Renovating a single bedroom or living room in London typically costs £1,800 to £5,000 for a light refresh, redecoration, new flooring and minor repairs with the existing layout kept in place, rising to £6,000 to £15,000 for a full renovation involving replastering, additional electrics, fitted storage and, in some period properties, opening up a fireplace or removing a chimney breast. Both figures sit within, or below, the same cost bands used across a full house refurbishment, once you account for the fact that a single bedroom or living room doesn't carry the kitchen and bathroom costs that pull a whole-house average up. This guide breaks down realistic 2027 cost bands for bedroom and living room renovation specifically, distinct from the dedicated kitchen and bathroom guides already on this site.
Bedroom and living room renovation cost in London
A single-room renovation, whether it's a bedroom or a living room, splits into two broad tiers rather than the three used for a full house refurbishment, since the scope is naturally more contained. A light refresh keeps the existing layout, wiring and plaster in place, and covers redecoration, new flooring and minor repairs to skirting, coving or plaster. A full renovation goes further, typically involving replastering a wall or ceiling, adding sockets or a lighting circuit, fitting built-in wardrobes or alcove storage, and, in some period bedrooms and living rooms, opening up an existing fireplace or removing a chimney breast for extra floor space.
These figures are general London market guidance rather than a fixed Lian Construction quote, and room size affects the total more than the tier does in most cases. The table below sets out typical totals for a standard-sized bedroom and living room at each tier, alongside a couple of specific items, replastering and chimney breast removal, that are priced consistently with our dedicated guides on those subjects rather than re-priced separately here.
London bedroom and living room renovation cost guide (2027)
Item
Typical range
Notes
Light refresh, bedroom (redecoration, flooring, minor repairs, layout retained)
£1,800–£3,500
typical 10–14 sqm bedroom
Light refresh, living room (redecoration, flooring, minor repairs, layout retained)
£2,500–£5,000
typical 14–20 sqm living room
Full renovation, bedroom (replastering, additional electrics, fitted storage, new flooring)
£6,000–£11,000
typical 10–14 sqm bedroom
Full renovation, living room (replastering, additional electrics, new flooring, fireplace opened up where relevant)
£8,000–£15,000
typical 14–20 sqm living room
Full wall or ceiling replastering as part of a renovation
£450–£900
as per our plasterboard repair cost guide
Chimney breast removal, single storey, where included in scope
£1,500–£5,000
as per our chimney breast removal cost guide
Figures are general London market guidance only, not a fixed Lian Construction quote. A full renovation at this scale sits within, or below, the £1,200–£1,800/sqm mid-range band used across a full house refurbishment, since a single room doesn't carry kitchen or bathroom costs. Request a free survey for pricing specific to your room.
Light refresh versus full renovation: what actually changes
A light refresh is the right scope where the room's layout, wiring and plaster are all in reasonable condition and the work is really about bringing the finish up to date, new flooring, redecoration throughout, and making good minor cracks or scuffed skirting. It's the more common choice for a bedroom or living room that's structurally sound but simply tired, and it's typically completed in under a week.
A full renovation is worth considering where the room has more than a cosmetic problem, cracked or patchy plaster across a wall or ceiling, too few sockets for how the room is actually used, no overhead lighting circuit, or a boxed-in fireplace a period property would benefit from reopening. Because a full renovation usually involves first-fix electrical work before boarding and plastering go back, it takes longer to sequence properly, typically two to three weeks, and is worth planning as a proper small project rather than squeezed in around other jobs.
What's typically included in a full bedroom or living room renovation
Flooring, storage and general fabric work
New flooring is one of the most visible changes in either room, whether that's engineered wood, carpet or, in a ground-floor living room, herringbone parquet, and it's usually specified once the rest of the renovation scope is agreed rather than first, since subfloor levelling or damp treatment can affect what flooring is suitable. Built-in wardrobes or alcove shelving either side of a chimney breast are a common addition in both bedrooms and living rooms, and generally cost less than free-standing furniture of equivalent capacity once you factor in that a fitted unit doesn't need replacing when you move rather than being sold on or left behind.
Electrics: additional sockets and lighting circuits
Adding sockets or a new lighting circuit, for example converting a single pendant to multiple ceiling spotlights or adding a feature wall light circuit, is one of the most requested upgrades in a full room renovation, and it's genuinely useful work to plan alongside replastering, since chasing cables into a wall that's about to be skimmed anyway is far cheaper than opening up a finished wall later. This work is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations and is carried out or signed off by a qualified electrician, which sits alongside rather than instead of the general building work in our scope.
Period property considerations for bedroom and living room renovation
Victorian and Edwardian bedrooms and living rooms often carry original features worth preserving or reinstating rather than stripping out by default, cornicing, picture rails, ceiling roses and, in ground-floor rooms particularly, sash windows. Where a ceiling needs replastering as part of the renovation and it carries original cornice or coving, matching that detail rather than running a plain modern edge typically adds to the cost, in the same range set out in our ceiling water damage repair cost guide for cornice reinstatement, roughly £1,500 to £2,500 for a full ceiling where matching period detail is needed.
