Residential architecture in London is typically made up of Edwardian, Victorian and Georgian houses. During these periods, houses were built for profit for the first time, so multiple properties were often constructed in one go. This gives us the terraced style of housing we know and love in London today. 

House renovations in London are in high demand. At Home Tales, we frequently work with ground floor extensions and loft conversions, and it’s more often than not that we will undertake additional work elsewhere in the property. This is because when you’ve got the builders in, it’s less disruptive and more cost efficient to carry out additional works. 

As many of these properties were constructed well over 100 years ago, it’s not difficult to find items within them that require modernisation. Building standards and regulations have come a long way since these houses were built. If you do choose to undertake home modifications, you might be surprised what you now need in order to obtain building control sign off. As an example, we recently completed a ground floor extension, loft conversion and general refurbishment of a property in Wandsworth. The assigned building control officer requested 4 separate wired fire alarms be installed in the property.  Here are some examples of projects that have added scope to the extension project.

Haringey, N8

We completed a first-floor side and rear extension on this family home in Crouch End. In addition to the extension works, we refurbished an existing bathroom too. The extension completely transformed the property, creating a spacious open plan kitchen, living and dining area. We removed a chimney breast to create even more space. Chimney breast removals don’t add much physical space to the property, but they make the room shape much easier to use. In total, we added an impressive 25SQM to this family home. 

Stroud Green, N4

We extended to the rear on the ground floor of this family home in Stroud Green, N4. The homeowner wanted an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, with a strong visual connection to the garden. We used crittal style doors which span the entire width of the property, ensuring that no corner of the room goes without natural light. The homeowners also opted for a bathroom refurbishment while we were undertaking the building work. They upgraded their dark tile for a light, refreshing alternative. Their bathroom is now a bright and spacious new area.  

Wandsworth, SW18

We were originally instructed to undertake a ground floor extension and loft conversion on this family home. The homeowners decided to make some additional structural modifications at the same time. We always encourage our clients to think about what they want to achieve from their entire ground floor area when extending to the side or rear. This is because it’s crucial that the rear half of the property interacts properly with the front half. The ground floor of a property should be about three things: living, dining and kitchen. The homeowners decided that they wanted to increase the size of the living room. Their loft conversion added two spacious bedrooms to the property, so they felt they needed a larger living room to accommodate the additional heads in the household. As a result, we removed one of the walls that typically separates the front and middle room. This opened up the original living room and almost doubled the size. Due to the side infill extension, the kitchen almost doubled in size which allowed for a spacious kitchen and dining area. 

In addition to the ground floor and loft works, the homeowners opted for a refurbishment on the first floor, to modernise their home to align with the modifications they were undertaking elsewhere. We plastered all of the bedrooms and installed new windows throughout. We removed a wall which separate the WC and bathroom to create one spacious family bathroom. 

Putney, SW15

You don’t have to undertake a home extension to carry out small modifications to your property. We refurbished this family bathroom in Putney, SW15. The homeowners considered a home extension, but they felt it wasn’t the right time for them to undertake substantial building works. As a result, we simply went ahead with a modest bathroom refurbishment. The tiles are from Fired Earth. 

If you are thinking of renovating or extending your property, get in touch with our team today. We would be delighted to learn more about your project and ideas. We can also explain more about how we work and answer any questions you might have on the process. Call us on 0207 043 2378 or email us at hello@hometales.co.uk.