Retrofit Coordinator in London: whole-house retrofit planning
Planning insulation, new windows or a heat pump? A retrofit coordinator looks at your whole home first, so the work you pay for saves energy without causing damp, mould or poor air. We work with private homeowners and landlords across London and north-west Kent.
What a retrofit coordinator does
Retrofit means improving an existing home so it uses less energy and is more comfortable to live in. That might be loft or wall insulation, better windows, new ventilation or a change of heating system. Each measure changes how heat and moisture move through the building. Done in the wrong order, or without enough ventilation, a well-meant upgrade can lead to condensation, mould and damage to the structure.
A retrofit coordinator is the person who looks after the whole picture. Instead of a different trade recommending a different product, you get one qualified person who assesses the home as a system, weighs up the risks and writes a plan that sets out what to do, in what order and why. We stay involved as you move towards the work, so the decisions made on paper are the ones carried out on site.
Our retrofit coordination is for privately funded projects. We do not deliver government-funded schemes. That keeps the advice independent: we are not selling insulation, windows or heat pumps, so our recommendations are based on what suits your home.
- An independent, whole-house view of your property
- A risk check for every proposed measure
- A written plan with priorities and the right order of works
- Advice that protects the building and the people living in it
- Plain-English explanations, without sales pressure
Our retrofit process, step by step
1. First conversation
We talk about the property, what you want to achieve, your budget and any problems you already know about, such as cold rooms, damp or high bills.
2. Assessment
A site visit to record the building’s construction, condition, ventilation, heating and energy performance, and how the household uses the home.
3. Risk check
Each possible measure is checked for moisture, ventilation and thermal-bridging risks, and how it affects the rest of the house.
4. Improvement plan
A medium-term improvement plan sets out the recommended measures, their priority and the safest order, so you can do the work in stages if you need to.
5. Design and installer support
We help you brief designers and installers, and check that what is proposed matches the plan.
6. Handover and follow-up
After the work, we review the outcome and make sure you know how to use and ventilate the home properly.
Qualified, hands-on and local
Every project is led by Oluwafemi Adeoye, founder of Alpha Performance Solutions Ltd. You deal with the person who visits your home and writes your plan, not a call centre.
- Level 5 qualified Retrofit Coordinator
- Trained as a Retrofit Assessor
- City & Guilds Level 4 Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA)
- Elmhurst-accredited non-domestic energy assessor for commercial EPCs
Alpha Performance Solutions Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 15423395.
Retrofit for London’s housing types
London’s homes were built over more than a century, using very different methods. The right approach for one house can be the wrong one for the next street.
Victorian and Edwardian terraces
Most have solid brick walls with no cavity, suspended timber floors and chimneys. These walls handle moisture differently from modern ones, so the choice between internal and external wall insulation, and the materials used, needs care. Timber floor joists, party walls and window reveals are common places for cold spots and condensation after a poorly planned upgrade.
1930s semi-detached houses
Many have early cavity walls, bay windows and hipped roofs. Cavity insulation can work well, but only if the cavity, the outer brickwork and the level of exposure to wind-driven rain are suitable. Bays, extensions and loft conversions often need separate thought.
Post-war flats and blocks
Blocks built from the 1950s to the 1970s, including concrete and system-built homes such as those in Thamesmead, bring their own issues: concrete frames that conduct heat, balconies, shared walls and limited ventilation. In flats, some work may need the freeholder’s or managing agent’s agreement, so we help you understand what is in your control.
Damp, condensation and ventilation risk
Making a home more airtight and better insulated is the point of most retrofit work. But everyday life puts a lot of moisture into the air, from cooking, showering, drying clothes and breathing. If that moisture has nowhere to go, it condenses on the coldest surfaces and mould follows.
That is why ventilation is part of every plan we write. We check the existing extract fans, trickle vents and air paths, look for signs of damp and its causes, and recommend ventilation improvements alongside insulation, not as an afterthought. If there is already a damp or mould problem, we deal with the cause first. Our damp, mould and condensation reports can be carried out as part of the same visit.
For landlords, this also helps with your duty to provide a safe, healthy home. Social landlords can read about our Awaab’s Law support.
EPC ratings and planning upgrades
For most privately rented homes in England and Wales, the current legal minimum EPC rating is E. A retrofit plan helps you choose upgrades that improve the rating in a sensible order, without creating new problems for your tenants. Domestic EPCs start from £75, and our landlord certificates pack brings your EPC, inventory and damp reports together. To get an early idea of which measures might suit a property, try our free Home Upgrade Checker, or read about heat pumps and solar.
Retrofit coordination questions
Something else? Call 020 3815 7739 (office), 07979 145712 (mobile) or send us a message.
Do I need a retrofit coordinator for a privately funded project?
It is not a legal requirement for most private work, but it is good practice for anything beyond a single simple measure. A coordinator checks how the upgrades work together, spots moisture and ventilation risks early and gives you a plan your installers can follow.
What does a whole-house retrofit approach mean?
It means looking at the home as a whole before any work starts: assessing it, judging the risk of each upgrade, planning the work in the right order and checking the results afterwards.
What is the difference between a retrofit assessor and a retrofit coordinator?
The assessor collects the facts: the condition of the building, energy use and how the household lives in it. The coordinator uses that information to judge the risks, write the improvement plan and oversee the project from start to finish.
How long does the process take?
The visit and assessment usually take a few hours on site. The written plan follows after that. We will give you a timescale for your property when we discuss the project, because it depends on its size and how complex it is.
Do you work with landlords on EPC upgrades?
Yes. For most privately rented homes in England and Wales, the current legal minimum EPC rating is E. We can help you understand your current rating and plan sensible upgrades in the right order. Domestic EPCs start from £75.
Should damp be fixed before insulating?
Yes. Insulating over an existing damp problem can trap moisture and make things worse. We look for the cause first, whether that is a leak, rising or penetrating damp, or condensation, and plan repairs and ventilation before insulation.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in south-east London and cover Greenwich, Bexley, Thamesmead, Lewisham and Dartford, plus the rest of London and Kent. Call 020 3815 7739 (office) or 07979 145712 (mobile) to check your postcode.
More about retrofit
- Retrofit assessment: what the visit covers and how to prepare
- Medium-term improvement plans: the right upgrades in the right order
- Condensation and ventilation risk: retrofit without the mould
- EPC upgrades for landlords
- Areas we cover: Greenwich, Bexley, Thamesmead, Lewisham and Dartford
Ready to talk about retrofit?
Tell us about the property and what you want to achieve. Call 020 3815 7739 (office) or 07979 145712 (mobile) and we’ll give you a clear next step.
More ways we can help
Landlord Certificates
EPC, inventory and damp reports, with EICRs arranged through our partner qualified electricians — one pack.