Property Refurbishment in Merton, London

Merton is part of our regular South West London coverage, so once we've surveyed the property we can usually confirm a start date quickly. Send the address and scope and we'll arrange the next step.

Yes. Merton falls within the area Lian Construction serves across Greater London.

A refurbishment quote usually covers labour, materials, waste removal and site protection for the agreed scope of work. It typically excludes items you choose separately, such as sanitaryware, kitchen units, flooring and light fittings, unless we've agreed to source them for you. Structural engineer's fees, Building Control fees and party wall surveyor costs, where they apply, are usually itemised separately too, since they depend on the scope of structural work rather than the size of the property. We usually structure payment against stages of completed work rather than a single sum upfront, so you're only paying for work that's actually been done, and any variations agreed along the way are added as separate, itemised lines rather than folded quietly into the final invoice. It's worth asking any contractor for a written breakdown before committing, not just a total figure, so you can compare quotes properly and understand what happens if the scope needs to change once work is underway.

Yes. Ex-council and purpose-built flats have their own constraints, such as concrete floors that limit where cables and pipes can be chased in, freeholder or managing agent permissions for certain works, and lift access or waste carry-distance that affects programme and cost. We factor these in at survey stage, and where the block has specific rules about noisy work hours or waste disposal, we work within them rather than treating the flat like a standalone house. Many blocks also require a refundable deposit or a method statement before work starts, and if there's a lift, we'll usually need to book protection for it in advance to avoid damage during the noisiest phases of strip-out and delivery.

We stop and explain what we've found before doing any additional work, with photos and a price for dealing with it. This is common in older London properties, where damp, timber decay or outdated wiring can be hidden behind sound-looking plaster until the strip-out reveals it. You decide whether to proceed, and the additional work is agreed and priced separately rather than being folded into the original quote without your knowledge. This isn't rare in older properties specifically, which is part of why we recommend budgeting a contingency rather than treating the initial quote as an absolute ceiling once the strip-out is underway. Where possible, we'll also explain the options rather than presenting a single fix, since there's sometimes more than one reasonable way to deal with an unexpected issue depending on your budget and how long you're planning to stay in the property.

Some disturbance from noise and vibration is unavoidable during structural work, demolition and drilling, particularly in a mid-terrace where walls are shared. We keep noisy work within reasonable hours, and where a party wall award is in place it usually sets out working hours and notice requirements as well. Letting neighbours know in advance what to expect, and roughly how long the noisy phase will last, generally avoids most complaints before they start. If the property is a flat within a managing agent's remit, it's worth checking their permitted working hours too, since these are sometimes stricter than standard practice and can affect how the noisier phases of the programme are scheduled. A brief note through neighbouring letterboxes before work starts, setting out roughly what to expect and who to contact with concerns, tends to go a long way even where it isn't formally required, and most neighbours are far more understanding when they've had a heads-up than when they're caught by surprise on a Monday morning.