of United Utilities and can be replaced free of charge on request.
Plastering
£8,000 to £15,000 for the whole house.
A full replaster of walls and ceilings throughout a three bed house costs £8,000 to £12,000. This includes hacking off old blown plaster, applying new base coat and skim, and finishing all surfaces ready for decoration.
If the existing plaster is in reasonable condition, overboarding with plasterboard and skimming costs £5,000 to £8,000. This is quicker and less messy but adds 12mm to every wall, which reduces room sizes slightly.
Kitchen
£7,000 to £20,000 depending on specification.
A standard fitted kitchen costs £7,000 to £10,000. A mid range kitchen with quartz worktops and integrated appliances costs £10,000 to £15,000. A premium kitchen with bespoke cabinetry costs £15,000 to £20,000.
Open plan kitchen diners are the most requested layout change in full renovations across Manchester. Removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room (£500 for non load bearing, £1,500 to £3,500 for load bearing with a steel beam) transforms the ground floor and is one of the highest value changes you can make.
For a full kitchen cost guide, see our post on kitchen renovation costs in Manchester.
Bathroom
£5,000 to £12,000 per bathroom.
A family bathroom with bath, shower, toilet, basin, and tiling costs £5,000 to £8,000. A higher specification bathroom with a walk in shower, premium fixtures, and underfloor heating costs £8,000 to £12,000.
Most full renovations include upgrading the main bathroom plus adding at least one of the following: a downstairs WC (£2,000 to £4,000) or a master ensuite (£4,000 to £8,000).
For a full bathroom cost guide, see our post on bathroom renovation costs in Manchester.
Windows and Doors
£5,000 to £12,000 for the whole house.
New double glazed uPVC windows throughout a three bed house cost £4,000 to £7,000. A new front door costs £800 to £2,000. New internal doors throughout (8 to 12 doors) cost £1,500 to £3,000 fitted. If you are upgrading to aluminium framed windows or composite front doors, costs increase by 40% to 60%.
Flooring
£3,000 to £8,000 for the whole house.
Engineered wood or luxury vinyl tile (LVT) on the ground floor costs £2,000 to £5,000. Carpet for bedrooms and stairs costs £1,000 to £3,000. Herringbone pattern flooring is the most requested style across Manchester renovations in 2026 and adds a premium feel to any property.
Decoration
£2,500 to £5,000 for the whole house.
Mist coat plus two coats of emulsion on all walls and ceilings. Woodwork painted throughout including skirting boards, architraves, doors, and window frames. A painter and decorator typically spends 2 to 3 weeks on a full three bed renovation.
Structural Work (If Required)
£1,500 to £10,000 depending on the scope.
Not every renovation needs structural work, but common jobs include removing a load bearing wall for an open plan kitchen (£1,500 to £3,500), repairing cracked lintels above windows (£500 to £1,500 each), chimney breast removal (£1,000 to £3,000 per floor), and treating or replacing a defective damp proof course (£2,000 to £4,000).
Skip Hire and Waste Removal
£1,000 to £2,500 for a full renovation.
A full house renovation generates a significant amount of waste. Budget for 3 to 5 skip hires over the course of the project.
Cost by Property Type in Manchester
Different property types have different renovation costs due to size, layout, and the typical issues each type presents:
Two bed terraced house (65 to 80 m²): £55,000 to £100,000. Common across Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, and Oldham. Compact layout makes renovation efficient. Main issues: damp, outdated wiring, narrow kitchens.
Three bed semi detached (90 to 110 m²): £75,000 to £150,000. Found throughout Stockport, Trafford, Salford, and Manchester suburbs. Good room sizes and layout flexibility. Main issues: 1930s wiring, artex ceilings, single glazing. See our detailed guide on renovating a semi detached house in Manchester, or our town guide to full house refurbishment in Timperley.
Three bed terraced house (80 to 100 m²): £65,000 to £130,000. Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Chorlton, Didsbury, Levenshulme, and Heaton Moor. Main issues: rising damp, movement cracks, lead pipes. See our guide on terraced house renovation costs in Bolton.
