--- title: "Full House Refurbishments Essex | Grays, Thurrock & Basildon | 1st Class" description: "Whole-house refurbishments across Essex — strip back, rewire, replumb, replaster, refit. One accountable team, fixed written quote. 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One accountable team, fixed written quote. Call 1st Class on 07576 567152.", "provider": { "@type": "LocalBusiness", "name": "1st Class Cladding & Building Ltd", "telephone": "01375 802765", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "57 Malvern Road", "addressLocality": "Grays", "postalCode": "RM17 5TH", "addressCountry": "GB" } }, "areaServed": [ "Grays", "Thurrock", "Basildon", "Billericay", "Rochford", "Romford", "Upminster", "Hornchurch", "Essex" ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How much does a full house refurbishment cost in Essex?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Cost scales with size, condition and finish — a basic three-bed cosmetic refresh is materially different from a full strip, rewire and structural opening-up. We give fixed written quotes after a site visit, itemised so you can see and adjust scope before signing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long does a refurbishment take?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "A single bathroom typically 7–14 days. A kitchen 2–4 weeks. A full three-bed house strip-and-refurbish generally 10–16 weeks depending on scope and any structural work." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can we live in the house during the refurbishment?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "For a single room, usually yes. For a full house strip we strongly recommend moving out — it's faster, safer and almost always cheaper than working around occupied rooms with continuous protection and phasing." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you handle the building control sign-off?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. We coordinate inspections at the correct stages — structural, rewires, gas, drainage — and hand you the completion paperwork. That paperwork is what your conveyancer asks for when you eventually sell." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you stand behind your refurbishment work?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — if something we built isn't right, we come back and put it right. Installed kits (kitchens, boilers, sanitaryware, flooring) are covered by the relevant manufacturer guarantees, and all paperwork is bundled and handed over on completion." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you supply the kitchen and bathroom suites or do we?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Either works. We can spec and supply through trade suppliers we trust, or fit suites you've bought yourself — we'll just want to see the specification before pricing labour so the fit cost is realistic." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do you handle changes mid-project?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Written variation orders. Anything you change gets quoted in writing before we proceed. No verbal extras that turn into invoice arguments at handover." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you take a large deposit?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "No. We work on stage payments against completed milestones, not large up-front deposits. You pay for work done, not work promised." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is the property covered while you're on site?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — we hold public liability insurance and we protect floors, fixtures and any rooms outside the works scope. Dust sheets every day, off-cuts skipped, doors and windows secured at end of every shift." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do you cover my postcode in Essex?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes — Grays, Thurrock, Basildon, Billericay, Rochford, Romford, Upminster, Hornchurch and across the RM and SS catchment. We're based on Malvern Road in Grays." } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Services", "item": "/services" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Refurbishments", "item": "/services/refurbishments" } ] } ] --- 57 Malvern Road, Grays RM17 5TH [1stclasscladding@gmail.com](mailto:1stclasscladding@gmail.com) Mon–Fri 9:00AM – 5:00PM · Sat 9:00 – 12:00 24-Hour Response · Essex [![1st Class Building & Cladding](/__l5e/assets-v1/da7878a8-c82a-4ac1-b267-5e8a371c31f2/1stclass-logo.png)](/) [Home](/) [About](/about) [Services](/services) [Service Areas](/service-areas) [Our