Renovating an old house in 2026: cost, budget and process

A complete renovation of an older family house costs roughly CZK 15,000 – 24,000 per m² of floor area excluding VAT on the market in 2026, CZK 14,000 – 20,000 per m² with us. A 120 m² house therefore comes to about CZK 1.8 – 2.9 million. For houses older than 50 years, our price list recommends adding a 15 – 20% reserve for hidden defects — a missing damp-proof course, aluminium wiring or an infested roof frame. In an old house the order of works matters as much as the budget: survey and structure first, then the building envelope and services, finishes last.

This article is a detailed budget and process for houses built between 1930 and 1990. If you are still buying and want to know what to check before signing, start with renovating an older house: where to start.

Renovation cost by scope

Scope (excl. VAT)	Market	Our price
Cosmetic refresh (surfaces, floors, painting)	CZK 3,000 – 7,000/m²	CZK 3,000 – 6,000/m²
Medium renovation (surfaces, bathroom, some services)	CZK 8,000 – 14,000/m²	CZK 8,000 – 13,000/m²
Complete renovation of an older house	CZK 15,000 – 24,000/m²	CZK 14,000 – 20,000/m²

Prices per m² of floor area, for Prague and surroundings, based on our 2026 construction price list. House renovations usually qualify for the reduced VAT rate on construction work — check the conditions for your specific job.

Example budget: a 1970s house, 120 m²

An illustrative budget for a complete renovation of a house with 120 m² of floor area, 200 m² of facade and 12 windows. The roof is fine in this example. Rates are from the price list, excluding VAT.

Item	Calculation	Cost
Rubble removal — 4 skips of 3 m³	4 × CZK 4,500 – 7,000	CZK 18k – 28k
Complete electrical installation	120 m² house	CZK 85k – 200k
Water and drainage pipework	120 m² house	CZK 95k – 240k
Gas condensing boiler incl. installation	1 unit	CZK 80k – 150k
uPVC windows incl. fitting	12 × CZK 11,000 – 23,000	CZK 132k – 276k
EPS facade insulation incl. render	200 m² × CZK 1,500 – 2,200	CZK 300k – 440k
Scaffolding	200 m² × CZK 100 – 200	CZK 20k – 40k
Internal plaster	350 m² × CZK 280 – 620	CZK 98k – 217k
Anhydrite screed	120 m² × CZK 380 – 800	CZK 46k – 96k
Floors incl. laying	120 m² × CZK 1,100 – 2,500	CZK 132k – 300k
Bathroom renovation	1 bathroom	CZK 140k – 280k
Interior doors incl. frames	8 × CZK 2,500 – 4,500	CZK 20k – 36k
Painting walls and ceilings	470 m² × CZK 90 – 200	CZK 42k – 94k
Total		CZK 1.21 – 2.40 million
With a 15 – 20% reserve		CZK 1.39 – 2.88 million

The example excludes the kitchen, damp remediation, structural strengthening and design fees. Instead of a gas boiler you can budget a 10 kW heat pump at CZK 180,000 – 420,000. The figures are only an illustration — take real quantities from a survey of the house.

If the roof needs work too

If the covering is worn out, add for a 150 m² roof a tile covering replacement from CZK 2,300 per m² (from CZK 345,000), flashing and gutters at CZK 450 – 900 per running metre and, for a habitable attic, insulation between rafters at CZK 600 – 1,200 per m², i.e. CZK 90,000 – 180,000. When a repair is enough and when you need a new roof is covered in roof renovation.

Typical defects by construction period

Period	Typical construction	What to focus on
Before 1945	brick or mixed masonry, timber beam floors	damp without a damp-proof course, condition of beams and roof frame, floor load capacity
1950 – 1970	brick, early concrete floors, often self-built	quality of masonry and foundations, old services, chimneys
1970 – 1990	standard-design houses of brick and blocks, flat or low-pitched roofs	aluminium wiring, galvanised and cast-iron pipes, roof leaks, asbestos-cement roofing

Asbestos-cement roofing or cladding may only be removed by a licensed specialist firm — allow for this in the budget and schedule.

Damp

Older houses often lack a working damp-proof course. Signs are plaster flaking near the floor, salt efflorescence and a musty cellar. Remediation depends on the cause — sometimes draining water away from the house and fixing gutters is enough, elsewhere retrofitted wall cutting or a chemical barrier is needed. Without solving damp, new plaster or insulation makes no sense.

Services

Aluminium wiring, galvanised water pipes and cast-iron drains are always replaced in a complete renovation. Transitions between old and new pipes are the most common place for later failures. New wiring costs CZK 700 – 1,800 per m² of floor area according to the price list.

Roof frame and floors

Timber floor beams and roof frames are attacked by wood-boring insects and fungi, most often at wall plates and where water got in. Their condition only shows once opened up, so the structural engineer should assess floors and roof frame before a new layout is designed.

