In September 2025, we began work on a 4-bedroom Victorian semi-detached house on a residential street in Highgate N6. The property had been in the same family for 40 years and had not been substantially renovated since the 1980s. Eighteen weeks later, the transformation was complete. This is the full account — what we found, what we did, what it cost, and what we learned.
What condition was the Highgate property in when we started?
The survey revealed the typical profile of a loved but unmodernised Victorian property. Original single-glazed sash windows throughout (draughty and inefficient, but structurally sound and worth restoring). A rear extension added in the 1970s with inadequate foundations and a flat felt roof at the end of its life. Plumbing that had been added incrementally over decades, with three different systems running in parallel. Original Victorian floorboards throughout the upper floors — in excellent condition under carpets that had been fitted directly on top. A bathroom that had last been updated in 1987. Electrics on an old ring main with no RCBO protection. No insulation in the walls or roof. The structure itself — the Victorian brickwork, the roof tiles, the timber frame — was in remarkable condition.
How we sequenced 18 weeks of work across 6 trades
The sequencing of a full refurbishment is where most projects go wrong. We began with structural work — underpinning the 1970s rear extension and installing a new timber flat roof with warm-roof specification. Then electrics and plumbing first-fix (all new systems, chased into walls before plastering). Plasterwork throughout — repairing original cornicing and dado rails rather than replacing them, which preserved the character of the rooms and saved significant cost. Then joinery: restoring the original sash windows (draught-proofed and double-glazed with slim-profile units), fitting period-appropriate internal doors. Kitchen and bathroom fit-out ran in parallel from week 12. Decorating and flooring in the final three weeks. The project ran one week over schedule due to extended lead times on bespoke kitchen joinery — a supply chain issue we see regularly in 2025–26.
What did the full refurbishment cost in Highgate N6?
The total project cost was £285,000 including VAT, covering all structural works, M&E replacement, kitchen, bathrooms (4), decorating, flooring, and landscaping to the rear garden. This breaks down to approximately £71,000 per bedroom — at the upper end of what we see for full refurbishments in N6, reflecting the M&E replacement, the structural rear extension work, and the high-specification kitchen. The same scope in NW3 would have been approximately 20% higher due to Camden conservation area compliance costs and higher subcontractor day rates. Haringey LBC's planning process (for the rear extension replacement) was straightforward by comparison — decision in 9 weeks, no revisions required.
Three things we would do differently on the next Highgate refurbishment
First: order bespoke joinery elements before the structural phase starts, not after. Kitchen lead times of 14–18 weeks are now normal for quality makers and they sit on the critical path. Second: commission a full asbestos survey before any opening-up works, not just the statutory sampling. We encountered artex containing chrysotile in two ceilings that had to be removed and disposed of correctly, adding cost and programme time. Third: factor Haringey's party wall notification timeline into the programme from the start. Our neighbours were entirely cooperative, but the statutory 14-day notice period and surveyor appointment added 3 weeks to the pre-commencement timeline.
About the author
Ross Duncan — Director, Hampstead On Demand
Ross Duncan has managed residential renovation projects in NW London for over 12 years, specialising in conservation area and period property work across Camden and Barnet.