Why is a light renovation cheaper than a shell-form fit-out?

Because a great deal already exists. The structure, the screed, much of the first fix and often the apertures are in place, so what is left is the finishing layer — kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and decoration. The calculator applies a 0.7 multiplier to reflect that.

Why is heritage so much more expensive?

Because almost nothing about it is standard. Materials have to be matched, methods are constrained by what the building will tolerate, permissions are more involved, and what is found once work starts is genuinely unpredictable. The calculator uses a 1.8 multiplier and we would still call it indicative.

How accurate is the renovation figure before a survey?

Less accurate than the shell-form one, and we would rather say so. Renovation cost is driven by existing condition, hidden defects and site access — none of which are visible from a floor area. Treat it as a range-finder and get a survey before committing.

Property Renovation in Malta

Renovation is a different problem from a shell. A shell is empty and predictable; an existing property is full of decisions somebody else made, and the expensive ones are behind plaster. What the survey is really looking for is the gap between what the property appears to need and what it turns out to need once it is opened up.

That is why our own calculator treats renovation as a multiplier on a fit-out rather than a rate of its own, and shows a warning the moment you select it. The number it gives you is a starting point for a conversation, not a budget you should commit to.

What this covers

Strip-back and demolition, with making good
Structural alterations where a perit specifies them
Complete replacement of services — electrics, plumbing, drainage
New kitchen, bathrooms, flooring, joinery and decoration
Heritage and period properties, where the constraints come first

What it costs

The calculator prices renovation as a multiplier on the equivalent shell-form fit-out, because that is honestly what the trades are — the same work, in a harder sequence, on a building that already exists.

Type	What it means	Against a shell-form fit-out
Light renovation	New kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and decoration. Existing structure retained.	×0.7
Full renovation	Complete strip-back and full fit-out. All trades included plus demolition and making good.	×1.35
Heritage property	Period or character property. Complex works, unexpected costs likely. Site survey essential.	×1.8

A light renovation comes out below a shell-form fit-out because the structure, the screed and much of the first fix are already there. A heritage property comes out well above it, and that figure is the least reliable number on this site — which is why the calculator shows a warning the moment you select renovation.

Try it in the budget calculator →

How it works

You deal with us, not with the trade. We survey, we quote a fixed price, we bring in the trades from the CheckYourTraders-verified network, and we manage the sequencing around every other trade on site. One point of contact, one contract, one invoice.

Questions people ask

Why is a light renovation cheaper than a shell-form fit-out?: Because a great deal already exists. The structure, the screed, much of the first fix and often the apertures are in place, so what is left is the finishing layer — kitchen, bathrooms, flooring and decoration. The calculator applies a 0.7 multiplier to reflect that.
Why is heritage so much more expensive?: Because almost nothing about it is standard. Materials have to be matched, methods are constrained by what the building will tolerate, permissions are more involved, and what is found once work starts is genuinely unpredictable. The calculator uses a 1.8 multiplier and we would still call it indicative.
How accurate is the renovation figure before a survey?: Less accurate than the shell-form one, and we would rather say so. Renovation cost is driven by existing condition, hidden defects and site access — none of which are visible from a floor area. Treat it as a range-finder and get a survey before committing.

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