Lizard Peninsula · TR12
Goonhilly renovation — feasibility first, drawings second
Cornish housing stock is brilliant and infuriating in equal measure. We renovate cottages, farmhouses, mid-century homes and post-war estates — opening up layouts, fixing damp, adding light and bringing the property up to a standard worth living in. In Goonhilly, that work is shaped by the place itself — Goonhilly is a moorland-edge hamlet in the TR12 area, where exposed weather, narrow lanes and rural character set the brief, with a building stock that leans toward small rural infill and isolated houses.
Goonhilly sits in Lizard Peninsula — covering TR12 from St Keverne, Truro, St Austell outward.
- Cornwall AONB
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Cornwall Council regulars across every sub-area
- ✓ Free first site visit, no obligation
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓ 30+ years of Cornwall Council approvals
Who this is for
Goonhilly runs the full mix — owner-occupier, holiday-let, commercial and the occasional smallholding — so we scope every renovation enquiry from the use-class up.
Local watch-list
Goonhilly-specific issues we screen on the first visit.
Watch #1
AONB landscape-impact scrutiny on visible elevations
Watch #2
Tighter Local Plan tests on isolated rural dwellings
Local proof — Our Lizard Peninsula workload means a Goonhilly renovation project never has to wait for an out-of-county team to drive down.
Get a free feasibility viewFAQs
Goonhilly Renovations — local questions answered.
- Do I need planning permission to renovate internally?
- Usually no — except on listed buildings, where Listed Building Consent is needed for many internal alterations. We confirm the position before any wall comes down. In Goonhilly specifically, we'd start by checking AONB landscape sensitivity before committing to a direction.
- How much does a full renovation cost in Cornwall?
- A whole-house renovation typically lands between £1,800 and £3,000 per square metre depending on condition, listed status and finish level. We survey before quoting and don't price by guesswork.
- What about damp and old walls?
- We assess the cause first — usually rising damp myths, blocked vents, hard cement renders trapping moisture, or roofs needing attention. A breathable repair strategy fixes most of it without chemical intervention.
- How long does a renovation take?
- Single rooms in weeks, kitchens in two to three months, whole-house renovations in six to fourteen months depending on size and listed status.
- Can I live in the house during the work?
- Sometimes yes, often no. Single-room remodels and phased work can be liveable; whole-house renovations involving rewires, replumbing or floor lifting almost never are. We're honest about this at the brief.
Local context
Why Goonhilly is its own job.
Locally, rural policy, landscape impact and services such as drainage are usually the key constraints, especially outside settlement boundaries. For renovation specifically, the surrounding landscape falls inside the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so massing, height and landscape impact carry extra weight in any planning decision; Cornwall Council's Local Plan applies tighter tests to isolated rural dwellings here, so design rationale and policy fit need to be set out clearly from the outset. Which is why we scope Goonhilly projects parish-up, not template-down — the TR12 context shapes the design from day one. Whether the project is on small rural infill in the centre or further out toward St Keverne, the renovation response is locally tuned.
Planning note
Most Cornish renovations don't need planning — but listed status, curtilage listing, Conservation Area designation and material changes can all change that picture.
What we focus on
Renovations considerations specific to Goonhilly.
01
Original fireplaces, slate floors, beams and joinery are often worth rescuing; the design conversation should start with what stays, not what goes.
02
Listed and curtilage-listed properties need Listed Building Consent for many internal alterations that wouldn't normally need approval.
03
Damp in Cornish cottages is usually a moisture management problem, not a chemical injection problem — fixing the cause is cheaper long term than treating the symptom.
04
Asbestos surveys are standard for anything pre-2000 — we factor a survey into the programme before stripping out begins.
Our process
How a Goonhilly renovation project runs.
Step 1
Survey
Measured survey, condition assessment, services check and listed status review.
Step 2
Design
Layout options, material strategy and a clear list of what stays and what changes.
Step 3
Approvals
Listed Building Consent and building regulations as needed.
Step 4
Strip-out and works
Carefully sequenced demolition, structural works and rebuild.
Step 5
Finish and handover
Joinery, decoration, snagging and documentation pack.
Whole-house renovations typically run six to fourteen months on site; partial remodels two to four months.
Local fabric
Choosing a renovation team that actually knows TR12.
Building stock
Across Goonhilly (TR12) we work on stone cottages, farm buildings, isolated houses, converted barns, small rural infill. Each stock type drives a different renovation response — small rural infill in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Goonhilly sits in the parish of Goonhilly, which matters for how parish-level consultation lands on a renovation application.
Coverage
We cover TR12 from our studio, with regular renovation jobs also running in St Keverne, Truro, St Austell. Most Goonhilly site visits get booked within the same week.
What does a first Goonhilly consultation cost?
Nothing. We come to the property, walk the site, talk through what works on a TR12 plot and follow up with a written feasibility note inside a week — no obligation either way.
Request a free visitGoonhilly is part of St Keverne
Goonhilly sits inside the St Keverne catchment — we cover both as one renovation territory.
See Renovations in St Keverne →Other services in Goonhilly
Nearby places we cover
The renovation jobs we're proudest of in Goonhilly are the ones where the planning route was clear before a single elevation was drawn.