Flat renovation as FTB: any advice welcome!

lb00

Hi everyone,

We’ve just purchased a flat in London and are gearing up for a renovation. I'd love to get some advice from those with experience in similar projects. Here’s what we’re planning:

1. Flooring: We'd like to remove the current flooring and replace it with wood-effect porcelain tiles. We’re also considering adding underfloor heating but are still undecided.

2. Bathrooms: Both bathrooms need a refresh, including new sanitary items and tiles.

3. Electrical sockets: We’re adding a few extra sockets. Is there anything specific we should consider in terms of placement or regulations?

4. Kitchen renovation: We’re planning a full kitchen overhaul. Any recommendations for a good-quality, budget-conscious remodel?

Our budget is around £40k. We’re not aiming for luxury, just a solid, quality renovation.

Initially, we thought about hiring individual tradespeople and managing the project ourselves, but due to time constraints, we’re leaning toward hiring a firm that handles everything. However, since our mother is an architect and we have a clear vision for the project, we plan to choose most of the materials ourselves. The project management would mainly be about executing what we have in mind.

For example, we’re thinking of importing tiles from Italy. Has anyone had experience with importing materials from europe? How does it work in terms of shipping and customs duties?

In general, what are the big DOs and DON’Ts during a renovation? This is our first home, and we’re new to the renovation process, so any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: I'll put here some additional information that was requested in many replies.

Flooring: it is possible to introduce hard flooring to rooms with the proviso that adequate acoustic insulation is provided beneath the new floor.
Flat is part of a 22-storey building. It's on the 13th floor. The block was previously offices and was reconverted to residential flats in 2002.
UFH: we liked the idea of UFH to be honest as it would also make the hard flooring warmer. And we're changing the flooring anyway so it would be a good timing.
Heating: The flat currently has quite old electric radiators (see picture). There is a Megaflo for hot water but no boiler.

FreeBear

Flooring - Check your lease. There may be restrictions on what you can put down. A hard flooring will be noisy to walk on. To install UFH, you will either need to dig out the existing floor, or put up with an increase in levels. To get the best out of UFH, you need a decent amount of insulation underneath.

Just don't fit electric UFH - Darned expensive to run, even more so at the current price of electricity.

Mark_d

Personally I would get a company to do kitchen & bathroom, then another company to do flooring, then an electrician to do your sockets.  If you try to do things yourself or get extra parties involved, such a procuring the flooring materials, you will get extra delays and problems and no one party takes full responsibility.

Emmia

Before you start any of that, check your lease in terms of whether you need to inform the freeholder via a management company, and if there are restrictions on what you can install.

We have hard flooring in most of the flat, installed by the previous owners and only spotted as a potential issue in the lease after we bought.

Thankfully it's well insulated (and sound travels very poorly through this building) so fortunately we've not had an issue with it - but if we did, we would need to rip it out, and put carpet down.

gwynlas

Ideally it would be good to know type of property and age of build is it purpose built mansion block, conversion or dock style new build apartment?

A good builder could handle everything for you using trades effeciently as needed.

I would want to see products before use and would not import tiles as you would probably need to overestimate to  allow for cutting etc.I have a good tiler locally who dry laid a run throug long hallway kitchen/diner and two bathrooms to avoid odd size cuts.

I like Karndean LVT flooring

With bathrooms visit high end showrooms and then source what you like elsewhere. It is cheaper to not move fittings if layout suits otherwise you have to be aware of soil stack etc. Please do not use P or L shaped baths I'm sure they will date quickly similarly with copper colour fittings.

Kitchens can cost a fortune but again visit a variety of outlets for layout and design tips.

FreeBear

Mark_d said:

Personally I would get a company to do kitchen & bathroom, then another company to do flooring, then an electrician to do your sockets.  If you try to do things yourself or get extra parties involved, such a procuring the flooring materials, you will get extra delays and problems and no one party takes full responsibility.

Electrical work needs to be done first, especially if walls need chasing.

Albermarle

 Flooring: We need to remove the current flooring and replace it with wood-effect porcelain tiles.

Maybe I am out of touch with current trends, but I struggle to imagine comfortably living in a flat where it was 100% porcelain tiles on the floor.  

Otherwise the description 'a London flat', needs to expanded on in terms of detail.

Emmia

Porcelain tiles are also likely to be cold underfoot (unless you install UFH) and unforgiving if anything is dropped on them. 

Personally if you want wood effect, I'd go with glue down LVT (Amtico or Karndean) or engineered wood.

Kiran

What floor is the flat on? What type if construction e.g. purpose built block, converted building etc? What is the heat source of the current flat?

lb00

Thank you all for your replies. 

@FreeBear
hard flooring allowed provided you put sound insulation (DitraMat should be fine). 
The flat currently has old electric radiators as in the pic I added to the first post. What would you then recommend heating-wise?
For electrics, given the flats were done in 2002 I don't expect any major problems with the current circuit but it would just be adding a few sockets here and there.

@Mark_d
Problem would be coordinating between all of them. What order would the works have to be carried out?
For the tiles, I'd save a fair lot importing them as I don't pay VAT in Italy but just here in the UK. And the delivery times would be roughly the same I see with the UK provider as they have to order them from there anyway. But I'll dig into LVT too. Thanks!

@gwynlas
It used to be offices but now it's all residential flats so it's essentially purpose built. Was renovated in 2002.
Can you recommend any showrooms in London? And any brands for the kitchens? Thanks!

@Kiran @Albermarle I've added that info at the end of the first post. Thanks!

Emmia

Karndean and Amtico will post you samples if you go on their websites. Karndean also has an app with a visualiser tool on iPhone.

Wouldn't the tiles also potentially attract other import fees?