How we can help
Redstart offers independent retrofit design and strategic advice for owners of older and traditionally constructed homes, from Victorian and Edwardian houses to mid-20th-century properties. Whether you’re planning phased or whole-house improvements, working alongside an architect, or need expert advice for a listed building, we provide the building physics expertise and heritage knowledge needed to avoid costly mistakes.
Heritage retrofit design
You may be planning improvements but want clarity on what will actually work; you may have received widely varying quotes; or you may be concerned about moisture risk and unintended consequences.
What you get:
- Complete assessment using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP)
- Clear understanding of where heat loss occurs and why
- Identification of condensation and moisture risks before any work happens
- Comparison of different options with realistic costs and payback periods
- Phased plan – what to do first, what to do later, what not to prioritise
- Technical specifications for contractors
- For listed buildings: heritage statements and consent documentation
Likely cost: £2,000-£3,500
For complex listed building cases: if your home is listed at Grade II, II* or I, and you would like to make it more comfortable, this will almost certainly require detailed heritage statements and historic building analysis – these form part of our service.
Pre-purchase advice
Your situation: you’re buying a pre-1919 or mid-centry property and your surveyor noted the need for insulation but gave little detail. You want to know what is technically – and what it is likely to cost – before you commit.
What you get:
- Site visit and assessment
- Identification of key issues: damp, thermal bridges and ventilation
- Realistic improvement options with cost estimates
- Heritage constraints – if listed or in a conservation area
Likely cost: £800-£1,200
What happens next: you’ll understand the building’s likely performance trajectory, probable costs and whether the purchase fits into your long-term plans.
Listed building retrofit
Your situation: your house is listed. You want to make it more comfortable and energy efficient but need to secure consent and protect the building’s significance.
What you get:
- A retrofit strategy which balances meaningful comfort improvement with heritage protection
- Technical documentation for listed building consent
- Liaison with your local authority’s conservation officers
- Specifications that respect significance and meet conservation requirements
Likely cost: from £2,000, depending on complexity.
Second opinion
Your situation:
- You’ve received proposals for insulation or heating upgrades, but want independent technical scrutiny
- Work has been carried out and moisture issues have emerged
- An application for listed building consent has been refused
What you get: an independent review and clear advice on what to do next.
Likely cost: from £500
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We’re also able to work alongside architects, contractors and managing agents, providing specialist retrofit and building physics input within larger project teams.
Get in touch about your house
Redstart Projects 