Property Repairs & Refurbishment in Kensington (W8)

Kensington covers a lot of ground — from Kensington High Street and the streets around Kensington Church Street in W8, to South Kensington in SW7, and towards Olympia in W14. The homes vary, but most share the same things: old buildings, careful rules and limited space outside.

This page explains what that means for a repair or refurbishment, and what to check before work starts.

What the buildings are like

Victorian terraces and villas. Stucco and brick houses, many now split into flats, some still whole houses. The services in these buildings have usually been changed many times.

Mansion blocks. Kensington has a lot of red-brick mansion blocks. They come with porters, lifts, shared risers and a lease that has plenty to say about what you can change.

Mews houses. Small, narrow homes behind the main streets, often with little room to store materials and awkward stairs.

Garden squares. Many streets face private garden squares, which are a big part of why the area looks the way it does.

The council and the rules

Kensington is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Much of the area is in conservation areas, and many buildings are listed. In a conservation area, changes to the outside — windows, railings, roofs and anything visible from the street — are more tightly controlled. If the building is listed, consent may be needed for inside work too, including original plasterwork, joinery and fireplaces. Our guides to conservation area rules and listed building consent cover the basics.

The council also has its own detailed rules on basement work. If anything you plan goes below ground, check with the council before you design it. In every case, what applies to your address is for the council to confirm.

Mansion block life

If you live in a mansion block, the building's rules matter as much as the council's. Expect contractors to sign in with the porter, a lift to book and protect, set working hours and limits on noise. Our guide to porter access for works explains how to plan around this.

Most leases need the freeholder's consent — a licence to alter — for things like moving a bathroom, changing a waste pipe or laying a hard floor. See licence to alter in a mansion block and floor noise rules. Where the block itself carries out major works and passes the cost to leaseholders, Section 20 consultation usually applies — see our Section 20 guide.

Shared pipes are a common source of trouble in these blocks. When a leak comes from a riser or a neighbour's flat, the building's managing agent needs to be involved early. Our guide to shared riser plumbing explains who usually looks after what.

Access and parking

Parking is controlled and loading space is tight, especially on the busier streets and in the mews. Deliveries need to be timed, and waste often leaves in small loads rather than a skip. Our guide to parking and permits for trades covers the practical side.

The jobs that come up most

Leaks and plumbing in old and shared pipework — see plumbing and leak detection. Electrics in older installations — all electrical work in homes falls under Part P and should meet BS 7671; see our electrical page and our guide to rewiring a period property. Bathrooms, where the existing waste and the lease usually decide the layout — see bathroom refurbishment. Floors — see wood flooring, but check your lease first. And whole-flat projects — see refurbishment.

If you let a flat, you need an EICR at least every five years and an annual gas safety check where there is gas. Landlords and agents with several properties may find planned maintenance the simplest way to stay on top of it.

Before you book anyone

• Is the building listed, or in a conservation area?
• Does your lease need a licence to alter for this work?
• Who controls access — a porter, a managing agent — and what notice do they need?
• What are the building's working hours and noise rules?
• Is the pipe or cable shared, or just yours?
• Is the quote agreed against a written scope?

How we work in Kensington

A free quote against a written scope, agreed before any work starts, and one point of contact who deals with the porter, the managing agent and the timing. Where the building needs it, we look before we price, so the quote is based on what is really there.

Nearby, we cover Notting Hill and Bayswater. See all areas we cover, or send us the job.