Full HMO refurbishment across West Sussex

In short: A full HMO refurbishment brings a tired or non-compliant shared house back up to standard in one project: strip-out, repairs, new kitchens and bathrooms, fire safety, electrics, heating, decoration and flooring. Across West Sussex, the work is planned around England’s HMO rules and the standards the local council publishes.

Nation: England
Pricing region: South East
Postcode areas: RH, PO, BN, GU
Main towns: Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis, Littlehampton, Horsham

What does full HMO refurbishment in West Sussex involve?

Rewire or electrical upgrades
Strip-out and making good
Damp and mould repairs
Fire doors, detection and escape route upgrades
New or refitted kitchens and bathrooms
Heating and hot water upgrades

Which rules apply in West Sussex?

Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
National rules ask for an adequate number of bathrooms, WCs and basins and suitably located kitchens; numeric ratios are set by each council.
Smoke alarms on every storey with living accommodation and CO alarms by fixed combustion appliances (other than gas cookers) are required by law.
BS 7671, the wiring standard, calls for arc fault detection devices in HMOs on new socket circuits, such as rewires and consumer unit changes.
Councils can fine up to £7,000 where a Category 1 hazard is not removed when it reasonably could have been.

Councils in England can add additional licensing and Article 4 directions on top of the national rules. Check the council’s website for the exact address before you buy or start work.

How much does full HMO refurbishment cost in West Sussex?

Regional adjustment for South East. Planning budgets: see our prices page.
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	£4,500 – £10,100	letting room
Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges)	£8,000 – £18,000	£8,950 – £20,150	kitchen
Shared bathroom refit	£5,500 – £9,000	£6,150 – £10,100	bathroom
Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides)	£800 – £2,000	£900 – £2,250	house
Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house	£6,000 – £12,000	£6,700 – £13,450	house

Typical time on site: 4–12 weeks. For a figure for your house, try the guide-price tool.

Full HMO refurbishment by town in West Sussex

Questions about full HMO refurbishment in West Sussex

Do you provide certificates at the end?

Yes: electrical and fire alarm certificates, and building control completion where it applies.

Will you deal with the council’s list of works?

Yes. If you have a schedule of works or an improvement notice, we price against it item by item and give you evidence of completion.

Do you carry out full HMO refurbishment across West Sussex?

Yes, across the whole of West Sussex, including Crawley, Worthing, Bognor Regis.

Who licenses HMOs in West Sussex?

HMOs in West Sussex are licensed by the local council for the address. Where an area has several councils, each runs its own licensing and planning policies.