Moving a kitchen upstairs to create a family hub.

Fitting the kitchen into the room

When the kitchen supplier first measured the new space, they were concerned the homeowners’ preferred position wouldn’t work as there wasn’t enough space.

We worked through the layout with the designer and found a way to make it fit, by extending the counter space and not forcing an island into a room which couldn’t contain it.

The finished kitchen wraps around in a U shape, with the sink in a peninsula and the worktop extending into a breakfast bar.

Making room for a bigger family bathroom

Moving the kitchen upstairs freed its old room for a much larger bathroom.

The homeowners wanted a full-size bath for their children as well as a separate walk-in shower. At the far end of the room, a small section of floor was lowered to give the shower enough headroom.

Before

After

Finding storage beneath the stairs

The old bathroom beneath the stairs became a utility and walk-in wardrobe, with the washing machine and dryer stacked alongside hanging space and shelving.

Before

After

While working beside the stairs, the team noticed that part of the wall sounded hollow. Behind it was unused space, which was opened up and turned into recessed shelving.

Finding surprise spaces in London homes

This wasn’t the first time we’ve found extra space inside London homes whilst working on a home. We’ll always let you know if we find an opportunity for you to make more out of the space you have.

Matching the external roof & brick

This property already had a slight rear extension, and the homeowner wanted to keep the exterior aesthetic so it matches as close as possible.

As you can see below we found matching bricks and tiled both the roof and walls to make it look as if it were one continuous wraparound extension.

Before

After

Finding the cause of the damp

One area of the lower-ground bedroom floor kept getting wet.

Rather than covering it over or immediately recommending a much more expensive waterproofing system, the floor was opened up so the cause could be investigated properly.

An old plumbing pipe buried in the screed was leaking. It was removed, and the floor was rebuilt with a damp-proof membrane, insulation and screed.

Moving out while the work was done

This was not a project where the family could realistically live around the build, as walls were being opened, floors excavated, electrics rewired and the kitchen and bathroom relocated.

So the homeowners rented another house on the same road while the work was underway.

Work started in November and finished by the end of January, including an almost two-week shutdown over Christmas.

Christmas holidays timeline

Due to our team taking time off during Christmas holidays, homeowners who move out of their house for the builds often choose to start their projects in January to avoid this near 2 week shutdown.

Moving the services with the rooms

Moving the kitchen and bathroom meant the plumbing had to move with them. New hot and cold supplies were run to both rooms, along with new heating pipework to the new column radiators.

The boiler was still relatively new, so it was kept. The wiring was much older, so the flat was fully rewired and a new consumer unit installed.

Keeping skip costs down

A road skip in this area would have cost more than £500 a week in permit charges.

Instead, bagged waste was stored temporarily in part of the front garden, then collected in full loads using a wait-and-load skip.

It meant more handling for the team, but the extra labour wasn’t added to the homeowner’s bill.

What the base price covers

The price covers the full core build, including the labour and site management needed to take the extension from groundworks through to a structurally complete, weather-protected, insulated, plastered and serviced space.

The core build also comes with our workmanship warranty.

See a breakdown of what’s included

What isn’t in the base price

Some parts of the finished project sit outside the £69,000 core build and are added once the design is confirmed.

These include the kitchen, finished flooring, wet underfloor heating, aluminium or timber doors and windows, wider renovation work elsewhere in the flat and any council permit required to place skips on the road.

An insurance-backed warranty is also available if wanted, with the cost based on the project value and type of work.

What can change the base price

The £69,000 base assumes standard foundations, straightforward drainage, normal access and the standard structural package included in the core build.

If the survey or structural design shows that the house needs deeper foundations, drainage alterations, more complex steelwork or unusually difficult access, we’ll show the extra cost clearly.

What this home added

This project went far beyond the extension itself.

The homeowners also had the kitchen fitted, the bathroom moved and rebuilt, existing floors reconstructed, the flat rewired, plumbing and radiators renewed, a utility and walk-in wardrobe created, recessed storage made beside the stairs and the flat decorated throughout. Cork flooring was fitted through most of the home, with tiles in the bathroom.

The homeowners chose to supply the kitchen, flooring, bathroom sanitary-ware and paint. Those elements sit outside the core extension price and were priced from the final plans and chosen products.

Look at the whole layout, not just the extended space

The extra floor area was useful, but the bigger gain came from moving rooms around. In a home with limited space, it can be worth reconsidering what each existing room is used for rather than treating the extension as a room on its own.

A kitchen island isn’t always the best use of space

The kitchen was too tight for a freestanding island, so a peninsula provided worktop, storage and a breakfast bar without taking up half of the available room space.

Investigate damp before covering it

The wet bedroom floor turned out to have a leaking pipe buried beneath it. Opening the floor first meant the cause could be dealt with before the new floor was built.

Flats can involve more neighbours than you’d naturally think

Because this was a flat, the Party Wall process involved more than just the neighbour next door. The two flats above also had to be included, which added around three and a half weeks before work could start.

If you’re planning work to extend a flat, it’s worth finding out early who needs to be involved so it doesn’t come as a surprise later.