Private flat full refresh: decide housing type and works scope separately

Private flats often allow more leeway on walls, kitchen/bath layout and electrical load than public housing—but “can change” and “worth changing this time” are still different. Opening a kitchen, moving a bath, changing windows or raising air-con load all touch waterproofing, drainage, structural judgment and neighbours. If a full refresh only says “strip everything and redo”, each firm will invent its own “everything”.

Homore keeps housing type and work type separate: in a private flat you can still choose partial works; a full refurbishment is not assumed to be a new public-housing flat. Pick the work type first, then list the rooms to change—more useful than a vague “luxury whole flat” label.

“Japanese”, “modern”, and “wood-tone” help you find images on Inspiration, but they do not replace scope. Firms need to know which walls come down, which cabinets stay, whether the floor will be raised, whether appliances are already bought, whether lighting points need rewiring, and whether all doors will be replaced. Style words belong in references; trades and rooms are the backbone of a quote.

A clearer whole-flat brief usually goes room by room—living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, maid’s room or entresol—and marks each as redo, maintain, or leave alone. That way you avoid a living-room quote for new flooring when you meant to keep the old timber.

• List each room: redo, partial repair, or leave alone.
• Note known large appliances, air-con and ordered materials so quotes do not double-count or miss connections.
• Treat inspiration images as direction — not as construction drawings.

Whole-flat renovation is easy to get swept away by finish photos, but cost and time mostly go to demolition, drainage, waterproofing, electrics, wet trades, and protection. Paint and furniture can wait; changing hidden works after they are done costs far more. Writing the look you want in the brief is fine—when you request a quote, ask the firm to state what hidden works include.

If people still live in the flat, a one-go whole-home job may not work. Say whether you can move out temporarily and which rooms must finish first so the firm can plan phased protection. Phasing is not a weaker plan — it is an honest split of scope.

Private buildings still have management offices, lift bookings, works hours and debris rules. These affect cost and whether you can live with the works. Put known building rules in your brief—better than discovering weekend-only works later.

Changes that may affect structure, external walls or common areas need a qualified person’s judgment. Homore does not replace that judgment in articles or the product, and listing a company does not mean any statutory approval.

The larger the scope, the less you should rely on one total. Ask replies to split demolition/haulage, M&E, wet trades, carpentry, painting and sanitaryware, and note which materials are provisional brands. On Homore you compare firms’ replies and quote summaries to the same brief—not a platform-guaranteed finished price.

Selecting a company on the platform only records your choice—it is not a works contract. Scope, payment, warranty and programme still need written confirmation with the firm. The brief gives that contract a shared starting point.