Renovation step by step

1. Measured survey and inspection — engineer, masonry moisture, roof frame, condition of services and chimneys. Only then is the budget drawn up.
2. Design and notification — if you change load-bearing structures, the layout or the appearance, check with the building office beforehand which procedure applies.
3. Strip-out and rubble removal — dismantling, opening up walls and floors, skips.
4. Remediation and structure — drying out masonry, replacing infested beams, new lintels and openings.
5. Building envelope — roof, windows and entrance door. The house must be weathertight before you invest inside.
6. Services — electrics, water, drainage and heating while walls are open.
7. Plaster, screeds and facade insulation — wet trades need time to dry.
8. Fit-out — bathrooms, kitchen, floors, doors and painting.

Living arrangements and timing

You cannot live in the house during a complete renovation — strip-out, new services and wet trades mean dust, damp and days without water or power. Plan alternative accommodation for the whole period. External render and insulation are done in the warmer part of the year, and internal screeds and plaster need time to dry before floors go down. Plan the schedule so the envelope is finished before winter and enough time is left for the interior.

Where you can save and where not

• You can save on finishing materials, the grade of tiles and sanitaryware or the amount of built-in furniture — these can be upgraded later.
• Do not save on the survey, structure, damp-proofing, services and windows. After completion these can only be replaced by breaking things open.
• Combine jobs — one larger contract works out cheaper per metre than several small ones, according to the price list.
• A skip on your own plot saves fees for using public space and time.

Renovate, or demolish and build new?

An illustrative comparison for a 120 m² house: demolishing a masonry building costs CZK 800 – 2,000 per m³ of built volume according to the price list. With a built volume of about 3.3 – 3.8 times the floor area (roughly 400 – 460 m³), that is CZK 0.32 – 0.91 million. A new turnkey house costs CZK 35,000 – 45,000 per m² on the market, i.e. CZK 4.2 – 5.4 million, from CZK 3.72 million with us. A complete renovation including the reserve comes to CZK 1.39 – 2.88 million in our example.

So renovation usually wins if the foundations, load-bearing walls and floors are sound. Demolition and a new build make sense when most load-bearing structures would have to be replaced, the layout does not work even after alterations, or the renovation budget after the survey clearly exceeds that range. Decide on the itemised budget after the survey, not on an estimate from a viewing.

Consider permits too: a renovated house stays on the same spot and in the same volume, whereas a new house must meet the current zoning plan and boundary distances that the old house may not have met. On a smaller plot, the new house may end up smaller than the original.

Common mistakes

• A budget without a survey — hidden defects are then paid for out of the finishes money.
• Finishes before services — a new floor or tiles torn up a year later because of pipes.
• Insulating a damp house — without damp remediation the masonry will not dry out under the insulation.
• Windows after insulation — new windows belong in the plane of the insulation and are replaced before the facade.
• No reserve — for houses older than 50 years, allow 15 – 20%.
• Underestimated rubble removal — a 3 m³ skip costs CZK 4,500 – 7,000 in Prague and a complete renovation needs several.

Checklist

• Do you have a structural report and masonry moisture readings?
• Do you know what the services and roofing are made of, including any asbestos?
• Is the budget itemised, including rubble removal and scaffolding?
• Does the budget include a 15 – 20% reserve?
• Does the schedule follow the order: survey, envelope, services, finishes?
• Have you checked with the building office what must be notified?

The process and materials for insulating an old house are covered in facade insulation.

FAQ

How much does renovating an old house cost per m²? A complete renovation of an older house costs CZK 15,000 – 24,000 per m² excluding VAT on the market, CZK 14,000 – 20,000 per m² with us. A medium renovation CZK 8,000 – 14,000 per m², a cosmetic refresh CZK 3,000 – 7,000 per m².

How much does a complete renovation of a 120 m² house cost? About CZK 1.8 – 2.9 million excluding VAT on the market. Our itemised example of a 1970s house comes to CZK 1.21 – 2.40 million, or CZK 1.39 – 2.88 million with the reserve, excluding roof and kitchen.

How big a reserve should I keep? For houses older than 50 years, 15 – 20% for hidden defects such as a missing damp-proof course, aluminium wiring or an infested roof frame.

In what order should I renovate? Survey and structure, strip-out and remediation, roof and windows, services, plaster and insulation, and finally finishes and fit-out.

Is it better to demolish and build new? Usually not, if the foundations, walls and floors are sound. A new 120 m² house costs CZK 4.2 – 5.4 million on the market, plus demolition at CZK 800 – 2,000 per m³.

We renovate houses in Prague and Central Bohemia from survey to handover. Get a guide price in the Renovation section of our online calculator; we inspect the house and prepare an itemised budget free of charge.