Renovation services in Lisbon

A renovation may combine changes to room layouts, kitchen and bathroom refurbishment, work to building services, joinery and finishes. Identifying each component helps establish where one task depends on another and which decisions need to be made before work begins.

The scope should distinguish the areas to be altered, the features to be retained and the work excluded from the proposal. It should also clarify who supplies equipment and materials, how new work meets existing areas and how the use of the property affects the work. A partial renovation may need to take account of rooms that will remain unchanged.

Where your enquiry concerns a particular property type or room, the pages for apartments, houses, kitchens, bathrooms and commercial premises explain their specific needs. If it involves several of these areas, describe the complete brief in one enquiry so that the connections between them can be considered.

Refurbishing a hotel or guest property starts with the spaces and uses you want to change: bedrooms and bathrooms, reception, shared areas, guest circulation or back-of-house spaces. Explain whether the aim is to refresh finishes, reorganise rooms, replace equipment or combine these changes. Furniture, lighting positions and equipment connections should be considered alongside the planned building work.

The brief should identify differences between rooms or units, features to be retained and the criteria for repeating a design. Rooms that look similar may have different existing conditions; the proposal should clarify what information is available and what needs to be checked on site.

If the property is operating, the discussion needs to cover access to work areas, movement of materials, available working periods and potential interruptions to use. Phasing work by floor, area or group of rooms is an option to assess against the actual building and operating conditions. Continued operation should not be assumed before that assessment. Changes to layout or use may also call for design work, which should be identified in the agreed scope.

For an older interior, begin by distinguishing what you want to retain, repair, adapt or replace. Existing doors, floors, ceilings and other features may influence the choice of finishes, service routes and junctions between materials. Photographs and documents help prepare the assessment, but do not establish the condition of concealed parts of the building on their own.

The scope should take account of previous alterations, signs of damp or deterioration, uneven surfaces and access conditions. Where there are questions about an element or the source of a problem, the proposal should identify the assessment needed before a solution is finalised. Including a new finish does not, in itself, amount to a technical assessment of the underlying surface or the building.

The interior works should specify how retained features are to be protected, how the planned building services are to be accommodated and how new work meets the areas that remain. Work to the structure, roof or façade as a whole needs to be expressly identified; it is not automatically included in an interior renovation. Conservation objectives and design decisions should guide the agreed work.

An accessibility adaptation starts with the people who use the space and the difficulties they encounter. It is useful to understand their usual routes, any support or mobility aids they need and the tasks they want to make easier, such as entering a room, using the bathroom or reaching equipment.

The building work may include layout adjustments, changes to doors and openings, kitchen or bathroom alterations and installation of the features specified in the design. Decisions should take account of the available space, changes in level, service positions and features to be retained. Choosing an individual item of equipment is only part of the brief: the route to it and the space needed to use it also need to be defined.

The proposal should distinguish the physical alterations from any survey, development of solutions and design work required. These scopes can be covered by one proposal, with responsibilities identified. It should also clarify whether external access and common areas are included. A change within one room does not, on its own, establish that the entire property is accessible or that every need has been addressed.

Preparing a renovation should connect decisions about the space with the work to be carried out. A clear process includes:

1. Organise the brief. Identify spaces, uses, priorities and features to retain.
2. Confirm the property information. Review the available documents and identify the visits, surveys or assessments needed.
3. Agree the scope. Describe the work, supplies, selected options and access or occupancy conditions.
4. Coordinate the work. Set out the intended sequence and the points at which the client needs to make decisions or provide equipment.
5. Review the handover. Check the agreed work, any outstanding points and the relevant use and maintenance information for included supplies.

Design, construction and site support have distinct roles and can be covered by one proposal, provided each scope is identified. Support associated with carrying out the work should not be confused with construction supervision on the client’s behalf. Changes to the brief and unforeseen conditions should be recorded, with their effects on scope, cost and scheduling clarified before the associated work proceeds.

Describe the property, its current use and the result you are looking for. To help frame the initial discussion, gather:

• The location, approximate floor areas and rooms or zones to be altered.
• Current photographs and any plans or other documents you have.
• The work you want and the features you wish to retain.
• Known problems and relevant previous alterations.
• Access, occupancy and operating conditions during the works.
• Any equipment or materials already selected, your priorities, an indicative budget and your preferred timing.

If some decisions are still open, explain where you need input. For guest accommodation, identify the guest and back-of-house spaces involved; for accessibility adaptations, describe the routes and activities you want to improve. This information helps distinguish what can already be specified from what needs a visit, study or selection before the proposal is finalised.

• Apartment renovation

  For work within an apartment, taking account of access and its relationship with common areas.

• House renovation

  For coordinating work inside a house with the external work included in your brief.

• Kitchen renovation

  For defining the kitchen layout, services, appliances and finishes.

• Bathroom renovation

  For work focused on the use, services and finishes of a bathroom.

• Shop, office and restaurant refurbishment

  For relating building work to the operation and needs of commercial premises.

• Interior design

  For developing spatial layouts, materials and interior choices before building work begins.

• Graça

  Residential rehabilitation with spatial reorganisation, a mezzanine, kitchen, bathrooms and finishes.

• Praça das Flores

  Renovation of commercial premises with renewed building services and finishes, retaining the existing stone arches.

• Santos — Guarda Mor

  Apartment renovation with an integrated kitchen and living room and renewed building services, documented in before-and-after photographs.

We welcome enquiries in Lisboa, Oeiras, Cascais, Sintra, Amadora, Odivelas and Loures. Availability and the feasibility of the work are assessed for each enquiry.