Roma Finance has been named as the finance partner for the rollout of the Refurb Calculator, a digital tool that gives property developers, investors and entrepreneurs faster refurbishment cost estimates using live market data.
The Refurb Calculator was developed by Tony Walker, founder of Help Build, with Rich Devenport of Overstone.
It gives a breakdown of refurbishment spend, including total budget, schedule of works and a cost summary, within minutes.
Estimates are based on live procurement data from Help Build’s delivery team, so pricing reflects real-time costs for materials, labour and allowances across the UK.
Roma Finance said its partnership backs solutions that improve appraisal quality, cost forecasting and project success rates, especially in refurbishment where costs can change quickly.
Walker said: “Every refurbishment must be costed on its own merit — there is no universal m² figure, and relying on one puts profitability at risk.
“With the Refurb Calculator, developers can view a property, input what they see and receive a full breakdown built on the same pricing our team uses to cost and deliver refurb projects every week.
“It creates cost certainty from day one, and that is a powerful shift for the industry.”
A key feature of the tool is the schedule of works, which helps developers get like-for-like contractor quotes, manage spend and protect profit margins during the project.
Michael Allison, commercial director at Roma Finance, said: “At Roma Finance, we focus on building long-term relationships with our customers, supporting them with more than just lending.
“We provide expertise, guidance and introductions to trusted professionals and tools that help them make informed development decisions.
“Partnering with Refurb Calculator aligns perfectly with this approach — it gives developers access to data-driven refurbishment costs, enabling them to plan with confidence, reduce risk and improve project outcomes.
Allison added: “In working with Tony, we’ve been genuinely impressed by his focus, clarity of vision and commitment to helping developers succeed.
“Supporting innovation like this is part of how we help our customers move forward and deliver successful projects.”
