What is the best time of year to renovate?
Start groundwork and external work in spring or early summer so the building is weathertight before winter. Internal-only work — kitchens, bathrooms, decoration — can run at any time of year and is often easier to book in autumn and winter when builders have more availability.
The weather-sensitive stages are foundations, brickwork and roofing. London clay is difficult to excavate in prolonged wet weather, mortar does not cure below about 5°C, and roofing in high winds is unsafe. Starting an extension in March or April means the shell is closed in before the autumn, and the remaining work happens under cover.
The worst sequencing is starting groundwork in October. You risk the excavation standing open through the wettest months, and delays at that stage cascade through the whole programme. If a project can only start in late autumn, it is usually better to spend the winter on design, planning and party wall notices and begin on site in spring — the finish date is often no later.
For internal-only projects the reverse can apply. Autumn and winter are quieter for many builders, so availability is better and programmes are more reliable. A kitchen or bathroom renovation booked for January will often start sooner and run smoother than the same job booked for June, and the work is unaffected by weather.
More on this in living through the works, or see all 42 questions.
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