Renovation

noun

Frequency

Medium

CEFR Level

Neutral

Domain

Improvement

Definition

The act or process of repairing and improving a building or room so that it is in good condition again.

Context Alive

The café on the corner had been closed for weeks with boards over the windows. A small sign on the door said it was undergoing renovation and would reopen soon. When it finally did, the whole interior had been transformed with new flooring, fresh lighting, and a beautiful wooden bar.

Meanings

1 meaning

1 Repairing and Improving a Building or Room (Noun) Very Common ▼

This meaning is about the process of fixing up and modernizing a building, room, or space. Imagine a family buying an old house with outdated plumbing, cracked tiles, and peeling wallpaper — they hire contractors and spend three months turning it into a beautiful, modern home. That entire process is a renovation. This is the work involved in bringing something worn and tired back to life. You might say “the hotel is closed for renovation” or “the kitchen renovation cost more than we expected.” Or picture walking past a historic theatre wrapped in scaffolding with a sign reading “major renovations in progress.” The word carries a sense of transformation — something old becoming something better. ✏️ You can use it as uncountable (“under renovation”) or plural (“the renovations took six months”) — both are very common.

Vivid Example

The school had been in terrible shape for years, with leaking ceilings and broken windows. When the council finally approved funding for a full renovation, teachers and students were thrilled. Six months later, the building looked brand new, and everyone felt proud to walk through the doors again.

Examples from the Street

“Sorry about the mess — we’re in the middle of a renovation.”

Apologies for the state of the place — we’re halfway through major building work

“The renovation cost us twice what we originally budgeted.”

The building project ended up being double the amount we planned to spend

“Have you seen the pub since the renovation? It’s unrecognisable.”

Have you been to the pub since they rebuilt it? It looks like a completely different place

Common Patterns

a major/big/complete/full renovation → a large-scale project that changes most or all of a building

a minor/small renovation → a smaller improvement project focusing on specific areas

home/house/kitchen/bathroom renovation → improvement work on a specific property or space

in the middle of a renovation → currently going through the process of rebuilding or improving

the renovation took (time) → how long the building work lasted

the renovation cost (amount) → how much the improvement work ended up costing

before/after the renovation → comparing how something looked or functioned prior to and following the work

during the renovation → while the building work was taking place

under/undergoing renovation → currently being improved or rebuilt (often on signs or in announcements)

in need of renovation → in poor condition and requiring significant improvement

renovation work → the physical activity and labour involved in improving a property

renovation project → an organised plan to improve a property, often used for larger-scale work

renovation plan/budget/timeline → the details and logistics of the improvement work

urban/city renovation → the process of modernising and improving run-down districts

renovation of (public building/space) → improvement of a shared or community space

renovation programme/scheme → a formal plan to restore or modernise an area or group of buildings

Collocations

3 collocations

major renovation

a large-scale building improvement project

home renovation

improving and updating a residential property

renovation project

planned work to restore or modernise a building

Example Sentences

12 examples

The renovation of the old library took eighteen months and cost over two million pounds

The rebuilding of the former book-lending building lasted a year and a half and came to more than two million in total.

We’re in the middle of a kitchen renovation, so we’ve been eating takeaway every night

We’re halfway through rebuilding the cooking area, so we’ve been ordering food delivered to the house every evening.

The museum is closed for major renovation and won’t reopen until next spring

The gallery has shut down for large-scale improvement work and isn’t expected to welcome visitors again until the following season.

They showed us the before and after photos of the renovation — the difference was incredible

They let us see pictures from prior to and following the building work — the transformation was astonishing.

The building is beautiful but clearly in need of renovation — the walls are crumbling and the roof is leaking

The structure is lovely but obviously requires serious improvement work — the walls are falling apart and water is coming through the top.

Our renovation budget was fifty thousand, but we ended up spending nearly double

We planned to invest fifty thousand in the building work, but the final cost was almost twice that amount.

The sign on the door said the pool was undergoing renovation and would reopen in September

The notice at the entrance stated that the swimming facility was currently being improved and would be available again in early autumn.

She’s documenting the entire home renovation on social media and has thousands of followers

She’s recording every stage of the house improvement project online and has attracted a huge audience.

The renovation work starts next week, so we’ll need to move everything out of the ground floor

The building improvement begins in seven days, so we’ll have to clear all our belongings from the lower level.

It was a massive renovation project — they gutted the entire building and started from scratch

It was a huge improvement undertaking — they stripped out everything inside the structure and rebuilt it all from nothing.

Learner Examples

★

The school’s language lab is undergoing renovation, so speaking practice sessions have been moved to the main hall temporarily

The institution’s dedicated language room is currently being improved, so oral exercises have been relocated to the central assembly space for the time being.

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A good renovation of your study habits can transform your progress — sometimes you need to strip everything back and rebuild from the ground up

A thorough overhaul of the way you approach learning can completely change your development — occasionally you have to remove all your old methods and start again with a fresh system.