In short: a typical HMO conversion of a three or four-bedroom house runs into tens of thousands of pounds; most of the cost is in fire safety, extra bathrooms or ensuites, the kitchen, electrics and any layout changes. The ranges below are rounded UK budget figures for planning.
Conversions and refurbishments
| Item | Typical UK range | Per |
|---|
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | letting room |
| Full refurbishment per letting room, with a share of communal areas (excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £4,000 – £9,000 | letting room |
| Between-tenancy turnaround per room: repairs, redecoration, flooring (our estimate) | £600 – £1,800 | room |
| Bedroom upgrade: fitted storage, desk, sockets, flooring, decoration (our estimate) | £1,500 – £4,500 | room |
Kitchens and bathrooms
| Item | Typical UK range | Per |
|---|
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | ensuite |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | kitchen |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | bathroom |
Fire safety
| Item | Typical UK range | Per |
|---|
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | house |
| Panel alarm system (Grade A type), larger HMO | £1,750 – £4,500 | house |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | door |
| Protected route upgrades: fire-resisting linings, fire stopping, lighting (three-storey house, our estimate) | £2,000 – £6,000 | house |
| Emergency light fitting, installed (our estimate) | £150 – £350 | fitting |
Compliance works
| Item | Typical UK range | Per |
|---|
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | house |
| EICR, 5+ bedroom house | £150 – £400 | inspection |
| Consumer unit upgrade with RCBOs and AFDDs | £700 – £1,400 | house |
| Acoustic upgrade to a party or partition wall | £900 – £2,000 | wall |
| Acoustic ceiling or floor upgrade, 12–15 m² | £800 – £2,700 | room |
| Loft insulation, whole house | £650 – £1,250 | house |
| Internal wall insulation | £60 – £100 | m² of wall |
| Damp repair, from a single wall to a whole house | £600 – £4,000 | job |
| Typical allowance for minor amenity and repair items on a council list (our estimate) | £1,500 – £5,000 | house |
Extra rooms
| Item | Typical UK range | Per |
|---|
| Dormer loft conversion, about 30 m² | £40,000 – £60,000 | project |
| Single-storey extension, about 15 m² | £35,000 – £60,000 | project |
| New stud wall and door forming a room, per room (our estimate) | £1,500 – £3,500 | room formed |
Do prices vary by region?
Yes. Local pages apply our own approximate adjustment to the UK ranges, reflecting typical differences in labour and materials costs:
| Region | Adjustment |
|---|
| London | +28% |
| South East | +12% |
| East of England | +6% |
| South West | +4% |
| West Midlands | +0% |
| East Midlands | -3% |
| North West | -4% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | -5% |
| Scotland | -5% |
| Wales | -6% |
| North East | -8% |
| Northern Ireland | -10% |
What makes a job cost more or less?
- Condition: a tired house needs repairs before anything else.
- Layout: moving walls, kitchens or stairs adds structure, drawings and approvals.
- Storeys: three-storey houses usually need a more extensive fire alarm and a protected route.
- Ensuites and drainage: pumped drainage and long waste runs cost more.
- The council’s standards: kitchen and bathroom ratios set how much needs adding.
- Finish level: professional and co-living HMOs use higher-specification finishes.
Where do these figures come from?
Ranges are drawn from published 2025–2026 UK cost guides and rounded; items marked “our estimate” have no single published source. Some guides include VAT and some do not say, so treat these as planning budgets and check the VAT line on your written quote. Energy-saving materials such as insulation can be zero-rated until 31 March 2027 where conditions are met. They are typical figures, not quotes.
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