Work](/our-work) [Contact](/contact) [01375 802765](tel:+441375802765) [Request Estimate](/contact) 1. [Home](/) 2. [Services](/services) 3. Refurbishments Refurbishments · Essex # Full Refurbishments, One Team, One Fixed Quote. Whole-house and room-by-room refurbishments across Grays, Thurrock, Basildon and Essex. Strip back, rewire, replumb, replaster, refit and decorate — one accountable team holding the programme together from first day to handover. [Request Free Estimate](/contact) [01375 802765](tel:+441375802765) 35+ Years On The Tools · Fixed Written Quotes · Same-Week Surveys Whole-house specialists Fixed written quote Dated programme Family-run, owner-led 35+ yrs experience Recent Projects ## Refurbishments — Recent Builds. ![Newly refurbished open-plan interior with rooflight, oak-effect flooring and white column radiator](/__l5e/assets-v1/35e69f73-88fb-4093-9732-48c1167602f2/upload-19.jpg) ![Full refurbishment kitchen-diner with white gloss cabinetry, herringbone flooring and French doors to garden](/__l5e/assets-v1/0fe7ed06-aba7-4a60-8fd9-86ca0edb13f8/upload-47.jpg) ![Refurbished rear bungalow with red brick, anthracite bifold doors and new tiled hipped roof in Essex](/__l5e/assets-v1/da088002-bf23-48d2-aa01-8f492cdeffd2/upload-45.jpg) ![Full rear refurbishment with yellow stock brick, white bifold doors, dormers and porcelain patio](/__l5e/assets-v1/0b8de0b9-fe55-4028-9d48-fcb3ab5acce4/upload-48.jpg) ![Side return refurbishment with smooth render, slate-tiled gable roof and hardwood door](/__l5e/assets-v1/d20077bf-e9eb-47c4-9577-88766bd79b13/upload-46.jpg) Service Overview ## Refurbishments — The Brief, In Plain English. ### What It Is A refurbishment strips a tired property back and rebuilds it as a modern, efficient, comfortable home. That can mean a single room or it can mean a full house — plaster off, floors up, full rewire, full replumb, new heating, new insulation, replaster, new kitchen, new bathrooms, new flooring, full decoration. Suitable for newly bought properties, inherited houses, BTL turnarounds and tired homes that need everything done in one coordinated programme rather than dragged out over five years of weekend DIY. ### Who It's For Essex buyers taking on a tired property pre-move-in, landlords turning around a property between tenancies or before sale, families finally tackling the kitchen, bathroom and floors in one programme rather than living through three separate disruptions, and homeowners with a clear vision who want a single accountable contractor delivering it. ### When You Need It Before you move in if at all possible — refurbishment around occupied rooms takes nearly twice as long and costs more because of phasing and protection. If you're already in, plan the work so you keep a working kitchen and at least one functional bathroom at all times, and ideally relocate for the messy weeks where the floors come up. ### Why It Matters Refurbishments go wrong when nobody owns the whole programme. The plasterer waits for the electrician, the electrician waits for the plumber, the kitchen fitter waits for the plasterer, and the homeowner becomes the unwilling project manager. A single accountable team with a dated programme on the wall holds it all together and absorbs the small problems that always come up. In Detail ## Refurbishments — Every Variation Covered. Materials, methods and the situations each variation applies to — so you know what you're buying before you buy it. Working across Grays · Thurrock · Basildon · Billericay · Rochford · Romford · Upminster [Full Service Area Map](/service-areas) ### Full House Refurbishments Strip back, structural alterations, full rewire, full replumb, new heating, insulation upgrades, replaster, kitchen, bathrooms, decoration and flooring. Suitable for newly bought tired properties, inherited houses, BTL conversions or homes that need bringing up to modern standards in one programme. ### Kitchen-Led Refurbishments Where the kitchen project pulls in adjacent rooms — opening up a wall into the dining room, structural beam install, replaster of affected rooms, electrical reroutes and full decoration around the new layout. Coordinated so the kitchen fitter walks into a square, plumb, fully serviced room. ### Bathroom-Led Refurbishments Where bathroom replacement triggers replumb, electrical certification, full tanking and tile of the wet area, underfloor heating, ventilation upgrade and decoration. Includes upgrading from old electric showers to proper combi or pressurised hot water where the system allows. ### Landlord & BTL Turnarounds Fast, durable refurbishments specced for the tenant market — hard-wearing finishes, easy-clean