A listed renovation begins with a boundary: what is being kept, what is being repaired and what the approved proposal allows to change. That boundary matters to the construction price as much as the choice of kitchen or flooring.
Sweet Homes carries out the building work as contractor. You appoint the architect, structural engineer and building-warrant route where the proposal needs them.
Listed building consent, planning permission and a building warrant answer different questions. A project may need more than one of them. The appointed professional establishes the application route and produces the information needed for it; Sweet Homes does not act as the architect or approval lead.
For the build, we need the listing, drawings, specifications and consent conditions that apply to the proposed work. They show which fabric stays, where new work meets old work and which details cannot be decided on site.
The quotation can then identify the construction scope, its assumptions and any specialist work that sits outside it.
These bands were already public. They are indicative 2026 homeowner totals including VAT at the current 20% standard rate; the underlying plus-VAT bands are retained in brackets.
| Typical scope | Homeowner total, including VAT (underlying band plus VAT) |
|---|---|
| Sympathetic listed-flat refresh with the existing layout and defined fabric repairs | £48,000–£84,000 including VAT (£40,000–£70,000 plus VAT) |
| Heritage refit with service upgrades, layout work and specialist joinery | £84,000–£144,000 including VAT (£70,000–£120,000 plus VAT) |
| Structural townhouse project, extension or extensive heritage reinstatement | £144,000–£300,000+ including VAT (£120,000–£250,000+ plus VAT) |
The approved repair method, condition of the retained fabric, access, structural work and extent of joinery move a project within or beyond a band. The ranges are not quotations and do not include every professional or statutory fee.
Drawings record the proposed work, but they cannot make every concealed condition visible. Earlier alterations, damaged timber or a different wall build-up may appear only after work starts.
If a discovery affects the approved proposal or structural information, the affected work pauses. The relevant appointed professional decides what information or approval is needed before that part continues. Any construction change is then dealt with under the project contract.
Sweet Homes appoints the electrician and gas engineer for work inside its construction scope, with certification through those trades. The wider design and statutory route remain with the client’s appointed professionals.
An asbestos surveyor or building surveyor is considered at the initial conversation, according to the building and proposed work.
Not every old building is listed. Where the property is period but carries no listing, period property renovation is the page that applies and the consent route is shorter. Structural alterations covers the openings and load paths inside a traditional building, and bespoke joinery covers the made-to-measure work that matches or replaces what is already there.
We supply and fit every job. We do not offer labour-only work and we do not offer fit-only work, because one firm owning both the materials and the workmanship gives you one clear line of responsibility. The whole sequence, from first call to handover, is set out on how we work.
Do I need listed building consent, planning permission or a building warrant?
Possibly more than one of them. They answer different questions and are applied for separately. The professional you appoint establishes the application route and produces the information it needs. Sweet Homes does not act as the architect or the approval lead.
How much does renovating a listed building cost?
The bands published above run from £48,000 including VAT (£40,000 plus VAT) for a sympathetic flat refresh keeping the existing layout, to £144,000 and beyond for a structural townhouse project or extensive heritage reinstatement. The approved repair method, the condition of the retained fabric, access and the extent of joinery move a project within or beyond a band. The bands do not include every professional or statutory fee.
Can original features be kept?
That is decided by the consent and the specification rather than on site. We need the listing, the drawings, the specifications and the consent conditions that apply, because they show which fabric stays, where new work meets old work and which details cannot be settled by the trades on the day.
Will you apply for consent on our behalf?
No. The appointed professional leads the applications. Once consent and the supporting information exist, our quotation identifies the construction scope, its assumptions and any specialist work sitting outside it.
How soon can the work start?
We do not book works within four weeks of a first enquiry. That period covers the call, the survey, the written quotation, your decision and the ordering that has to happen before trades arrive. If something needs attention sooner than that, say so on the call and we will point you to the right emergency trade for the immediate problem while the planned work is scheduled properly.
What happens after we enquire?
We reply by email. If the project looks like a fit we ask for the property details, any drawings or approval information and a few photographs, then arrange a twenty-minute call to work through the brief. A site visit follows the call, and the written quotation follows the visit. Send a couple of windows that suit for the call and we will hold the time.
Why do you not offer labour-only work, or fit materials we buy ourselves?
No. We supply and fit every job, whatever its size. We do not offer labour-only work and we do not offer fit-only work. When one firm buys the materials and carries out the work, you have one clear line of responsibility if something goes wrong, rather than an argument between the product and the fitting. If you have already chosen products, send the product codes and we will buy those exact items and include them in the quotation.
Send the address, the category of listing if you know it and what you are hoping to change. Our team replies by email and arranges a short call to talk through consent, the professionals you will need to appoint and what we can price as contractor, before any site visit is booked.
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Project responsibility
Brunon oversees project programmes across Edinburgh and is typically available by phone or email. The staff assigned to your job handle the day-to-day site work independently within the agreed scope, with the responsible contact confirmed before work starts.
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