Renovation and joinery in New Town, Edinburgh
We renovate listed Georgian flats and townhouses across the New Town, from single bathrooms to complete refurbishments. Almost every property here sits in a conservation area and most are listed, so the consent position is established before any scope is priced.
What the housing stock means for the work
The New Town is Georgian, planned, and largely listed: ashlar stone facades, tall sash-and-case windows in deep reveals, lath and plaster ceilings with enriched cornice, panelled shutters and original pine floors under later coverings. Ceiling heights of three metres and more change how a job is priced, because access equipment and plaster repair are on a different scale from a standard flat.
Many buildings were subdivided into flats long after they were built, so services run through cupboards and closes in ways no drawing records. We survey first, expose selectively, and set the scope against what is actually there rather than an assumed layout.
- Enriched cornice and ceiling rose repair rather than replacement
- Sash-and-case overhaul, draught-proofing and discreet secondary glazing
- Breathable finishes on solid stone walls so moisture is not trapped
- Original shutters and panelled doors stripped, repaired and rehung
- Basement and garden-level damp and ventilation detailing
Constraints you should expect in the New Town
Listed building consent is the first question, not the last. Anything affecting windows, external doors, the close, or protected internal features is likely to need consent from the City of Edinburgh Council, and consent timescales sit outside the construction programme. We tell you at survey stage which route your job takes.
Practical access is the second. Stairs with no lift, controlled parking zones across most streets, and shared stair rules on working hours all shape the delivery plan. We arrange permits and deliveries around them, and agree waste removal in advance so nothing sits in a common stair.
- Listed building and conservation area consent identified before pricing
- Controlled parking zone permits for deliveries and skips
- Stair protection and agreed working hours in shared closes
- Factor and neighbour notification for common elements
What New Town clients ask us for most
The common instructions here are full flat refurbishments before a move, bathroom and en suite installations that respect the room proportions, and bespoke joinery built to fit walls that are nowhere near square. Kitchens are frequently a planning problem, because the best room is often the one with the least practical drainage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need listed building consent for internal work in a New Town flat?
Often yes. In a listed building, consent can be required for internal alterations that affect character, including removing or altering cornice, shutters, panelled doors, original staircases or chimneypieces, as well as any change to windows or external doors. Like-for-like repair and redecoration generally does not. We establish the position with the council before the scope is fixed so the programme is not stopped halfway.
Can I replace the sash windows in a New Town property?
Replacement with modern frames is very rarely acceptable here. The workable route is overhaul: repair the cills and beads, splice out rot, renew cords and weights, draught-proof the whole unit and add slim secondary glazing where warmth and noise matter. That usually performs well enough for daily comfort while keeping the consent position clean.
How do you handle parking and deliveries in the New Town?
Every street we work in is inside a controlled parking zone, so we apply for the relevant suspension or permits before mobilising and book material deliveries to timed slots. Larger items are craned or hand-balled up the stair with protection laid, and waste leaves the site the day it is created rather than accumulating in the close.
How long does a full New Town flat refurbishment take?
For a two or three bedroom flat with new bathroom, kitchen, rewiring, plaster repair and decoration, expect eight to fourteen weeks on site, with plaster and cornice repair usually the longest single item. Consent applications, where needed, run before that period rather than inside it.
Planning work in the New Town?
Send us the property and the outcome you want. We will survey, confirm the consent position and price it as one fixed scope.