A student HMO refurbishment upgrades a shared house let to students, using hard-wearing finishes and planned around the academic year so the work is finished before the next tenancy starts. Braintree is 29 miles south-east of Cambridge. We price student HMO refurbishment there against England’s HMO rules and the council’s written HMO standards, so work is planned to the standard an inspection looks for.
- Area
- Essex, England
- Postcodes
- CM7 and CM77
- Location
- 29 miles south-east of Cambridge
- Pricing region
- East of England
What does student HMO refurbishment in Braintree involve?
- Extra bathroom or ensuites
- Summer works programme agreed in spring
- Broadband and electrics upgrades
- Study space and sockets in every room
- Hard-wearing kitchens and worktops
Which rules apply in Braintree?
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 Braintree before we price.
- Under the Renters’ Rights Act, civil penalties reach £40,000 for offences such as running an unlicensed HMO.
- National rules ask for an adequate number of bathrooms, WCs and basins and suitably located kitchens; numeric ratios are set by each council.
- The Fire Safety Order 2005 applies to the common parts of HMOs, enforced by the fire and rescue authority.
- BS 7671, the wiring standard, calls for arc fault detection devices in HMOs on new socket circuits, such as rewires and consumer unit changes.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Braintree?
| 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 | £4,250 – £9,550 | letting room |
| Communal HMO kitchen with extra cooking and sink capacity (our estimate from domestic ranges) | £8,000 – £18,000 | £8,500 – £19,100 | kitchen |
| Shared bathroom refit | £5,500 – £9,000 | £5,850 – £9,550 | bathroom |
| Interlinked mains alarm system (Grade D type), small HMO (our estimate from installer guides) | £800 – £2,000 | £850 – £2,100 | house |
| Full rewire, 4–5 bedroom house | £6,000 – £12,000 | £6,350 – £12,700 | house |
These are typical ranges including VAT, adjusted for East of England, where costs run above the UK average. The fixed price for a house in Braintree follows a site visit.
How long does it take?
Typical time on site: 2–8 weeks over summer. We agree the programme with you before starting and send photo updates as the work progresses.
When do Braintree landlords need it?
Typical reasons for this work in Braintree:
- The summer gap between tenancies
- Houses let to students on yearly tenancies
Questions about student HMO refurbishment in Braintree
When should I book a summer student refurbishment?
By spring if you can. The window between tenancies is short and contractors in university towns book up quickly.
Do you cover all of Braintree?
Yes. We work across Braintree and the CM7 and CM77 postcode areas, plus the rest of Essex. Nearby places we also cover include Witham, Chelmsford, Maldon.
Does a shared house in Braintree need an HMO licence?
In England, a mandatory licence is needed for 5 or more people from 2 or more households. Smaller HMOs can need a licence where the council runs additional licensing, which is common in towns with many shared houses. Check the council’s website for the address.
How much does student HMO refurbishment cost in Braintree?
Our guide ranges for East of England 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.
Student HMO refurbishment near Braintree
- Witham · 7 mi
- Chelmsford · 10 mi
- Maldon · 11 mi
- Sudbury · 13 mi
- Haverhill · 15 mi
- Colchester · 15 mi
- All of Essex
Other HMO services in Braintree
- Void and between-tenancy refurbs in Braintree
- Communal kitchen refits in Braintree
- Ensuite installation in Braintree
- HMO fire safety upgrades in Braintree
- Bedroom upgrades and room refits in Braintree
- Full HMO refurbishment in Braintree
- Licence condition and schedule-of-works in Braintree
- Professional and co-living HMO refurbs in Braintree