What a renovation really costs in 2026

The question we hear most often is the simplest one: what does this cost? The honest answer starts with a range, not a figure. A home does not simply cost a price per square metre; it costs what the condition of the shell, the ambition of the design and the accessibility of the site together determine.

Three ranges

A cosmetic refresh typically falls between €600 and €1,100 per square metre. A substantial renovation renewing services, bathrooms and kitchen sits between €1,400 and €2,200. A shell-up approach with structural work, insulation and a new layout begins in practice around €2,400, rising above €3,500 for listed buildings.

The forgotten items

Permits, structural engineer, building physics, asbestos survey, temporary housing, storage and additional works. We routinely allow for ten to fifteen per cent contingency. Not because we are pessimistic, but because an old building only reveals itself once the first wall is opened up.

When you need to know this

Not after the purchase. An indicative renovation budget belongs at the viewing stage, not at the moment the keys are handed over. Any figures we mention before purchase are assumptions and indications, subject to technical survey and contractor quotations.