Just Bought? Planning Your Post-Purchase Renovation
You have just completed on a new home and want to renovate. Here is the ideal timeline — what to do in week one, month one, and before the builders arrive.
Do not start ripping things out on day one
The urge to begin immediately is strong, especially if you bought the house specifically to renovate it. Resist it. Live in the house for at least two weeks before making any design decisions. You will notice things that did not show up on viewings: where the sun hits in the morning, which rooms are cold, where the draughts come from, how you actually move through the space. These observations will change your design brief. The kitchen you planned to put on the north wall might work better on the south wall once you have experienced the light.
The ideal post-purchase timeline
Week one: live in, observe, and make a list of problems. Week two to four: commission a design — at PlanBuild this starts at £250 and includes a site visit. Month two: structural engineer and building control application. Month two to three: get builder quotes (three minimum, all pricing the same drawings). Month three to four: appoint builder and agree start date. Month four to six: build. This timeline assumes a straightforward single-storey extension. If you need planning permission, add eight to twelve weeks for the application process. If you are doing a full renovation, allow six to nine months from purchase to completion.
Renovating with a mortgage
If you are financing the renovation, your options are: savings, a further advance on your mortgage, a secured home improvement loan, or an unsecured personal loan. Further advances are cheapest (mortgage rates) but slow — your lender needs a valuation and may take six to eight weeks to process. Some lenders offer specific renovation products. If you told your mortgage broker about renovation plans before purchasing, they may have already factored this in. Important: do not start structural work that affects the property's value or habitability before your renovation finance is confirmed and drawn down.
Quick wins while you wait for the main build
While designs are being drawn and approvals obtained, there is plenty you can do. Redecorate rooms that are not affected by the extension — no point painting a wall that is being knocked down. Replace boilers or heating systems before winter (a three to five day job that does not need planning). Fix any damp, drainage, or roof issues immediately — these get worse, never better. Upgrade insulation in the loft (a weekend DIY job that saves money from day one). These quick wins make the house liveable now and do not conflict with the larger project.
What to tell your neighbours
If your extension requires a party wall agreement (any work within 3m of a neighbour's boundary, or 6m if you are excavating deeper than their foundations), you are legally required to serve notice. But even if party wall does not apply, telling your neighbours early is practical and neighbourly. Show them the plans, explain the timeline, and give them your builder's contact details. In Dorset's tight-knit communities — Broadstone, Westbourne, Winton — good neighbour relations prevent complaints to the council that can delay your project.
Written by the PlanBuildCo team
9 years designing extensions and renovations in Poole, Dorset.
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