Extensions
Side returns, rear extensions, lofts — designed and built honestly.
We build extensions onto Victorian and Edwardian terraces in East and North London. Side returns. Rear extensions. Single-storey, double-storey, and loft conversions. We do not pretend an extension is a small job — most run between £80,000 and £180,000 depending on size, glazing, and finish.
Most extensions involve an architect, a structural engineer, building control, and party wall agreements with neighbours. We work alongside whoever you have already engaged, or we recommend people we trust. We handle the build itself, the building control, and the coordination of all the trades.
A good extension joins onto an old house in a way that feels like it was always there. The roof line meets the existing roof line. The brick course meets the existing brick course. The floor levels are the same on both sides of the join. Most of the skill is in those small connection points — and most of the money you spend on a bad extension is fixing them later.
The way we work on every extensions project.
Designed honestly
Before we quote, we walk through the architect's drawings together and tell you where they will work, where they won't, and what the build will actually involve. Not every drawing builds the way it draws.
Foundationed properly
Extensions on Victorian terraces are usually founded close to existing services and tree roots. We dig trial pits, talk to building control early, and design the foundations to suit the ground — not to a nominal depth on a drawing.
Joined cleanly
Where the new build meets the old, brick courses are matched, lintels are levelled with existing window heads, and the new roof tucks into the old roof properly. The join is the work nobody sees but everybody feels.
Glazed for performance
Modern extension glazing is cheap to draw and expensive to specify. We work with glazing suppliers we trust, on aluminium or steel-look frames, with good thermal breaks and properly U-rated glass.
Finished to match
A good extension reads as a single space with the original house. We continue floor finishes through where it makes sense, match skirtings, and deal with the door reveals so they look architectural, not functional.
Recent extensions work.
Honest, specific, no price list.
Real questions, answered honestly.
Do I need planning permission?
Sometimes. Many extensions sit under permitted development and don't need full planning. Many do — particularly in Conservation Areas, on corner plots, or for double-storey work. We check at the consultation and submit the application if needed.
What about party wall agreements?
Required for most extension work. We organise the party wall surveyors, brief the neighbours, and handle the agreements before work starts. Skipping this step causes most of the legal grief in extension projects.
Can I live in the house during the build?
Usually yes for the early-stage work, but the moment the back wall comes down, you will need to be out for a period. We programme this into the build so the disruption is concentrated and brief.
How do you handle the kitchen during a rear extension?
Most rear extensions involve a temporary kitchen — we set you up with a basic working kitchen elsewhere in the house, often in a utility room or a corner of a living room, while the main kitchen build happens. It's rough but workable.
Do you handle loft conversions?
Yes — provided the loft has the headroom and the structure to take it. Most Victorian terrace lofts in E17 are convertible. We will assess at the consultation and tell you honestly whether it's worth doing.
Related: Home renovations · Internal remodelling · Kitchens
Considering a extensions project?
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