Contingency and sequencing for a £98,730 London villa renovation

J

jade_details

Property investor
Established
If the allowance for concealed work is too low, the £98,730 budget could fail before the visible renovation is complete. I am reviewing that preliminary figure for a 2,480 sq ft London villa, with no extension intended.

The planned work includes the kitchen and bathrooms, flooring, decorating, electrical investigation and some energy improvements. I am less concerned about finish selections than access to plumbing, moisture, the true electrical scope and materials that may have long lead times.

What level of contingency would be sensible before surveys and contractor quotations firm up those items? I would also value suggestions for questions that force contractors to identify exclusions, responsibility for opening up and making good, and any sequencing assumptions rather than leaving them hidden in the price.
 
At this early stage I’d carry roughly 15–20% rather than assume the room-by-room figures are firm. Ask every contractor to state what is excluded, what they have assumed about existing wiring and pipework, and whether lifting floors or opening walls is included. Also clarify who pays for making good after investigative work. Those gaps can matter more than the visible finishes.
 
Is the villa going to be occupied during the work, and are the kitchen and bathrooms staying in their current positions? Both answers affect sequencing and temporary facilities.

I’d also separate genuine contingency from provisional allowances. If electrical remedial work or concealed plumbing is merely an allowance, calling all of it “contingency” makes the base budget look more certain than it is.
 
I’m not convinced a larger percentage alone solves this. £98,730 is about £40 per sq ft, but the important issue is what that figure actually buys. “Moderate energy upgrades” and “electrical checks” are too broad for comparable tenders.

Confirm whether any walls, openings or service routes change despite there being no extension. Ask about moisture readings, access beneath floors, the condition and route of plumbing, waste removal, protection of retained areas, testing, and final making good. Approval timing also depends on the actual alterations and the property, so that should be clarified locally before fixing the programme.
 
A practical order would be: investigate moisture and accessible services first; define the electrical and plumbing outcomes; freeze kitchen and bathroom layouts; then obtain itemised tenders using the same scope. Require a list of exclusions and lead-time items with each tender.

The programme should show investigation and opening-up before dependent materials are ordered. Otherwise a hidden pipe or damp area can force redesign while paid-for items are already on the way.
 
One addition to my sequencing point: keep the contingency outside the contractor’s working budget. If the £98,730 is a hard ceiling, the designed scope needs to sit below it rather than relying on every allowance being unused.

I’d ask for prices showing three columns: fixed work, provisional items and exclusions. That makes it easier to compare tenders and decide whether the proposed contingency is genuinely available for hidden conditions.
 
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