surfaces, EPC-conscious insulation upgrades. Programmed tight to minimise void weeks between tenancies. ### Period Property Sensitivity Sympathetic refurbishment of Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Essex — lime plaster where needed, breathable build-ups so old solid walls don't trap moisture, sash-window repair instead of unsympathetic replacement, original feature retention where it adds value. ### Energy & EPC Improvements Where refurbishment is the natural moment to fix the EPC — loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, modern combi or air-source heating, LED lighting throughout, double-glazed unit replacement. Documented for the next EPC assessor. Why It's Worth It ## What You Actually Get. ### One Phone Number Owner-led. Same number from quote to sign-off — no project-manager turnover halfway through your build. ### Programme On The Wall Dated milestones agreed up front. You can see exactly what trade is on site each week and what's happening next. ### Tanking & DPM Done Right Wet rooms properly tanked. Floors with proper damp-proof membrane. The unglamorous steps that stop your ceiling coming down next year. ### Building Control Handled Rewires, gas works, structural changes signed off and certificated — material when you remortgage or sell. ### Tidy Site, Every Day Floors covered, debris bagged, dust contained. You can still live in the rest of the house if the programme allows. ### Insurance-Grade Paperwork Receipts, certificates and a work we stand behind that your future buyer's surveyor can read. What Happens If You Wait ## The Cost Of Doing Nothing. Half-finished refurbishments cost more to rescue than to do once, properly. The damage compounds quickly — and the worst mistakes hide inside the wall. ### Risks Of Ignoring It - → Wet rooms tiled before proper tanking is installed — water tracks into the joists and the ceiling below comes down inside 18 months. - → Kitchen fitted before electrical certificate signed off — appliances on the wrong circuits, units pulled out to refix sockets. - → Plaster skim applied straight onto damp walls — pattern staining and blown plaster six months in. - → Cheap underlay, cheap insulation, cheap silicone bead — the cost is hidden until you live with the consequences. - → Boiler upgraded without flushing the system — sludge into the new heat exchanger, warranty void. - → No contract, no programme, no written variation procedure — verbal extras turn into invoice arguments at the end. ### Common Mistakes Customers Make - × Picking finishes before the structural programme is locked. - × Letting your kitchen supplier project-manage the building works. - × Paying large stage payments up front before any milestone is hit. - × Skipping the building control sign-off paperwork on rewires, gas works and structural changes. - × Trying to phase the work over six weekends instead of taking a continuous 8–10 week programme. Our Process ## First Call To Final Sign-Off. 01 ### Site Survey Walk the property, photograph every room, take measurements, note structural issues, damp signs and existing service routes, listen to how you want to live in the finished house. 02 ### Fixed Quote & Programme Itemised written quote and a dated programme with milestones — strip-out, first fix, plaster, second fix, finishes, sign-off — so you know what should be happening each week. 03 ### Strip-Out & First Fix Out with old plaster, floors and services. In with rewire, replumb, central heating, insulation, structural alterations and steel where needed. Building control inspected at correct stages. 04 ### Plaster & Second Fix Wall and ceiling plaster, screed where required, then kitchen, bathroom, doors, skirting, sockets, switches, radiators and electrical second-fix certification. 05 ### Decor & Sign-Off Paint, tile, floor coverings, snag list walked together, building control completion paperwork handed over with the keys and a work we stand behind. Questions ## Straight Answers. Cost, timeline, lifespan, lead times — the questions everyone asks, answered before you call. [Ask Yours](/contact) ### How much does a full house refurbishment cost in Essex? + Cost scales with size, condition and finish — a basic three-bed cosmetic refresh is materially different from a full strip, rewire and structural opening-up. We give fixed written quotes after a site visit, itemised so you can see and adjust scope before signing. ### How long does a refurbishment take? + A single bathroom typically 7–14 days. A kitchen 2–4 weeks. A full three-bed house strip-and-refurbish generally 10–16 weeks depending on scope and any structural work. ### Can we live in the house