Full strip-out and refurbishment: back to the bare structure

A strip-out makes sense when almost every internal layer is failing or has to change anyway: after a flood or a fire, where damp and rot run through floors and plaster, where wiring and plumbing are all obsolete, or where the layout is being rearranged so thoroughly that little of the old interior would survive. In a house in reasonable condition, it can destroy sound plaster, original joinery and ceilings that did not need replacing.

Ask whether a selective approach would do. Many older houses have good lime plaster on some walls and failed patches on others, and cornices and staircases that are worth keeping. A contractor who proposes to strip everything should explain why each layer has to go.

The HSE says any building built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, which was banned in 1999. Textured ceiling coatings, floor tiles, boxing around pipes, insulating board behind heaters and cement flues are common in homes. Before a strip-out, a refurbishment and demolition survey should find out what is there, because this type of work disturbs exactly the materials that are usually left alone. Some asbestos can only be removed by a contractor licensed by the HSE.

Other checks belong at this stage too: a structural engineer if walls are to come out, bat checks if the roof is involved, and notice to neighbours under the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 in England and Wales if you will cut into a party wall or remove a chimney breast from one. GOV.UK names removing chimneys from a party wall as work that needs notice.

Source: hse.gov.uk

Stripping a house exposes decades of alterations: joists cut deeply for old pipes, lintels missing over widened openings, chimney breasts removed downstairs but left hanging upstairs, timber built into damp walls. Some of it needs structural repair before rebuilding can start. A good contract prices the known work and sets rates for the likely unknowns, and the engineer should visit once the shell is bare.

Structural alterations need Building Regulations approval. Temporary support while walls or chimney breasts come out is the contractor's responsibility and is not something to improvise.

Once walls are back to brick, the Building Regulations for energy efficiency come into play. The Planning Portal explains that where a quarter or more of an external wall is renovated, and renovation includes replacing an existing layer such as plaster, the wall's insulation normally has to be brought up to the standard in the Approved Documents where that is technically feasible and pays back reasonably. On a solid-walled older house, choosing breathable insulation and detailing it against damp needs care.

New wiring throughout means a new installation certified by a registered electrician or approved by Building Control. New heating and hot water must meet the current standards for efficiency and controls. Fire safety matters too: a stripped house loses the fire resistance its old ceilings gave, and on a three-storey house the escape route has to be restored when the interior is rebuilt.

A strip-out produces a large volume of waste. GOV.UK warns that you can be fined if you give household waste to someone not legally allowed to take it, so check that the contractor or skip company is registered to carry waste. A skip on the road needs permission from the council, which the skip company normally arranges.

Dust and noise will reach the neighbours, particularly in terraced and semi-detached houses. Agree working hours and dust control in the contract, and let neighbours know before demolition starts.

• survey results relied on: asbestos, structure, damp and timber
• exact scope of removal, room by room, and what is kept and protected
• rates for structural and timber repairs discovered after stripping
• insulation, fire safety and services standards for the rebuild
• waste removal, carrier registration and skip permissions
• who deals with Building Control, party wall notices and certificates

The request is shown to renovation contractors in your area without any personal details. One of them buys it, pays Offrano, and the request is no longer available to others. You are told by email who that contractor is, with its address and phone number, before it can contact you. Using Offrano is free.

Large projects are not always taken up, and requests are withdrawn after 21 days if nobody buys them. You decide whether to accept the quote. Offrano does not inspect contractors' work, so ask for references from similar strip-out projects and check any trade body membership yourself.