Energy upgrade, interior renovation, roof replacement, plumbing and heating, extension and loft conversion – under general contracting, with an itemised cost estimate and a guarantee.
The structure of most 30–50-year-old family houses is sound – it is the thermal insulation, the windows and doors, the plumbing and heating and the roof that are outdated. These bring the greatest gains in comfort and in running costs.
Condition of the structure, damp, plumbing and heating; what is worth doing and what is not.
Itemised, detailed cost estimate; for extensions, design and permit.
Fixed deadline, recorded technical specification, guarantee.
Scheduled so that the house is uninhabitable for the shortest possible time.
Energy performance certificate, documentation, guarantee.
* Saving achievable after a comprehensive energy upgrade (façade + roof + windows and doors + heat pump) of a typical uninsulated family house from the 1970s–90s; the exact figure comes from the energy calculation.
The honest answer: it depends on how deep we go into the house. The ranges below apply to interior works (the roof, the façade and the insulation are separate items – see the energy upgrade), and they are indicative figures drawn from public price guides for the Budapest-area market and from our own experience – in every case we give a price after an on-site survey, in an itemised, detailed cost estimate.
| Type of renovation | What it typically includes | Market range (gross, materials + labour) | For a 90 m² house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partial / cosmetic | Skimming, painting, new flooring, internal doors, fittings; plumbing and heating, electrics and the windows and doors stay as they are | approx. HUF 100,000–200,000/m² | approx. HUF 9–18 million |
| Full interior renovation | Demolition, complete replacement of the water, drainage and electrical systems, new heating system (radiators or underfloor heating), floor slab and insulation, drywall, bathroom, kitchen preparation, tiling and flooring, painting, fittings | approx. HUF 200,000–400,000/m² | approx. HUF 18–36 million |
| Premium | As the full renovation, plus interior designer, bespoke furniture and finishes, heat-pump underfloor heating and cooling, air conditioning, smart home, window and door replacement, relocating internal walls | above HUF 400,000/m² | above HUF 36 million |
In a family house, plumbing, heating and electrics are the largest item: replacing the entire heating, water and electrical systems is 30–40% of the cost, because the pipe and cable runs are longer and a boiler or heat pump replacement usually comes with it.
Older houses often have no protection against ground moisture, and the build-up of the floor does not meet today's expectations either.
How we handle itThat is why our itemised, detailed cost estimate lists materials and labour on separate lines – you see exactly where you can save and where it is not worth it.
In older houses the true condition of the floor structure, the walls, the chimney and the concealed pipes and cables only becomes clear after demolition – especially in adobe houses and Kádár-cube type houses.
How we handle itWe uncover most of the risks in advance at the survey, but it is worth treating 10–15% of the total as a reserve – this too is part of the contract, not a surprise.
Around Budapest, most family houses awaiting renovation fall into three types, and there is a growing number of relatively new houses too, where it is not the structure but the details that need renovating. Each has its own characteristic weakness – at the survey we look for these specifically, because they decide what the house renovation will really cost.
An 8×8 or 10×10 m footprint, a pyramid hip roof, walls of B30 blocks or small solid bricks, often on a concrete foundation with no damp-proofing.
A larger footprint, often with a converted loft or a split level.
Common in the old village centres of the commuter belt.
How we handle itHere we work with vapour-permeable systems (lime, mineral wool, replacement of timber joists) – conventional EPS insulation can actually cause damage on these walls.
A traditionally built or lightweight-frame house whose structure and energy performance are in order, but which is due for a refresh after 10–20 years.
How we handle itWe first find and fix the cause, and only then comes the cosmetic work – so the renovation is not merely attractive but lasting too.
The hidden defects we always check at the survey: damp in the plinth and the walls (with a moisture meter), thermal bridges at the ring beam and the lintels, aluminium or mixed wiring and the condition of the meter point, the condition and lining of the chimney, the soundness of the roof timbers, the load-bearing capacity of the floor structure, foul and rainwater drainage, radon and cellar damp. These do not show in photographs, but they can amount to 20–40% of the budget if they only come to light later.
The ranges below are indicative 2026 market figures for a 100–120 m² uninsulated, gas-heated family house – the exact numbers come from the itemised, detailed cost estimate and the energy calculation. The order is no accident: the cheapest measure pays back fastest.
| Measure | Indicative cost (materials + labour) | Expected saving on heating costs | Typical payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loft floor insulation (25–30 cm mineral wool, with a walkable surface) | HUF 0.5–0.9 million | 10–15% | 2–4 years |
| Façade insulation (15–16 cm graphite EPS, XPS at the plinth, thin-coat render) | HUF 2.2–3.5 million | 25–35% | 6–10 years |
| Window and door replacement (10–12 triple-glazed units with airtight fitting and sills, without shutters) | HUF 1.8–3.0 million | 10–20% | 8–12 years |
| Roof replacement (roof covering, battens, membrane, flashings and gutters – together with insulation) | HUF 6–9 million | 5–10% + protection of the building fabric | not a payback item, but a necessity |
| Air-to-water heat pump (with underfloor or low-temperature radiator heating) | HUF 3.5–6 million | 30–50% compared with gas, in an insulated house | 7–12 years |
| Solar panels (5–6 kWp, with gross metering instead of net metering) | HUF 2.5–4 million | 50–80% of the electricity bill, best combined with a heat pump | 6–9 years |
And the whole house? The comprehensive renovation of a 100–120 m² cube house – energy package, complete replacement of plumbing, heating and electrics, new floor and wall finishes, bathroom, kitchen – typically starts at HUF 250,000–350,000/m² on the market in 2026, which means HUF 25–40 million; roof replacement, an extension or a loft conversion comes on top of this. Where your house sits within this range is something we show you in an itemised, detailed cost estimate after the survey, which costs HUF 10,000 + VAT – we credit the fee when the contract is signed.
