Renovation budget for an 810 sq ft condo in Manchester

[bakesAndView]

I want to settle the sequence before committing to finishes, but hidden work and approval timing are making the budget uncertain. The current allowance is £183,300 for an 810 sq ft Manchester condo, covering the kitchen, bathrooms, floors, decoration, electrical checks and moderate energy improvements. No extension is intended.

What contingency would be sensible before anything is opened up? I also need a useful set of questions for the surveyor and contractors about wiring, plumbing access, moisture, making good and explicit exclusions from their prices. If permissions or access dates remain uncertain, I will delay material orders; if those are confirmed, I can place them against an agreed programme.

 

[miro_ash]

I’d initially model a 15% contingency, but keep it outside the contractor’s quoted total rather than letting it disappear into general pricing. Ask for explicit assumptions on consumer-unit or wiring work, isolation and access for plumbing, substrate repairs beneath flooring, moisture investigation, waste removal and making good. Also clarify what happens if opening up reveals structural work, even though none is planned.

 

[esme_zane]

I wouldn’t choose the contingency percentage until you establish the building constraints. Is the contractor pricing vacant possession, unrestricted access and normal working hours? Has anyone confirmed what approvals are needed and how long they may take?

Also request a programme showing bathrooms, kitchen, electrical work, drying time, flooring and decorating in sequence. A large contingency helps with discoveries, but it does not fix lead-time or permit delays. Compare quotes by exclusions and programme assumptions, not just the bottom line.