Generic case study. We do not name the owner, the address or the agent — the value is the survey, the zone split, the kit specification and the single-day work pattern that means the flat is ready for letting the next morning.
The brief
A Bath BA2 ground-floor flat (single-storey rear extension forming the open-plan kitchen-diner-living, two original front rooms used as bedroom and study). The owner had bought it as a refurb-and-let project. Existing lighting was a single pendant on a rose in each room — flat, low-output, undimmable, dated. The brief was: bring it up to a modern lettable standard with even, dimmable LED downlights in the open-plan extension and over-bed reading lighting in the bedroom, all in a single working day so the flat could go straight to the agent for photos the next morning.
What we did
Survey + zone design (morning of install)
- Lifted the existing pendant rose in the open-plan extension, confirmed the lighting circuit (1.5 mm² T&E, RCBO-protected at the board)
- Marked out a 4 × 3 grid of 12 downlight positions on the ceiling: 6 over the kitchen-prep run, 6 over the dining/sofa side
- Split into two dimming zones: Zone A — kitchen 6, Zone B — dining/sofa 6. Independent dimmers so cooking light and dining light can run at different levels
- Confirmed ceiling void clearance from above (single-storey extension — pitched roof void, easy access for cabling)
12 LED dimmable downlights
- Fire-rated, IP65, integrated LED, 2700 K warm white, CRI >90, 600–650 lm each
- Dimmable from a standard mains trailing-edge dimmer plate (no separate driver to fail)
- 6+ year manufacturer LED lifespan, fitted in chrome bezel to match the kitchen accessory finish
- Beam angle 60° for an even wash with no dark spots between fittings
MK Click Deco Plus chrome plates
- Two-gang Click Scolmore Deco Plus screwless chrome dimmer plate at the kitchen entrance — one gang per zone
- Single-gang Click Scolmore Deco Plus screwless chrome 2-way switches retained on the bedroom and study circuits (existing plates upgraded as part of the visit)
- Click Deco Plus chrome on every accessory finish for visual consistency through the flat
The kit
| Component | Spec |
|---|---|
| Downlights | 12 × LED, IP65, fire-rated, 2700 K, CRI >90, 600–650 lm, dimmable, chrome bezel |
| Dimmer plate | Click Scolmore Deco Plus screwless chrome 2-gang trailing-edge dimmer |
| Other accessories | Click Scolmore Deco Plus screwless chrome (consistent across the flat) |
| Cable | 1.5 mm² T&E to existing lighting circuit, joist-drilled in extension void |
| Protection | Lighting circuit on existing Type A 30 mA RCBO at the board |
| LED lifespan | 6+ year manufacturer rating (~50,000 hours) |
| Standards | BS 7671 (18th Edition Amd 2), Part P notified via NAPIT |
Single-day install — 7:30 in, 6 pm out
- 07:30 — Arrival, dust sheets, marking out. Floor and worktops covered, downlight grid marked on the ceiling with masking tape and pencil dots (laser level used to keep the grid square).
- 08:30 — Coring. 12 downlight cores drilled with a hole saw, dust extracted at source.
- 10:00 — Cabling. Lighting circuit extended from the existing pendant rose, looped through the 12 fittings on two zones, terminated back to the dimmer plate position.
- 12:30 — Lunch.
- 13:00 — Second fix. Downlights set, MK Click Deco Plus dimmer plate fitted, all other accessories in the flat upgraded to matching chrome.
- 15:30 — Test. Insulation, continuity, polarity, Zs, RCD trip time on the lighting circuit. Each zone tested independently across the full dim range.
- 17:00 — Cleardown. Cores vacuumed, dust sheets out, ceiling marks cleaned off, every fitting wiped down for the agent's photos.
- 18:00 — Paperwork. Minor Works Certificate, Part P notification, photos and VAT invoice in the owner's inbox before the agent's morning visit.
Result
Open-plan extension transformed from a single dim pendant to a modern, evenly lit, two-zone dimmable space — ready for the letting agent's photographer the next morning. Owner reported the photos came back significantly brighter and the flat let inside two weeks at the asking rent. Lighting load on the extension circuit dropped from a single 60 W incandescent pendant to 12 × ~7 W LEDs (84 W total at full brightness, typically run at 40–60% dimmed), giving lower running cost than the old fitting at full output and dramatically more usable light. No callbacks since handover — LED lifespan rated for 6+ years before any of the 12 fittings should need attention.
Who it's for
Bath flat owners and Mid Somerset homeowners refurbishing a property to let, prepping for sale, or simply tired of single-pendant rooms. Particularly suited to single-storey extensions and ground-floor flats where the ceiling void above is accessible and the work can be done in a single day without disrupting the rest of the building. Typical target rooms: open-plan kitchen-diners, lounges, master bedrooms, family bathrooms (bathroom downlights are zone-rated separately).
BS 7671 cert + Part P
Handover paperwork:
- BS 7671 Minor Works Certificate — NAPIT-format, lighting-circuit readings logged
- Part P Building Regulations Compliance Certificate — notified through NAPIT to local building control
- Photos of the finished install for the owner's records and the letting agent
- VAT invoice — itemised, VAT @ 20%
Why this approach. A single-day downlight retrofit only works if the survey is done in the first hour and the kit is on the van. Mark the grid square with a laser, split into two zones at the dimmer plate not at the board, keep the accessories consistent through the flat, and test before the dust sheets come out. Flat looks ready-to-photograph by 6 pm, paperwork by 7.
Also see: downlights, lighting design, Bath area.