In short: A professional or co-living HMO refurbishment creates a higher-specification shared home: ensuite bedrooms, well-designed shared kitchens and lounges, good sound insulation, and finishes aimed at working tenants. In Scottish Borders we survey first, price each item separately and hand over the certificates and photos a council asks for.
- Nation
- Scotland
- Pricing region
- Scotland
- Postcode areas
- TD, EH, ML
- Main towns
- Hawick
What do professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Scottish Borders involve?
- High-quality fire doors and finishes
- Kitchenettes in rooms where the layout allows
- Smart heating and lighting controls
- Sound insulation between rooms
- Ensuite to every room where space allows
- Designer communal kitchen and lounge
Which rules apply in Scottish Borders?
- Every HMO needs a council licence: 3 or more people who are not all from one or two families, sharing basic amenities. Licences last up to 3 years.
- Room sizes are set by each council; East Lothian, for example, uses 6.5 m² for a single room with a shared lounge and kitchen, and 10 m² without.
- Kitchen, WC and bathroom ratios come from council standards; one WC and one bath or shower per 5 people is a common figure.
- Councils set HMO fire standards through licence conditions, often including emergency lighting in larger HMOs.
- Building standards apply to new partitions and conversions, and councils may set expectations through licence conditions.
Scottish councils set their own HMO licence standards and planning policies. Every HMO needs a licence, so check the council’s standards before you design the layout.
How much do professional and co-living HMO refurbs cost in Scottish Borders?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full refurbishment per letting room, with a share of communal areas (excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £4,000 – £9,000 | £3,800 – £8,550 | letting room |
| Ensuite shower room added to a bedroom | £4,000 – £10,000 | £3,800 – £9,500 | ensuite |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £7,600 – £17,100 | kitchen |
| Acoustic upgrade to a party or partition wall | £900 – £2,000 | £860 – £1,900 | wall |
Typical time on site: 8–16 weeks. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.
Professional and co-living HMO refurbs by town in Scottish Borders
Questions about professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Scottish Borders
Do kitchenettes in rooms change the fire requirements?
Often, yes. Cooking in bedrooms usually means a heat detector in the room and a higher standard of fire separation. We plan it with the fire risk assessment and council standards.
Is co-living treated differently from an HMO?
If unrelated people share facilities, it is normally an HMO, whatever it is called. Larger schemes can also raise planning questions.
Do you carry out professional and co-living HMO refurbs across Scottish Borders?
Yes, across the whole of Scottish Borders, including Hawick.
Who licenses HMOs in Scottish Borders?
Scottish Borders council licenses HMOs in its area. Every HMO in Scotland needs a licence.
Other HMO services in Scottish Borders
- Ensuite installation in Scottish Borders
- Sound insulation in Scottish Borders
- Communal kitchen refits in Scottish Borders
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Scottish Borders
- Large HMO conversions (7+ sharers) in Scottish Borders
- EPC and energy upgrades in Scottish Borders
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Scottish Borders
- Escape routes, emergency lighting and fire stopping in Scottish Borders