GS Renovation builds house extensions right across London, adding space to the bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces that fill boroughs from Greenwich to Chelsea. With more than 30 years of experience, we handle the groundworks, steelwork, roof and full fit-out, and guide you through whether your project is permitted development or needs planning permission from your local authority.
Side-return and rear extensions in London
The side return, that narrow strip of yard beside the rear closet wing, is wasted space in most London terraces, and infilling it is the single most transformative extension we build. Combined with a rear extension across the full width, it turns a cramped galley kitchen into a bright open-plan kitchen-diner opening onto the garden. The work involves new foundations dug clear of drains and neighbouring walls, steel beams to carry the original rear wall, and a glazed or solid roof.
Many single storey rear extensions in London fall under permitted development, meaning no planning application is needed provided the size, height and materials stay within the limits set by the government. But conservation areas, which cover large parts of Chelsea, Camden and Greenwich, listed buildings, and anything on a flank wall or above one storey usually need a full planning application to the council. We assess your property first, then handle the drawings, the application and the building regulations together.
Double storey and wrap-around extensions in London
Where a plot allows, a double storey extension adds a bedroom or bathroom above the new ground floor space, making far better use of the footprint than a single storey addition alone. A wrap-around combines the side return and rear extension into an L-shape that hugs the back of the house. Both need careful foundation design, because the extra load means deeper footings, and both usually trigger the Party Wall Act where the new structure sits against or near the boundary with a neighbour.
A larger extension is really several trades sequenced in the right order, and that is where a single accountable team earns its keep. We set out the groundworks, pour the foundations, build the shell, fit the steels, tile the roof, then move inside for plastering, wiring, plumbing, heating and decoration. Across London's busy streets we manage skips, deliveries and parking suspensions with the local authority, and keep the house watertight and secure at every stage so you can carry on living in it.
- Bi-fold, sliding and French door openings to the garden
- Levels, drainage and landscaping made good around the new build
- Full fit-out, finishing and making good
- Architectural drawings and structural engineer coordination
- Scaffolding, site set-up and safe access on tight London plots
Why London Homeowners Choose GS Renovation
Extending a London terrace touches structure, planning, party walls and every trade, so homeowners choose GS Renovation to hold it all together. In one contract we cover foundations, steel, roof and fit-out, advise honestly on permitted development versus a planning application, and coordinate with your local authority. Thirty years of building across the capital means fewer surprises and a finish that matches the original house.
- A dedicated project manager from first survey to handover
- Brick and mortar matched to the existing elevation
- Photographs kept at each stage for your records
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- Drainage diverted or built over with the right approval in place
- Party Wall notices served for excavation near a neighbour's wall