Listed & period buildings
Listed building and period property contractors in central London
Alchemy Build repairs, alters and extends Grade II and Grade II* listed houses and period properties across Marylebone, Kensington, Chelsea, Westminster, Islington and Camden. We work to listed building consent, conservation officers’ conditions and the great estates’ licence-to-alter process, and we do it with our own trades.
What we do
Heritage work that respects the fabric and still delivers a modern home
Most of our residential work is in period buildings. We reinstate panelling, cornices and joinery, repair sash windows and lime-plastered walls, open up and strengthen structures without losing original detail, and put modern services, heating and bathrooms into houses that were never designed for them. We understand what a conservation officer will and won’t accept, and we build to the drawings and conditions rather than improvising on site.
FMB
Federation of Master Builders member
Insured
Public and employers’ liability
W1
Based in Marylebone, working across prime central London
Listed and period services
What we do on heritage projects
01 — Repair
Fabric repair and restoration
Lime render and plaster, brickwork repointing, stone repair, timber sash and casement window overhaul, roof and leadwork, and the careful making-good that listed building consent usually requires.
02 — Alter
Internal alterations under consent
Reconfiguring rooms, new kitchens and bathrooms, structural openings and staircases, all built to the approved drawings and the conditions attached to the consent, with the paperwork kept straight for discharge.
03 — Extend
Extensions to listed and conservation-area houses
Rear and side extensions, basements and mansards where consent allows, detailed to sit comfortably against the original building and finished to match or deliberately contrast, as the design intends.
04 — Estates
Estate and freeholder approvals
We regularly work under licence to alter on the Portman, Howard de Walden, Grosvenor and Cadogan estates and are used to their surveyors’ requirements, inspections and reinstatement obligations.
For architects and designers
We build heritage drawings the way they were drawn
Listed work lives or dies on the detail. We read the drawings and the consent properly, price what is actually there, flag the things that will only be known once the fabric is opened up, and keep the conservation officer and the client informed rather than surprised. Architects and heritage consultants get a contractor who protects their design, not one who negotiates it away on site.
Selected work
Recent listed and period projects
Grade II Listed Townhouse, Maida Vale
Whole-house refurbishment of a listed townhouse: restored fireplaces and panelling, new kitchen, gym and bathrooms.
Listed Building Refurbishment, Battersea
Full refurbishment of a listed house in Battersea, with repairs to the original fabric alongside new services and bathrooms.
Grade II Listed Rear Extension, Camden
A light-filled rear extension to a listed Camden home, detailed to sit quietly against the original house.
Questions
Common questions about listed building work
Do I need listed building consent for internal work?
Usually yes. Listing covers the whole building inside and out, so most alterations beyond like-for-like repair need consent. We can tell you quickly what is likely to need an application and introduce a heritage consultant if you need one.
Can you work with our architect or heritage consultant?
Yes, that is how most of our projects run. We price from their drawings, build to their details and deal with the discharge of conditions alongside them.
What does it cost to refurbish a listed house in London?
It depends on the extent of repair the fabric needs, which is often only clear once things are opened up. We give an honest budget range early, then a fixed price once the scope is settled, and we are clear about what sits in a contingency.
Which areas do you cover?
Prime central London first: Marylebone, Mayfair, St John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Bayswater, Notting Hill, Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia, Pimlico, Islington and Camden, plus listed houses further out when the project suits.
How we work
Consult, design, build: one accountable team throughout
01
Consult
We start with the house and the brief: a site visit, an honest conversation about budget and programme, and a clear view of what planning, listed building consent or party wall matters will be involved.
02
Design
Working with your architect and designer, or with ours, we develop a fully costed, buildable scheme and secure the approvals, so nothing is left to be discovered on site.
03
Build
A fixed programme, a dedicated site manager, our own trades and long-standing specialists, and a standard of finish that is checked room by room before we hand over.
“Alchemy Build delivered exactly what they promised — exceptional quality, clear communication, and absolute attention to detail.”
Homeowner, London
Start a conversation
Tell us about your listed building
Whether you have drawings and a consent in hand or you are at the very beginning, we are happy to visit, look at the building and give you a straight view on scope, programme and budget.