Rear House Extensions London

A rear house extension is a great way to add value to your home and can be transformative for your home life, creating space at the back of your property, perhaps for a new kitchen or kitchen/diner open plan area, which can really enhance the appeal of your home. It can work wonders at transforming an uninspiring house into something that works for every member of the family. A rear house extension is a great solution for a terraced house, particularly the Victorian Terraced house that are typical properties in London.

What is a rear extension?

A rear extension extends straight out from the back of a house and is typically a kitchen and / extra living / dining space. A rear extension can be added to any style of house, from semi detatched brick properties, Victorian terraced houses, ground floor flats to detatched period homes. Steal ideas, change layouts to suit and learn from our previous projects. A rear extension is a great way to gain extra square footage / meterage to expand your living and working space. Most people undertake a kitchen extension or kitchen / diner extension. In some cases, particularly with flats, the rear extension is to add an extra bedroom and storage space.

How to connect a rear extension to the rest of the house?

Our in-house design team has worked with many clients to reconfigure the downstairs space and open up existing living areas, creating a better “flow” between the front and back of the house. A lot of times people utilise the existing openings (back door) as a opening to the rear, modern kitchen extension. Some people like to keep the rest of the house separated from the new space. There can also be a small corridor space created that can be used as a utility room and storage space. In some cases, a bigger space is opened up, this is a great way to draw more light from the back of the property into the front. The linking space can be used as a home office or work space, a more formal dining area or a cosy family space. It is very important to consider the exisiting house rooms and how they will work together with the new enhanced space with a rear extension. Our experienced design team can offer lots of ideas and create special plans to suit your requirements.

Why add a rear extension?

One of the big advantages of a new rear extension is the increase in natural light, through fixed windows or bi-fold patio doors. This has the added bonus of connecting the indoor space to the outdoor garden area more readily. Modern windows and doors are incredibly thermally efficient with a solar reflective coating preventing over-heating from the sun and the double glazing systems with high u-values to prevent significant heat loss. A rear extension can really have a significant impact on the whole footprint of the house. It is key to get good designs that are conductive to your lifestyle requirements.

Advantages of a rear extension

One big advantage, is that you do not have the hassle of moving house. A lot of people we work with in London do not want to move area as they love the community and locality, but desperately want extra space. In particular as their family grows, space then comes at a premium. If you add a double storey extension then you will get the added bonus of an extra bedroom upstairs and an extended living and dining space downstairs. The most beneficial part of adding a rear extension, be it double storey or single storey, is the added value to your home. It is important to understand exactly how much a rear extension can add value to your home. However, for it to add value it has to be a well-designed and useful space that compliments the rest of your property.

Each one of our many clients has used the space created by a rear extension differently. Some have opted to create a large open plan living space that incorporates a kitchen, dining area and lounge, while others have chosen to use the space to give them a utility room as well as a large family kitchen – we’ve even had one client use their rear extension as a bedroom. However, you plan on using the space, a rear extension will not only change your home for the better, it can also transform your home life.

Rear Extension Ideas

As we primarily work with clients in London and have worked on numerous projects in conservation areas we are very proud of our build teams that always refurbish sympathetically the old Georgian and Victorian buildings and build stylish new additions with the extension. Even a small rear extension can have a big impact. A small rear extension to a Victorian / Georgian flat can give the downstairs of the home a new lease of life. Giving people more space and a feeling of openness with the likes of rooflights, picture windows and bifold doors making the space feel bright, light and modern. We have worked with clients that have used their rear extensions as bedrooms, particularly in ground floor flats where the extension adds an extra bedroom and in some cases a bathroom. By in large, most people add a rear extension to expand their kitchen and most used and functional area of the house. Below are some examples of rear extensions.

Do I need planning permission for a rear extension?

If your rear extension is less than 4 meters then it is unlikely to require planning permission with the local council and can potentially fall under permitted development. However, it is always important to check the planning rules with each individual borough council. It also differs if you live in a conservation area or heritage zone, in that case you will need planning permission to extend your home.