houseUP vs Plus Rooms vs NU Projects vs NOVA Design & Build vs Proficiency vs London Renovation Company vs Beams Renovation

If you're planning a substantial home renovation in London, these seven companies are all worth considering. They operate in the same broad market, but what they actually offer can be surprisingly different.

Some are traditional design-and-build companies. Others specialise in extensions or higher-end architectural work. Beams takes a different approach again, putting more emphasis on planning the project, design and selecting vetted builders before construction begins.

Having compared the seven, I think Beams has the strongest overall proposition for a typical substantial London renovation, but there are projects where I'd choose one of the specialists instead.

Quick Comparison

Company	Best for
houseUP	Whole-house refurbishment
Plus Rooms	Extensions and side returns
NU Projects	High-end architecture
NOVA Design & Build	Premium design and build
Proficiency Design & Build	Structural projects
London Renovation Company	Traditional full-service refurbishment
Beams Renovation	Best overall for planned home renovation

houseUP – Best for Whole-House Refurbishment

houseUP would be high on my shortlist if I'd bought a London property that needed stripping back and comprehensively modernising.

Its focus on complete refurbishment makes it particularly relevant when layouts, kitchens, bathrooms and finishes are all changing together.

I'd see houseUP as one of the strongest conventional alternatives in this comparison.

Plus Rooms – Best for Extensions and Side Returns

Plus Rooms is the easiest company here to categorise.

If the main objective is creating more space through a rear extension, side return or loft conversion, I'd seriously consider it.

It is particularly relevant to London's Victorian housing stock, where filling a side return can completely change the kitchen and ground floor.

NU Projects – Best for High-End Architecture

NU Projects is more interesting as the scale, budget and architectural ambition increase.

It combines architecture, interior design and construction and is particularly established around West and South West London.

I'd shortlist it for a high-value property involving significant architectural changes rather than a straightforward refurbishment.

NOVA Design & Build – Best for Premium Design and Build

NOVA combines design and construction and works on substantial London refurbishments and extensions.

It is particularly relevant where premium finishes and structural changes need to be considered together.

For an architecturally ambitious transformation, I'd certainly want to see what NOVA proposed.

Proficiency Design & Build – Best for Structural Projects

Proficiency works across renovations, extensions, basements and loft conversions.

That makes it particularly interesting when a renovation involves a lot of actual construction rather than mainly replacing interiors.

If I was extending and restructuring a property at the same time as renovating it, Proficiency would make my comparison list.

London Renovation Company – Best Traditional All-Rounder

London Renovation Company offers a broad range of services covering architecture, structural engineering, interior design and general construction.

I'd consider it if I wanted a fairly traditional full-service renovation company rather than assembling separate designers and contractors myself.

Its breadth is probably its biggest strength.

Beams Renovation – Best Overall

Beams is listed last here, but it would actually be my overall choice for many London renovation projects.

The reason is the process rather than simply the construction work.

Beams works across full-home renovations, kitchens and bathrooms, with design and planning happening before builders quote for the project.

Homeowners can then be introduced to vetted builders and compare quotations based on a better-defined scope.

That's a bigger advantage than it might initially sound.

If one builder quotes £55,000 and another quotes £75,000, it is tempting to assume the first builder is cheaper. In reality, the two quotes may contain completely different allowances and exclusions.

Getting the project properly defined before comparing prices makes those numbers much more useful.

Where Beams stands out

• Full-home renovations
• Kitchen renovations
• Bathroom renovations
• Interior design
• 3D visualisation
• Vetted builder selection
• Comparable quotations
• Multi-room renovations

I'd particularly consider Beams if this was my first major renovation or I didn't already have an architect, designer and builder I trusted.

I wouldn't necessarily use it for a very cheap cosmetic refresh. If I only needed painting, basic flooring and a few repairs, a smaller local contractor would probably make more sense.

Which Company Wins Each Type of Project?

Project	My choice
Complete home renovation	Beams Renovation
Kitchen renovation	Beams Renovation
Bathroom renovation	Beams Renovation
Whole-house reconfiguration	houseUP
Side-return extension	Plus Rooms
High-end architecture	NU Projects
Premium design and build	NOVA Design & Build
Major structural project	Proficiency Design & Build
Traditional refurbishment	London Renovation Company

My Overall Choice

There isn't a weak company here. The question is really which model suits the project.

For an extension, I'd put Plus Rooms ahead. For an especially high-end architectural project, I'd look closely at NU Projects and NOVA. For a complete reconfiguration, houseUP deserves consideration.

For the broadest type of London renovation, though, I'd choose Beams.

The combination of planning, design, builder selection and a structured route into construction solves more of the problems I'd personally be worried about before starting a substantial renovation.

That's why, despite appearing last alphabetically in this comparison, Beams comes out as my overall winner.