The Penguin Index · Q3 2026
A modelled budget for doing up a house
Explore selected home-improvement costs using our pricing model for Q3 2026. These are planning scenarios, excluding VAT, rather than observed customer quotes or completed-project costs.
In this model, the basket is highest in London (index 132) and lowest in North East (index 94) — a spread of roughly 40% between these regional model scenarios.
Regional model scenarios
Index 100 is the unweighted average of postcode-area factors in our model. Each region below uses one representative postcode area; it does not describe every local market or measure the prices homeowners actually paid.
| Region | Index | Basket cost |
|---|---|---|
| London | 132 | £42,020 |
| South East | 113 | £35,934 |
| South West | 113 | £35,934 |
| East of England | 113 | £35,934 |
| West Midlands | 103 | £32,747 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 103 | £32,747 |
| North West | 103 | £32,747 |
| Scotland | 103 | £32,747 |
| East Midlands | 98 | £31,298 |
| Wales | 98 | £31,298 |
| North East | 94 | £29,849 |
Inside the "doer-upper" basket
- Kitchen fitting£2,273
- Bathroom renovation£6,596
- Full house rewire£7,145
- New boiler£2,265
- Double glazing£3,628
- Hardwood flooring£2,089
- Roof maintenance£1,440
- Block-paved driveway (approx 45m²)£4,699
- Repointing brickwork£1,213
- Ceiling plastering£508
Modelled allowances for selected jobs (ex VAT)
| Job | Modelled allowance | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen fitting | £2,273 | £1,819 – £2,728 |
| Bathroom renovation | £6,596 | £5,277 – £7,915 |
| Full house rewire | £7,145 | £5,716 – £8,574 |
| New boiler | £2,265 | £1,812 – £2,718 |
| Double glazing | £3,628 | £2,902 – £4,353 |
| Hardwood flooring | £2,089 | £1,671 – £2,506 |
| Roof maintenance | £1,440 | £1,152 – £1,729 |
| Block-paved driveway (approx 45m²) | £4,699 | £3,760 – £5,639 |
| Repointing brickwork | £1,213 | £970 – £1,456 |
| Ceiling plastering | £508 | £406 – £609 |
| Loft conversion | £37,925 | £30,340 – £45,510 |
| Single-storey extension | £32,978 | £26,383 – £39,574 |
| Conservatory | £17,149 | £13,719 – £20,578 |
| New roof (full replacement) | £14,840 | £11,872 – £17,808 |
| Solar panels | £5,342 | £4,274 – £6,411 |
| Air-source heat pump | £8,877 | £7,101 – £10,652 |
| Bathroom tiling | £824 | £660 – £989 |
| Garden decking | £910 | £728 – £1,092 |
| Bifold doors | £2,748 | £2,199 – £3,298 |
| Underfloor heating | £1,762 | £1,410 – £2,115 |
Methodology
A modelled planning basket of 20 selected home-improvement jobs from Pricing Penguin's rate tables and committed model references, excluding VAT. This is not a survey of customer quotes, agreed contracts or completed-project costs. Reference prices are converted from their SW postcode-area basis; the national model baseline uses the unweighted mean of postcode-area multipliers, not a household- or transaction-weighted market average. Each region uses one representative postcode area. Displayed ranges are fixed allowances of 20% below and above the modelled figure, not measured prediction intervals. Scope and quantities vary by job; confirm inclusions with a tradesperson.
Journalists: you're welcome to cite these figures with credit to Pricing Penguin. For a regional breakdown or a comment, get in touch via our contact page.
Pricing snapshot generated 2026-07-30; figures have not been revalidated by this page update.
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