Builders in Tower Hamlets
Flat refurbishments, period house extensions and landlord works across Bow, Bethnal Green, Mile End, Poplar, Whitechapel and the Isle of Dogs. Twenty minutes west of our East Ham office.
A borough of flats
Tower Hamlets is unusual for East London: most of the housing is flats rather than houses, from Victorian conversions in Bow and Bethnal Green to ex-council blocks and the newer towers on the Isle of Dogs. That changes the work. Extensions are rarer; refurbishments, layout changes and landlord compliance are the bulk of what we do here.
- Full flat refurbishments — rewire, replumb, new kitchen and bathroom — often for buy-to-let owners and for buyers of ex-local-authority flats.
- Layout changes in period conversions, where moving a kitchen or opening up two rooms needs a structural check.
- Rear extensions on the Victorian terraces that do exist, particularly around Bow, Victoria Park and Mile End.
- Landlord and HMO works under the borough's licensing schemes.
Working in flats: leases, access and neighbours
Most flat refurbishments need the freeholder's consent for anything beyond decoration, and structural changes almost always do. Working hours are usually restricted by the lease, and in a block you are managing deliveries through a shared entrance and noise through a shared wall. We have done enough of these to plan around it: we help you with the consent application, agree working hours with the managing agent, and protect the common parts properly.
Ex-council flats
A large amount of the borough is ex-local-authority stock, and it refurbishes well: the construction is solid and the rooms are generous. The things to budget for are the electrics, which are frequently original, and asbestos, which is common in floor tiles, textured coatings and pipe lagging from that era. We arrange the survey before strip-out rather than finding it halfway through.
Postcodes we cover
E1 WhitechapelE2 Bethnal GreenE3 Bow & Mile EndE14 Poplar & Isle of Dogs
Just outside the borough? We also work in Newham and Hackney.
Questions from Tower Hamlets customers
Do you work in flats as well as houses?
Yes, and in Tower Hamlets that is most of our work. We handle freeholder consent, managing agent liaison and the practicalities of working in a block.
How much does a flat refurbishment cost?
A one-bedroom flat with a rewire, new kitchen and bathroom usually runs £30,000 to £42,000, and a two-bedroom £38,000 to £55,000. Ex-council flats tend to sit towards the lower end because the construction is consistent.
Can you check for asbestos?
We arrange a refurbishment and demolition survey by a licensed surveyor before any strip-out in a property built before 2000. It is a legal requirement and it protects everyone on site.
Do you need the freeholder's permission?
For structural changes, moving services or anything affecting the building's fabric, yes. We prepare the drawings and method statement the freeholder will ask for.
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