Ah, the side return extension: it’s the to-do or not-to-do conundrum which will keep many a London homeowner awake at night.
Yes, it’s frighteningly costly and messy, but it’s the ultimate architectural tweak to take the long and narrow Victorian terrace into 21st-century living.
Interior designer Gemma Fabbri, founder of Studio Fabbri, overhauled her galley kitchen in Walthamstow last year, infilling the pointless side alley and adding two metres onto the 4m-long space.
Having completed a loft extension during the pandemic, and watching the price of materials rise, “we realised that if we didn’t jump in and try and do it at the tightest budget we could, we’d probably end up having to move,” says Fabbri, who lives with partner Danny and their children aged 12 and seven.
She set a budget of £100,000, and through careful planning and shopping around, only went slightly over it. In the process, Fabbri has gained 14 extra square metres from her outlay, and it has proved “life-changing”.
But she warns that it should be viewed as a long-term investment.
“If you’re living in your house for a few years and want to add value to flip it to make money out of it, it’s probably not the wisest choice at the moment,” she says. “But if your family is growing and you want to stay there for the next 10 to 15 years, then maybe it’s the right thing.”
To those embarking on the project, she’s sharing her learnings and tips.
Finding and architect and a builder
An architect can design you a glass-clad extension worthy of Grand Designs, but can you actually afford it?
Find the right practice for your budget by asking for local recommendations; Fabbri suggests posting on neighbourhood Facebook groups or apps like NextDoor. Then, lose your inhibitions and request to visit people’s projects IRL.
“Find out the pros and cons, and ask them about the builders too, and what they were like,” says Fabbri. She commissioned SS4 Architects, as they were frank about what she could achieve on her budget.
Because of her industry experience, Fabbri saved money by requesting a simple, structural shell drawing and then implemented her own design. (For a similar-size project, covering all stages from survey to completion, would cost just under £10,000 plus VAT).
Obtaining three quotes for building work is recommended, but Fabbri says to comb through each one, “because sometimes fitting the kitchen won’t be included, and so the cheaper quote might not end up being the cheapest”. An architect can also help procure contractors through a process called tendering, where itemised quotes are submitted, but there is often a fee for this.
Can you afford an interior designer?
Yes. It sounds extravagant, but in for a penny and all that.
To prevent remortgaging a six-figure sum on a room, only to end up with a dining area which seats four instead of the desired six, is probably worth the interior designer’s fee alone.
“It’s so important to plan the space and really think about the layout,” says Fabbri, who offers a space planning and concept design service which considers the architect’s plans and helps zone things like where the island (if you want one) and kitchen table will go.
Higher tiers of her service — and that of other designers — include detailed design development, choosing fixtures and fittings, designing cabinets, and taking advantage of trade discounts.
“You actually get a lot of stress taken away,” says Fabbri, “but it’s all down to budget and where you can save on your own time. Some people will work out their hourly rate is at work and what it’s costing to do it themselves.”
Live in? Live out? And other hidden costs
It’s arguably those who are super-flush who will have the means to rent nearby for at least four months while the back of the house is rebuilt.
Fabbri chose to live-in during her five-month works, and reaped the benefits of overseeing items arriving on time and being able to respond to construction queries, which, no matter how sound your planning, inevitably arise.
There are also costs which won’t be in your build quote: expect a bill from Thames Water if building over a sewer, and structural engineer fees. There are also costs for planning, inspections and building control.
“Budget for at least £2,000,” says Fabbri.
Splashing out versus cutting back
Fabbri’s kitchen may not look like it, but it’s a lesson in fiscal restraint.
The main kitchen units are off-the-peg Ikea (£2,676), elevated with handles from Scandi brand Toniton, and framed with a plywood casing for a more bespoke look, while the run of plywood units was sourced and cut by a local workshop and hand-finished by Fabbri and Danny.
The pitched windows down the side are solar-panelled Velux fittings, a pivot from a more elaborate (read: costly) design featuring pure glass. Easy to order online, install and shop around for, Fabbri has no regrets: “Summers are getting hotter and having roof lights we can open was really important. We exposed the ceiling joists and it gives a really nice detail.”
The Marmoleum flooring, a linseed-based lino by Forbo, also proved cost-effective compared to trendy poured concrete, which can take up to a fortnight to set (putting a hard stop to the building work).
Fabbri chose the brand’s concrete range for its tonal variations and forgiveness against paw prints and crumbs. Robust and quick to lay, it’s the ultimate in low maintenance.
But she splashed out on the Caesarstone matte terrazzo quartz worktop (£2,700), and will always steer clients to do the same, “because with a cheap one you will definitely have to replace it”. Going straight to a local stone yard can help you save money by cutting out the middleman.
The big bi-fold debate
Do fiddly bi-folds hold the aspiration they once did?
The reality of the British weather makes them too cold in winter, too hot in summer, and rarely opened to their full (and patio-encroaching) potential. Fabbri decided against them because “I feel they stop the circulation and flow of the space working well”, and opted for a single door and picture window instead.
The latter has a deep, plywood frame which makes it a perfect spot for curling up in. “I actually find the connection to nature is greater than with bi-folds, because you can sit year-round looking outside with a cup of tea,” she muses. It has a pivot-and-slide mechanism with sleek, slim frames and the option of opening up each pane individually, or sliding them to one side.
At £2,926, the window by Sunseeker (who also installs it) proved a big spend, but Fabbri shopped around for the door, by Origin (which is stocked by many retailers), and landed on a business in Surrey who supplied and fitted for £500 less than local companies.
The small (but important) details
The reason why your neighbours’ side return feels like a generic hard box is because they haven’t considered the acoustics and the interior designer’s favourite: a mix of textures.
Fabbri handpicked touches like fluted tiles and sealed a raw plaster wall to stop the space feeling blank and one-dimensional. Suspended light fittings, plants, wood and the Marmoleum all help to absorb sound. And then there’s the exposed beam, which is painted in bright pink and ideal for trailing plants.
Just don’t forget a super-quiet washing machine.