Sash windows in a period bedroom or living room are usually left in place and refurbished rather than replaced as part of a room renovation, since replacement often needs separate consideration around conservation area rules and, in some cases, listed building consent, which is a different process to internal redecoration and repair. Where a chimney breast removal is part of the scope, on either the ground floor or upper floors of a period terrace, that always needs a structural engineer's calculation and Building Control sign-off, covered in full in our chimney breast removal cost guide, since it affects the structure supporting the floors and roof above.
What pushes bedroom and living room renovation cost up or down
Cost drivers that increase the budget
Replastering a full wall or ceiling costs more than patching a small section, and matching original cornice or coving in a period room adds further cost again. Adding a new lighting circuit or extra sockets, particularly where cables need chasing into solid brick rather than a stud wall, adds electrician's time on top of the general building work. Removing a chimney breast, or opening up a boarded fireplace to a full structural opening rather than a simple surface reveal, both need a structural engineer and Building Control involvement, which adds cost and time beyond a straightforward decoration-led renovation.
Ways to keep the budget under control
Keeping the existing socket and lighting layout in place, rather than adding new circuits, is the single biggest lever on cost for a full renovation. Retaining sound original plaster where it exists, rather than stripping a whole wall or ceiling back to replaster it unnecessarily, also helps, since patch repair costs considerably less than full reinstatement. Our property refurbishment London team can advise at survey stage which of these choices matters most for a specific room.
What Lian Construction does, and where other trades' scope begins
Lian Construction carries out the building work in a bedroom or living room renovation directly, replastering, flooring, fitted storage, decoration and coordinating the room around any first-fix work needed. New sockets, lighting circuits and any rewiring are carried out or signed off by a qualified electrician under Part P, in the same way this is handled across our wider refurbishment projects. Where a chimney breast removal or structural opening is part of the scope, a structural engineer provides the calculations Building Control requires before the steel or lintel goes in, and we coordinate that appointment as part of the project rather than leaving it for you to arrange separately.
How long does a bedroom or living room renovation take?
A light refresh, redecoration, new flooring and minor repairs with the existing layout retained, typically takes three to seven days depending on room size and how much drying time the flooring or paint needs between coats. A full renovation involving replastering, additional electrics and fitted storage usually runs two to three weeks, largely because plaster needs proper drying time before decoration and any first-fix electrical work needs to be signed off before the wall is closed up. Where a chimney breast removal is part of the project, add further time for the structural engineer's calculations and Building Control inspection stages, which happen at set points in the programme rather than all at once.
Getting a bedroom or living room renovation quote
A bedroom or living room renovation quote starts with a survey of the room's existing condition, checking the plaster, electrics and flooring before agreeing whether a light refresh or a full renovation is the right scope. Our property refurbishment London team prices flooring, replastering, storage and any structural or electrical items as separate, clearly itemised lines, so it's obvious what's driving the total. For the dedicated kitchen and bathroom pricing this guide deliberately doesn't cover, see our kitchen renovation cost guide and bathroom renovation cost guide.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to renovate a bedroom or living room in London?
A light refresh, redecoration, new flooring and minor repairs with the existing layout retained, typically costs £1,800 to £5,000 depending on room size. A full renovation involving replastering, additional electrics and fitted storage typically runs £6,000 to £15,000.
Why doesn't a room renovation cost the same per square metre as a full house refurbishment?
Full house refurbishment figures are a blended average that includes kitchen and bathroom costs, which typically absorb 30 to 40 percent of a whole-house budget. A bedroom or living room renovation doesn't carry those costs, so it typically prices out within, or below, the same per-square-metre bands used across a full refurbishment.
Is it worth removing a chimney breast as part of a bedroom or living room renovation?
It can be, particularly in a period property where it adds usable floor space or lets you fit storage flush to the wall either side of the recess. It always needs a structural engineer's calculation and Building Control sign-off, and typical cost bands are set out in our chimney breast removal cost guide.
Do I need an electrician for new sockets or a lighting circuit?
Yes. Adding sockets or a new lighting circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations and is carried out or signed off by a qualified electrician. It's worth planning this alongside any replastering, since chasing cables into a wall that's about to be skimmed is cheaper than opening up a finished wall later.
Should I keep original cornicing and picture rails in a period bedroom?
In most cases, yes, since these features are part of what gives a Victorian or Edwardian room its character and are expensive to reinstate convincingly if removed. Where a ceiling needs replastering, matching existing cornice or coving typically adds to the cost compared with a plain modern edge, but keeps the room consistent with the rest of the property.
Can sash windows be replaced as part of a living room renovation?
Sash windows are usually refurbished rather than replaced as part of a room renovation, since replacement can raise separate conservation area or listed building considerations that sit outside a straightforward internal renovation. It's worth raising this separately if window replacement is genuinely needed.
How long does a full bedroom or living room renovation take?
A light refresh typically takes three to seven days. A full renovation involving replastering, electrics and fitted storage usually runs two to three weeks, and longer again where a chimney breast removal and structural engineer's involvement are part of the scope.
Does this guide cover kitchen or bathroom renovation?
No. Kitchens and bathrooms have their own cost drivers, plumbing, tanking and specialist sanitaryware, and are covered separately in our kitchen renovation cost guide and bathroom renovation cost guide. This guide covers bedrooms and living rooms specifically.
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