Most Sutton homeowners planning a full renovation get a vague answer when they ask how long it will take. The honest answer is that a typical three bed house takes around three to six months on site, plus whatever time the paperwork needs beforehand. This guide breaks down where that time goes, so you can plan your move out, your budget and your sanity.
Sutton's housing stock shapes the answer. A 1930s semi in Cheam, Carshalton or Worcester Park behaves very differently from a Victorian terrace near Sutton town centre, and both differ again from a 1960s or 70s house in Wallington or Belmont. As a rough guide for on site work alone:
The pre-construction stage often takes as long as the build itself. If your project needs planning permission, the London Borough of Sutton aims to decide householder applications within 8 weeks, and you should allow time before that for drawings. Many rear extensions and loft conversions fall under permitted development, but a Lawful Development Certificate is still worth getting and takes a similar time.
If you are in a conservation area, such as Carshalton Village or Cheam Village, expect tighter rules on windows, materials and anything visible from the street. Semis and terraces almost always need Party Wall notices for extensions, lofts or work on shared walls. Neighbours have 14 days to respond, and if a surveyor is appointed the award can add 4 to 8 weeks. Realistically, budget 2 to 4 months of preparation for anything structural.
Once on site, a full renovation follows a fairly fixed order. Each stage depends on the one before, which is why a delay early on pushes everything back.
Hidden problems are the main cause of overruns. In 1930s houses we commonly find original wiring, lead water pipes, and textured ceiling coatings that need testing for asbestos before they can be disturbed. Victorian terraces can hide rotten joists, failed lintels and damp in solid walls. A sensible plan includes a contingency of one to three weeks and 10 to 15 percent of the budget.
Lead times catch people out too. Bespoke kitchens typically take 6 to 10 weeks to arrive, and made to measure windows or bifold doors 6 to 12 weeks, so these should be ordered well before they are needed. Building control inspections, skip permits and parking suspensions from Sutton Council also need booking in advance, and on narrow residential roads deliveries need careful timing.
For a full renovation with a rewire, replumb and new kitchen, moving out usually saves time. Trades can work freely, dust sheets and temporary facilities are not needed in every room, and you avoid weeks without a working kitchen. Families who stay put often find the job runs two to four weeks longer because work has to be phased around them. If moving out is not possible, plan to keep one bedroom and a temporary kitchen area untouched until the final stages, and agree this with your builder at the start.
You can usually start internal work that does not need permission, such as rewiring or replacing a kitchen, but anything requiring planning approval must wait for the decision. Starting early on structural work risks enforcement action and costly changes.
It can. Plaster and screed dry more slowly in cold, damp weather, and external work like extensions and roofing can be held up by rain, so allow an extra week or two between November and February.
Finalise your design and choose fittings before work begins, order long lead items early, and keep a contingency for surprises. Most delays come from late decisions and changes made once the job is underway.