A small HMO is a shared house for three to six unrelated people. In Thatcham, a town of about 25,000 people in Berkshire, the work is planned around the HMO rules for England and the council’s written HMO standards.
- Area
- Berkshire, England
- Postcodes
- RG18 and RG19
- Location
- 13 miles west of Reading
- Pricing region
- South East
What do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Thatcham involve?
- Fire doors to rooms off the escape route
- Electrical upgrades and certificate
- Room-by-room size check before any work starts
- Locks, door closers and thumb-turn locks on the exit route
- Kitchen enlarged or refitted for the number of sharers
Which rules apply in Thatcham?
The rules below are the England-wide position for this kind of work. Councils add their own standards and schemes on top, so we always check the address in Thatcham before we price.
- Mandatory HMO licence for 5 or more people in 2 or more households (since October 2018); councils can add additional licensing for smaller HMOs.
- Floor area under a ceiling lower than 1.5 m does not count towards the room size, and many councils set larger sizes.
- National rules ask for an adequate number of bathrooms, WCs and basins and suitably located kitchens; numeric ratios are set by each council.
- 3–6 unrelated sharers is use class C4; changing from a family house is usually permitted development unless an Article 4 direction applies.
How much do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Thatcham?
| Item | UK typical | Local guide | Per |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical 3–4 bed house to a 5–6 bed HMO, all-in | £30,000 – £75,000 | £33,600 – £84,000 | project |
| Conversion works per letting room (walls, linings, electrics, decoration; excludes kitchens, bathrooms and fire systems; our estimate) | £3,500 – £6,500 | £3,900 – £7,300 | letting room |
| 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 |
| FD30S fire door leaf into an existing frame, with seals, closer and hinges, fitted | £300 – £600 | £340 – £670 | door |
These are typical ranges including VAT, adjusted for South East, where costs run above the UK average. The fixed price for a house in Thatcham follows a site visit.
How long does it take?
Allow 4–10 weeks on site for a typical job. Drawings, approvals and long-lead items such as kitchens or fire door sets are booked before we start.
When do Thatcham landlords need it?
Landlords in Thatcham most often ask us for this when:
- A three or four-bedroom house you want to let to sharers
- An existing small HMO needs bringing up to date
Questions about small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) in Thatcham
Can I keep a lounge in a small HMO?
Yes, and many councils expect some shared living space where bedrooms are at the smaller end of the size range. We plan the layout so the house works for sharers and meets the local standard.
Do you cover all of Thatcham?
Yes. We work across Thatcham and the RG18 and RG19 postcode areas, plus the rest of Berkshire. Nearby places we also cover include Newbury, Basingstoke, Reading.
Where do I check the HMO rules for an address in Thatcham?
With the local council for the address. 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 do small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) cost in Thatcham?
Our guide ranges for South East are in the table on this page, and the guide-price tool gives a figure for your house. A fixed written quote follows a free site visit.
Small HMO conversions (3–6 sharers) near Thatcham
- Newbury · 3 mi
- Basingstoke · 12 mi
- Reading · 13 mi
- Didcot · 14 mi
- Lower Earley · 15 mi
- Andover · 17 mi
- All of Berkshire
Other HMO services in Thatcham
- House to HMO conversion in Thatcham
- Ensuite installation in Thatcham
- Fire alarm and detection systems in Thatcham
- Communal kitchen refits in Thatcham
- Fire doors in Thatcham
- Licence condition and schedule-of-works in Thatcham
- Layout changes and room reconfiguration in Thatcham
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Thatcham