Renovation project management in Kensington.
Client-side project management for homeowners renovating a period home in Kensington, where listed buildings, conservation areas and basement planning shape almost every project.
There is no fee for the initial conversation, and if you already have builder quotations I will review them line by line at no charge. A kitchen and side extension I managed in Wimbledon was brought in under budget — read the case study.
Kensington has one of the highest concentrations of listed buildings and conservation area coverage in London, and Kensington & Chelsea specifically operates its own, more demanding planning regime for basement development — a common route to extra space here given how much a garden or rear extension is worth giving up. Structural and party wall requirements on a basement project need specialist input from the very start, not once a builder is already booked.
Where a property is listed, alterations inside as well as out typically need listed building consent alongside planning permission, which is a slower, more design-sensitive process than a standard planning application. The main surprise for most homeowners here isn't cost — it's timeline, since the pre-construction phase alone can run considerably longer than a comparable project without these constraints.
Specification expectations are correspondingly high, and that's precisely where sourcing kitchens, bathrooms and joinery at trade rather than retail prices delivers the largest saving in absolute terms.
Planning in Kensington. Kensington is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, where the council says nearly three quarters of the borough is in conservation areas and a borough-wide Article 4 direction means basement extensions need planning permission. Our permitted development guide for four West and South West London boroughs explains what that means for extensions and lofts, with links to RBKC's Article 4 and conservation area pages.
For an early budget on an extension or loft (not a basement), the extension cost calculator and loft conversion cost calculator give London build ranges by specification, ex VAT.
Local considerations
Kensington is in the same borough as Chelsea, with conservation areas and a borough-wide Article 4 direction on basements. Use the planning permission checker and the permitted development guide, then how long planning permission takes in London and the extension and loft timeline calculator.
A house on a terrace will usually still need a party wall agreement. Kensington & Chelsea does not publish a standard building control schedule — it quotes each project, as noted in building control fees for an extension in London — and a contingency is still worth holding.
The nearest job I can show you. A whole-house renovation rather than an extension: full strip-out, new structural openings, a rebuilt roof terrace and a restored original staircase. Read the case study →
Planning a project in Kensington? Start with a free conversation.
Four quick details. You do not need drawings, a builder or a budget yet.
What happens next: it comes straight to me, not a call centre. I aim to reply within one working day, usually to arrange a short call. No fee for the conversation and nothing to commit to.
Email me your builder’s quotations for a free line-by-line review.
I will read them properly and come back to you on what is excluded, which “prices” are really provisional sums, and what I would want answered before anyone signs. If the quote is sound, I will tell you that too.
Email your quote to Benor use the contact formcall 07525 474 849
What happens next: I aim to reply within one working day. If anything needs talking through, we arrange a short call. There is nothing to sign and no fee.
Support at the level Kensington projects need.
From a one-off review of quotes already in hand, to full day-to-day management of the build.
No two projects are the same.
Some homeowners want the full service — quotations reviewed before anything is signed, then day-to-day management right through to snagging. Others simply want the reassurance of having someone they trust on their side during the build, without the fees that come with asking an architect to do it. Most people sit somewhere in between.
So there is no fixed price list. Tell me what you are building in Kensington, where you have got to and how involved you would like me to be, and I am sure we can work something out.
Have a chat about your projectHappy clients, in their own words.
Ben was an absolute godsend and honestly could not have coped without him on our project. He kept everything calm throughout and was only a call away whenever we needed him.
We are so glad we found Ben. He was recommended to us on our street WhatsApp group. If you are considering a project manager for your build, we can’t imagine anyone better. His knowledge and ability to problem solve saved us so much stress and money!
We instructed Ben mid-build as we were finding it too overwhelming with a newborn and work commitments. From our first meeting we knew it was the best money we could spend. Ben was always one step ahead of our builder and saved us so many headaches. We absolutely love our home.
Ben was by far the best thing we invested in for our project — there is no way this could have happened without him. We were not in London for the whole project; everything was done remotely, through Ben and the builders. Recommending him is an absolute no-brainer.
Tell me what you're building, and I'll suggest where to start.
No charge for the initial conversation — just a clear read on what your project needs.
Discuss your projectOr speak to Ben directly: 07525 474 849 · benmurrell83@gmail.com