Mid Cornwall · TR2
Design, planning and build for Probus renovation
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. What works on a TR2 plot rarely works elsewhere — Probus is a substantial inland village between Truro and St Austell, with the tallest church tower in Cornwall and a Conservation Area covering the village centre, with a building stock that leans toward traditional cob and granite cottages and modern Persimmon-style estates.
Probus sits in Mid Cornwall — covering TR2 from Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian outward.
- Conservation Area
- Rural / open-countryside policy area
- ✓ Plain-English feasibility before any drawings
- ✓ Fixed-fee planning packages, no surprise invoices
- ✓ Measured-survey accuracy from day one
- ✓ One studio — design, planning and build under one roof
Local proof — Recent renovation enquiries from Probus have clustered around traditional cob and granite cottages — we know the route through Cornwall Council on these.
Get a free feasibility viewLocal context
Why Probus is its own job.
Cornwall Council's lens on Probus is consistent: conservation Area covers the village core including the church. Tregothnan Estate (the largest private estate in Cornwall) lies to the south and shapes some adjacent applications. For renovation specifically, parts of Probus sit within a designated Conservation Area, which means materials, fenestration and roof pitches all need to read sympathetically with the existing streetscape; 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. That's why we treat every Probus project as a TR2-area job first — not a generic Cornwall job with a postcode bolted on. The traditional cob and granite cottages that dominate Probus (and continue out toward Tresillian) set the tone for any renovation scheme here.
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 Probus.
01
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.
02
Original fireplaces, slate floors, beams and joinery are often worth rescuing; the design conversation should start with what stays, not what goes.
03
Older Cornish properties are often built with cob, rubble or solid granite — modern insulation strategies that work in cavity walls cause damp problems in solid construction. Breathable build-ups matter.
04
Asbestos surveys are standard for anything pre-2000 — we factor a survey into the programme before stripping out begins.
Our process
How a Probus 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
Why Probus homeowners pick a local studio for renovation.
Building stock
Across Probus (TR2) we work on traditional cob and granite cottages, Victorian terraces, Edwardian villas, post-war estates, modern Persimmon-style estates. Each stock type drives a different renovation response — traditional cob and granite cottages in particular needs careful detailing here.
Parish & policy
Probus is its own town in Mid Cornwall, with planning history that's specific to the TR2 catchment.
Coverage
We cover TR2 from our studio, with regular renovation jobs also running in Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian. Most Probus site visits get booked within the same week.
How quickly can you visit a Probus site?
Usually within the same week. Probus (TR2) is on our regular Mid Cornwall run, alongside Grampound, Ladock, Tresillian. First visits are free and you'll get an honest feasibility view inside seven days.
Request a free visitFAQs
Probus Renovations — local questions answered.
- How much does a full renovation cost in Probus?
- 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. In Probus specifically, we'd start by checking the Conservation Area boundary before committing to a direction.
- Can you renovate and extend at the same time?
- Yes, and often it's the right call — the planning, regs and disruption all happen once instead of twice. We design and price it as a single project.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Other services in Probus
Nearby places we cover
Designing a renovation in Probus is as much about reading the parish as reading the brief; we do both, and the planning outcomes follow.