That Narrow Strip Down the Side of Your House Is Worth More Than You Think

If you own a Victorian or Edwardian terraced house in West London, North London or North West London, have a look down the side of your property.

There’s probably a strip of space there. Maybe a metre wide, maybe two. Paved over. Used for bins. Or just ignored completely.

That strip is one of the most undervalued things in London property. I’ve been saying this for years and homeowners are always surprised when they see what it can become.

What a Side Return Actually Does

A side return extension takes that wasted passage and brings it into the ground floor of your home. And the transformation is almost always dramatic.

Take a typical London terrace with a small enclosed kitchen at the back. Add the side return one to two metres wide, around six metres long and suddenly the whole ground floor opens up. Walls come down, light comes in, and what was a cramped galley kitchen becomes a wide open plan kitchen and dining room that runs the full width of the house.

We’ve done this more times than I can count. Every single time, the reaction from the homeowners is the same. They can’t believe it was sitting there all along.

Why It Works So Well

It’s not just about the extra floor space. A properly designed side return with a glazed roof or good rooflights brings natural light deep into the middle of the house. The whole ground floor feels bigger than it actually is. That’s what makes it so effective.

With 40 years working on London terraced properties we know exactly how to get the most from a side return — from the structural work to the design details that make the finished kitchen genuinely special rather than just bigger.

Is Your Home Suitable?

Not every property has a side return and not every side return is the same size or in the same condition. Planning, party wall agreements with neighbours, and the existing layout all come into it.

Best thing to do is have a conversation. We’ll come and look at your property and give you a straight assessment of what’s possible.

Charles Henderson Construction West London | North London | North West London | Surrounding Areas