Prime Buildings & Developments
Renovated utility room with shaker units and stone floor in Northampton

Home Renovationsin NorthamptonComplete Refurbishments, Managed End to End

One team for the whole refurbishment, structure, layout, joinery and finishes, with clear stages and a founder who keeps you informed.

Service overview

What renovations involve

What it is

A renovation brings a whole home, or a large part of it, up to date. It can include structural alterations, layout changes, new kitchens, joinery and full redecoration, managed as one project.

Who it’s for

It is for Northampton homeowners who have bought a house that needs work, or whose home no longer suits how they live.

When you need it

Renovations make sense when several rooms need attention at once, when the layout doesn’t work, or before moving into a newly bought property.

Why it needs a professional

Renovations involve many trades in a set order. When they are managed separately, delays and gaps appear between them. One of our verified Checkatrade reviewers said Rick made suggestions about how the renovation might be best done and kept them informed every step of the way.

Get it wrong and it costs you

What happens when renovations are rushed or done cheaply

Trades out of sequence

Plastering before electrics or joinery before structural work leads to redoing work and paying twice.

Hidden problems

Older homes often reveal issues once opened up. An honest estimate plans for the real scope.

Endless timelines

Without defined stages, renovations drag on and costs creep.

Lack of communication

Not knowing what’s next is the most stressful part of any renovation.

Common mistakes homeowners make

  • Hiring separate trades without anyone coordinating them.
  • Starting finishes before layout and structural decisions are final.
  • Paying large sums before work is visible.

Our process

Five clear steps, start to handover

  1. 01

    Initial enquiry & consultation

    We talk through your requirements, plans, drawings or ideas, so we understand what you want the finished space to do.

  2. 02

    Survey & quantity surveyor estimate

    We assess the site, then a professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope. It is free for standard projects; on rare, unusually complex schemes a detailed estimate is £250 including VAT, and we tell you before any work on it starts.

  3. 03

    Pre-commencement

    Your start date is fixed and the work is scheduled. The first payment is due 72 hours before we start on site, not weeks in advance.

  4. 04

    Staged construction

    The work is delivered in 4 to 7 clearly defined physical stages, such as concrete footings, brickwork to roof plate, watertight roof and plasterboard complete. Each stage is invoiced only once you can see it done.

  5. 05

    Practical completion

    Final inspection, Building Control sign-off where applicable, handover, and a small remaining balance settled on completion.

Why homeowners choose Prime

What you get when we build your renovation

Honest pricing

We give estimates, not ‘fixed quotes’ that grow later. A quantity surveyor builds the figure from the real scope of your home.

You pay for what you can see

Between 4 and 7 stage payments, each tied to a visible milestone. You are never paying far ahead of the work.

One team, every trade

Groundworks, steel, brickwork, joinery and finishes are handled by one team, so nothing falls between separate contractors.

Structural work done to calculation

Steelwork follows engineer’s calculations, from our partner local structural engineering firm or your own engineer.

Cover if something goes wrong

£5,000,000 public liability insurance, employers’ liability for all on-site personnel, and an optional insurance-backed guarantee at 15% of the final project cost.

You always know what’s next

Rick stays in contact from the first visit to handover. Reviewers repeatedly mention clear day-to-day updates and tidy, considerate sites.

In detail

Renovations in Northampton: methods and options

We work on homes only, never commercial property, across Northampton and the surrounding Northamptonshire towns and villages.

Full house refurbishments

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We manage complete residential renovations from structural work through to finishes.

Layout reconfiguration

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Walls removed, moved or added to create a layout that works, including load-bearing knock-throughs to structural calculations.

Joinery and carpentry

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Rick moved into carpentry at 21. First and second fix joinery is carried out as part of the project.

Kitchens

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New kitchens fitted supply-and-fit or install-only as part of the renovation.

Staged delivery

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The work is divided into 4 to 7 defined stages, each invoiced only when visibly complete.

Related services

Areas we cover

Our work

Recent renovations projects

renovated dining area with wood burnerliving room renovation with stripped floorboardsrenovated utility room with fitted storageutility room renovation with shaker unitslog burner with oak beam mantelrenovated bay-window lounge with wooden floorwood burner and oak mantel installationrenovated fireplace with log burnerrenovated cloakroom WC
View building projects in Northamptonshire →

Before you start

Planning, regulations and living at home during renovations

How your estimate for renovations is put together

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We don’t publish package prices, because no two homes are the same: the age of the house, the ground it sits on, where the drains run, what is hidden in the walls and the finish you want all change the cost. Instead, after a site survey, a professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope of work. That means labour, materials, structural elements and the order of work are all accounted for before you agree anything. For most projects this estimate is free, because we pay for the quantity surveyor’s time. Only for unusually large or complex schemes is a detailed estimate charged, at £250 including VAT, and we always tell you before any work on it starts.