during the refurbishment? + For a single room, usually yes. For a full house strip we strongly recommend moving out — it's faster, safer and almost always cheaper than working around occupied rooms with continuous protection and phasing. ### Do you handle the building control sign-off? + Yes. We coordinate inspections at the correct stages — structural, rewires, gas, drainage — and hand you the completion paperwork. That paperwork is what your conveyancer asks for when you eventually sell. ### Do you stand behind your refurbishment work? + Yes — if something we built isn't right, we come back and put it right. Installed kits (kitchens, boilers, sanitaryware, flooring) are covered by the relevant manufacturer guarantees, and all paperwork is bundled and handed over on completion. ### Do you supply the kitchen and bathroom suites or do we? + Either works. We can spec and supply through trade suppliers we trust, or fit suites you've bought yourself — we'll just want to see the specification before pricing labour so the fit cost is realistic. ### How do you handle changes mid-project? + Written variation orders. Anything you change gets quoted in writing before we proceed. No verbal extras that turn into invoice arguments at handover. ### Do you take a large deposit? + No. We work on stage payments against completed milestones, not large up-front deposits. You pay for work done, not work promised. ### Is the property covered while you're on site? + Yes — we hold public liability insurance and we protect floors, fixtures and any rooms outside the works scope. Dust sheets every day, off-cuts skipped, doors and windows secured at end of every shift. ### Do you cover my postcode in Essex? + Yes — Grays, Thurrock, Basildon, Billericay, Rochford, Romford, Upminster, Hornchurch and across the RM and SS catchment. We're based on Malvern Road in Grays. Next Step ## Ready To Stop Living In A Building Site? Free site survey, fixed written quote inside 48 hours, no obligation. 35+ years on the tools, Grays-based. [Request Free Estimate](/contact) [01375 802765](tel:+441375802765) Listed on Checkatrade Family-Run, Owner-Led 35+ Years Experience Related Services [Refurbishments](/services/refurbishments) [Extensions](/services/extensions) [Loft Conversions](/services/loft-conversions) ![1st Class Building & Cladding](/__l5e/assets-v1/da7878a8-c82a-4ac1-b267-5e8a371c31f2/1stclass-logo.png) Family-run Essex builders with 35 years' combined hands-on experience. Extensions, refurbishments, loft conversions, luxury garden rooms and landscaping across Thurrock, Basildon, Romford and the wider Essex region. [01375 802765](tel:+441375802765)[1stclasscladding@gmail.com](mailto:1stclasscladding@gmail.com) 57 Malvern Road, Grays, RM17 5TH [](https://www.instagram.com/1st_class_building_ltd)[](https://www.facebook.com/share/1CpVA5G8ub/) [Listed on Checkatrade ](https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/1stclasscladdingandbuildinglimited "View our verified Checkatrade profile") ### EXPLORE - [Home](/) - [About](/about) - [Services](/services) - [Service Areas](/service-areas) - [Our Work](/our-work) - [Contact](/contact) ### SERVICES - [Extensions](/services/extensions "Extensions — Essex") - [Cladding](/services/cladding "Cladding — Essex") - [Luxury Garden Rooms](/services/luxury-garden-rooms "Luxury Garden Rooms — Essex") - [Refurbishments](/services/refurbishments "Refurbishments — Essex") - [Loft Conversions](/services/loft-conversions "Loft Conversions — Essex") - [Landscaping](/services/landscaping "Landscaping — Essex") - [New Build Homes](/services/new-build-homes "New Build Homes — Essex") - [Driveways & Patios](/services/driveways-patios "Driveways & Patios — Essex") - [Bathroom & Kitchen](/services/bathroom-kitchen-renovations "Bathroom & Kitchen — Essex") - [Structural Alterations & Repairs](/services/structural-repairs "Structural Alterations & Repairs — Essex") ### SERVICE AREAS - [Builders in Grays](/service-areas/grays "Builders in Grays") - [Builders in Thurrock](/service-areas/thurrock "Builders in Thurrock") - [Builders in Basildon](/service-areas/basildon "Builders in Basildon") - [Builders in Billericay](/service-areas/billericay "Builders in Billericay") - [Builders in Rochford](/service-areas/rochford "Builders in Rochford") - [Builders in Romford](/service-areas/romford "Builders in Romford") - [Builders in Upminster](/service-areas/upminster "Builders in Upminster") - [Builders in Hornchurch](/service-areas/hornchurch "Builders in Hornchurch") - [Builders in Essex](/service-areas/essex "Builders in Essex") © 2026 1st Class Cladding & Building Ltd. 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