Four bed detached (120 to 160 m²): £100,000 to £210,000. Larger properties in Altrincham, Hale, Bramhall, and Worsley. Higher specification expected. Main issues: larger roof area, more complex heating systems, higher material quantities.
What Affects Full House Renovation Costs?
Property Condition
The single biggest cost variable. A property that has been partially maintained over the years (working boiler, sound roof, reasonable wiring) costs far less to renovate than one that has been neglected for decades. Always commission a full building survey (£500 to £800) before you commit to a purchase or set a renovation budget.
Specification
The gap between a basic renovation and a high specification renovation on the same property can be £40,000 to £60,000. The biggest cost differences sit in the kitchen (£7,000 vs £20,000), bathrooms (£5,000 vs £12,000 each), flooring (£3,000 vs £8,000), and windows (£5,000 vs £12,000).
Choosing a consistent specification level across the whole house is important. A premium kitchen with budget bathroom fittings looks disjointed and reduces the overall impact of the renovation.
Access and Location
Properties with difficult access (narrow streets, no parking, rear access only) cost more because material deliveries take longer and skip placement is harder. Terraced streets across central Manchester, Salford, and parts of Stockport often have these challenges.
Planning and Compliance
If your renovation includes structural changes, you will need Building Regulations approval (£500 to £1,200). If you share a wall with a neighbour and are doing structural work near the party wall, you will need a Party Wall Agreement (£700 to £1,500 per surveyor). Neither of these costs is optional.
How Long Does a Full House Renovation Take?
A complete internal renovation of a three bed house takes 8 to 12 weeks when the property is empty and a well coordinated team is on site.
The typical sequence runs: strip out (1 week), structural work if needed (1 to 2 weeks), first fix electrics and plumbing (2 weeks), plastering (1 to 2 weeks), second fix electrics and plumbing (1 to 2 weeks), kitchen and bathroom fit (1 to 2 weeks), flooring and decoration (2 weeks), snagging and handover (2 to 3 days).
The programme is significantly faster when the property is empty. If you are living in the property during the renovation, expect the timeline to extend by 30% to 50% because trades cannot work as freely and rooms need to be made habitable between stages.
Does a Full House Renovation Add Value?
Yes. A full renovation typically adds 20% to 30% to a property’s value in Manchester, and sometimes more if the property was in particularly poor condition before work started.
Here is a worked example for a three bed semi in Stockport:
Purchase price: £210,000 (needs full renovation). Renovation cost: £100,000. Total investment: £310,000. Post renovation value: £350,000 to £380,000. Value uplift: £40,000 to £70,000.
For landlords, a fully renovated property commands higher rent, attracts better tenants, and has lower maintenance costs for the first 5 to 10 years. For investors buying to sell, the margin depends on buying well and controlling renovation costs tightly.
How to Control Costs on a Full Renovation
Get a detailed scope of works before you get quotes. A scope of works lists every item of work that needs doing, room by room. Without one, builders are quoting on different assumptions and you cannot compare like for like.
Fix the specification before work starts. Changing your mind about the kitchen or bathroom mid build adds cost and delays. Choose everything before the first trade arrives on site.
Use one contractor to manage all trades. A main contractor who coordinates all trades to a single programme is more efficient than hiring individual trades yourself. The cost of project management is offset by fewer delays, fewer mistakes, and better sequencing.
Budget a 10% to 15% contingency. Every renovation uncovers something unexpected. Damp behind plasterboard, rotten joists under the bath, or wiring that looked fine until the walls came off. A contingency fund means you can deal with these without stopping the project.
Ready to Renovate Your Property in Manchester?
At Renovat Construction, we deliver full house renovations across Manchester, Stockport, Salford, Bolton, Trafford, Altrincham, Sale, Bury, Tameside, Rochdale, Wigan, and Oldham. our team manages the entire renovation from initial survey through to handover, keeping costs controlled and the programme on track.
For related guides, see our posts on kitchen renovation costs, bathroom renovation costs, house extension costs, and cellar conversion costs in Manchester.
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