A damp Kádár cube must not simply be wrapped in insulation: moisture trapped behind the wall causes mould and makes the render come away.
How we handle itThat is why our sequence is: a retrofitted damp-proof course or injection, sorting out the plinth and the rainwater drainage, drying out – and only then the façade.
Anyone who just puts a heat pump into an uninsulated house is heating the street with expensive electricity.
In 2025–2026 several state programmes ran for the energy upgrade of family houses (a non-repayable part + an interest-free loan, on condition of at least a 30% primary energy saving).
How we handle itThat is why we look at the programme currently in force together with you when we quote – and we prepare the cost estimate, the invoices and the electronic construction log from the outset so that they meet the requirements of a grant application or a bank renovation loan.
The wrong order is the most common money pit: the electrician chases into the fresh paintwork, the heating engineer breaks up the new flooring. This is how we proceed, “from the outside in, from the top down”:
Moisture measurement, structural inspection; for extensions and loft conversions a structural engineer's report and, where necessary, a ground investigation (trial pits). Plans, permit or notification, itemised cost estimate.
Taking out partition walls, old finishes and obsolete plumbing and heating; lintels, strengthening the floor structure, new walls, foundations and walls of the extension.
Roof covering, battens, roofing membrane, flashings, gutters – so that everything that follows is done under a dry house.
The new windows and doors are fitted before the façade insulation, so that the frames can be insulated all round and no thermal bridge remains.
New water, waste water, heating and electrical systems, meter point, base for the heat pump or boiler, underfloor heating, ventilation – before plastering.
Thermal insulation, thin-coat render, plinth, loft floor insulation; solar panel mounts on the finished roof.
Plaster, drywall, subfloor, tiling and flooring, bathroom, kitchen, painting, fitted furniture – scheduled room by room.
Commissioning, energy performance certificate, closing the electronic construction log, guarantee certificates, invoices – in one folder, suitable for both the bank and a grant application.
Renovating while you live there: steps 3–6 are on the outside of the house and can be carried out without disturbing the occupants; we schedule the plumbing, heating and interior works outside the heating season, one room or one floor at a time, sealed off with dust curtains. In the comprehensive upgrade of a 120 m² house, this typically leaves 2–4 weeks when you really do have to move out – we fix this in the contract in advance.
We ask ourselves this question too at every second survey. It is decided not by emotions but by a few measurable factors – on this basis we give an honest opinion, even if it does not point towards the larger commission.
| Aspect | In favour of renovation | In favour of demolition and a new build |
|---|---|---|
| Foundations and walls | Dry or can be dried out, free of cracks, the structural engineer finds no settlement | Adobe with no foundation, active cracks, moving foundations – the ground investigation recommends costly underpinning |
| Floor structure and roof | Reinforced-concrete or sound timber floor structure, a repairable roof structure | Rotten joists, a structurally weak floor structure on which a loft conversion cannot be built |
| Floor plan | Meets today's needs with minor alterations (1–2 walls, an extension) | Would only be usable with a complete internal reorganisation and an additional storey |
| Cost | The comprehensive renovation is 40–60% of the turnkey price of a new build of similar size | The renovation reaches or exceeds 70% of a new build – in that case the new house's 25-year guarantee and A++ energy rating are worth more |
| Regulations | The site coverage and height of the existing house could no longer be rebuilt under today's local building code (that is value!) | The plot's current rules allow a larger or better-positioned house |
| Time | 3–6 months, partly while living in the house | 8–16 months, renting in the meantime |
A loft conversion that does not change the shape of the roof typically does not require a permit, but the local building code and the townscape regulations apply to it, and for a grant or a loan a set of plans is required.
How we handle itA minimum ceiling height of 2.40 m over two-thirds of the usable loft area and a floor structure checked by a structural engineer – we do not start without these.
Banks disburse a renovation loan on the basis of an itemised contractor's cost estimate and a contract, often in stages, and the valuer looks at the value of the finished state.
How we handle itOur itemised, detailed cost estimate and fixed-deadline contract provide exactly this format; we align the milestones with the bank's schedule and prove the stage of completion with photographic entries in the electronic construction log.
In a renovation, a guarantee is only worth something if one company is responsible for the whole job.
If the structure (foundations, walls, floor slabs) is sound and dry, renovation is almost always cheaper than building new, and the increase in value is significant. If the foundations are sinking, the walls are damp or the floor structure is structurally weak, demolition and rebuilding may be the better route. At the on-site survey we tell you this honestly.
Yes. After a structural assessment of the existing building, we prepare the plans with our designers, handle the permit, and build the addition to match the existing house, all from one contractor.
For a partial renovation, generally yes. Where all the plumbing, heating and floor and wall finishes are replaced, we draw up the schedule so that the house is uninhabitable for the shortest possible time.
Façade insulation, window and door replacement and re-roofing typically do not require a permit. An extension, an additional storey or a loft conversion is subject to simple notification or a building permit – we handle this together with our designers.
On-site condition survey and itemised cost estimate – we tell you what is worth renovating and what is not.