We use the word “estimate” deliberately. Existing homes often reveal things once they are opened up, and pretending otherwise with a “fixed price” usually means the number either hides gaps or carries a large margin for risk. When something does change, we talk about it openly with you and agree the way forward together before carrying on.

What a stage payment looks like

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Your project is divided into 4 to 7 milestones depending on its size and value. Typical examples are concrete footings complete, brickwork up to roof plate, roof covering watertight and plasterboard complete. Each milestone is something you can walk out and see for yourself. Only then is that stage invoiced. The first payment falls 72 hours before we start on site, and a small remaining balance is settled at practical completion and handover, so you are never paying far ahead of the work in front of you.

Planning permission and permitted development

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Planning permission is about what a building looks like and how it affects its surroundings. Some residential work can be carried out under permitted development rights without a full planning application, while other projects need approval from the local council. Rules differ for conservation areas, listed buildings and homes where permitted development rights have been removed by an earlier condition. If you already have approved plans, we build to them. If you don’t, we’ll talk through the options at your first consultation.

Building Regulations are separate from planning

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Even where planning permission isn’t needed, most structural and habitable work must meet Building Regulations. These cover structure, fire safety, insulation, ventilation and drainage. A Building Control inspector checks key stages, and on completion you receive the sign-off you’ll need when you come to sell or remortgage. Final inspection and Building Control sign-off, where applicable, are part of practical completion on every project we deliver.

The Party Wall Act

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If your work involves a wall shared with a neighbour, building on the boundary, or digging foundations close to a neighbour’s property, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 usually requires you to give them formal notice before work starts. It’s worth raising early, because notice periods need to run before that part of the work can begin.

Living at home while we work

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Most of our customers stay in their homes throughout. Work is planned in stages so you know what is happening each week, who will be on site and what part of the house will be affected next. Reviewers regularly mention clear day-to-day updates and clean, considerate sites, the things that make living alongside a build manageable.

Questions to ask any builder

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  • Who prepares the price, and what exactly does it include?
  • How much is due before work starts, and when are the stage payments?
  • What insurance do you hold, and is a guarantee available?
  • Who is my day-to-day contact, and how will I be kept updated?
  • Do you work to structural calculations and arrange Building Control?

We’re happy to answer every one of these before you commit. Read about Rick and the team, see verified reviews, or request your estimate.

Local to Northampton

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We’re based at The Beren, Blisworth Hill Business Park, just south of Northampton, and carry out renovations across the town and the surrounding villages, from Towcester, Roade and Bugbrooke to Moulton, Brixworth, Daventry and Wellingborough. Back to the homepage or browse all services.

FAQ

Renovations questions, answered

Can you manage the whole renovation?

Yes. We handle complete residential renovations, internal alterations and layout reconfigurations.

What if you find problems once work starts?

Changes often come up in older homes. We’ll talk openly about any challenges and agree the way forward together.

Do you do bathrooms?

One verified reviewer mentions we did their bathrooms; call Rick to discuss your renovation scope.

Can I live in the house?

Often, yes, depending on scope. We’ll plan this with you at survey stage.

How much will it cost?

Every home is different, so we don’t publish package prices. A professional quantity surveyor prepares your estimate from the real scope. For most projects that estimate is free; only for unusually large or complex schemes is a detailed estimate charged at £250 including VAT, and we’ll always tell you first.

Why an estimate rather than a fixed quote?

Changes often come up once work begins on an existing home. A QS-prepared estimate reflects the real scope, so you get an honest figure rather than a low number that grows later.

How do the payments work?

The first payment is due 72 hours before we start. You then pay in 4 to 7 stages, each invoiced only when that stage is visibly complete, with a small final balance at handover.

Is the work guaranteed?

An insurance-backed guarantee is available as an option, at 15% of the final project cost. We also hold £5,000,000 public liability insurance and employers’ liability insurance.

Do you take on emergency call-outs?

We carry out planned residential building projects rather than emergency call-outs. If you have a concern about your property, call Rick on 07704 675073 to talk it through.

Know the real cost of your renovation before you commit

Share the basics and Rick will call you to talk it through. Free QS-prepared estimate for most projects, no obligation.

FMB & Checkatrade members · £5M public liability · Pay only for stages you can see

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