Home extension companies in London will certainly be familiar with the term wraparound extension. A ground floor wraparound extension is an extension that extends into the side return of a property and that also extends to the rear, creating an l-shape ‘wraparound’ on the existing host property. It is certainly one of the larger extensions that we undertake here at Home Tales, at it extends into two areas, both widening and lengthening the room. 

What other types of extensions are there? 

In general terms, there are four types of ground floor extensions. A side return extension simply extends into the side return of a property, creating one flush end to the room. In a typical London terrace, there is often an outrigger on the property that is two thirds the width of the house (typically the kitchen). The side return extends into the width of this room, creating one large room towards the rear. Even though your side return might not seem very wide (they are typically only 1/1.5m wide), adding this area into an existing room makes a huge difference. Here is an example of a ground floor side return extension we undertook in Wandsworth. The original room was 3.5m wide. When extended into the side return, we added 1m onto the width of the room. The room is now 4.5m in width and 6m in length. 

There are also a huge proportion of London terraces that don’t have an existing outrigger, and that are flat at the rear. In this case, you can simply extend to the rear. This would involve removing the rear wall of your ground floor and pushing it back, creating a new roof as you do so. Here is an example of a rear extension we undertook in Croydon. We extended 3.5m to the rear on this property, creating this gorgeous open plan kitchen and dining area. The skylight has been built into the new roof and frames the dining area. 

Another type of extension you should consider is a side and rear extension. This shouldn’t be confused with a wraparound extension, as it is slightly different. This involves extending into the side return and also extending the original width of the property to the rear, creating a corner shape. This type of extension might be considered if your local council feels a wraparound would be too dominant on the host property, or if they are concerned about your neighbour’s outlook. 

The last type of extension is a wraparound extension, in which you extend to the side and rear, but connect the extensions so that there is one flush wall to the rear. 

So how much value does an extension add to a property? We have a fantastic blog article which discusses just that, here.

How much will it cost?

Every single extension that we design is unique, and it’s impossible to give one generic cost to one type of extension. That said, we can certainly offer some guidance. Wraparound extensions are typically the largest extensions, as they utilise space from two areas. They will also require a significant amount of structural work, as you are supporting your existing property and also creating an entirely new structure to the rear of your existing property. For a typical wraparound extension in London, on a property that is 4.5m in width and a final room length of 8m, you will be looking at a build cost of around £70-80k. 

In terms of design fees, here at Home Tales, we offer a design package that includes architectural design, planning permission and your building regulations pack (structural details). For a typical ground floor wraparound extension, we would charge in the region of £3-4k for this package. During the design phase, we develop your design with you. You get unlimited amendments, so you can experiment with lots of options. Many of our clients experiment with different types of extensions during the design phase. Once you have some basic floorplans from us, you can invite our recommended builder round to discuss budget estimates for each option. This means you are moving forward onto the next stage of the design phase (planning permission) with a proposal that is feasible from a budget perspective. 

Kitchen cost 

It’s worth factoring in the final fittings of your kitchen extension when you are considering your design. The larger the room, the larger the cost on all of your fittings. It’s worth considering that your kitchen will be larger and the SQM area for your final floor choice will also be impacted. It’s easy to get carried away with the figures! Companies like Magnet and Wickes offer fantastic free kitchen consultations, so you can create your dream kitchen with them and get a detailed quote. 

If you are thinking of extending your property and want to discuss your ideas in more detail, book a telephone consultation with a member of our team today. We can explain more about how we work and the overall process. We also understand more about your project which enables us to issue you with a quote for the works. Call our team today on 0207 043 2378 or email us at hello@hometales.co.uk. We also have a live booking link which enables you to confirm your slot straight away. We look forward to hearing from you!