Timeline planner · free
How long will it actually take?
Four short steps to a realistic week-by-week schedule. GPDO statutory windows for the three planning routes (PD / prior approval / full application), Building Control checkpoints, and a seasonal-weather flag built in.
Step 1 of 4
What are you building?
The shape of the programme depends on whether it's a single trade or a full sequenced build.
Full planning adds 12 weeks
Householder applications run 5 weeks for validation and 8 weeks for determination. Add 2–4 more if officers request further information. The Larger Home Extension prior approval is 42 days end-to-end — significantly faster when the route fits.
Finishes always over-run
Tiling, flooring and paint look quick on paper but soak up the last weeks. Add a 10–15% time buffer to any homeowner- managed renovation and don't book the moving van until snag list is signed off.
Plan around UK weather
Groundworks, roofing and rendering slow significantly from November to March. If you can, lodge in autumn and start excavation in March–May so the building is weather-tight by the first autumn rain.
Long reads
Pair the timeline with a realistic budget
A 38-week programme priced wrong is worse than a 52-week programme priced right. The cost guide explains where the money actually goes by phase; the AI guide explains how to triage listings before you book a viewing.
Renovation cost · 14 min
How much does it cost to renovate a UK house in 2026?
BCIS Q1 2026 + FMB data. Cost-by-scope / spec / region / room tables, the eight hidden costs nobody quotes for, and the VAT treatment that catches 4 in 10 homeowners.
Read the guideAI · 12 min
Can AI estimate a UK renovation cost from a property photo?
We tested Claude Sonnet 4.5 vision against a chartered UK quantity surveyor on a real Inner-London semi. Where AI is genuinely useful and where it falls apart.
Read the guide