On a London terrace, a second storey is often the only way to add real space without losing the garden. Here's what £117k+ buys, and why the no-crane method is what makes it possible on a tight plot.
The short answer. A 40m² two-storey modular extension is £117,750 inc. VAT for the shell — and on a tight London terrace, Vita's no-crane method is what makes two storeys possible where a conventional build can't reach. Party-wall and planning support in every borough; access doesn't add to the price.
On a London plot, adding a second storey to a rear extension is often the only way to get the space you need without losing the whole garden. But it's also where access defeats most builders: a two-storey build needs scaffolding, working room to a shared boundary, and — for crane-lifted modular systems — a crane that a terraced street simply can't accommodate.
Vita Modular's panels are hand-assembled with no crane and no heavy plant, so a two-storey extension is buildable on exactly the tight, boundary-hugging London sites that rule other methods out. And because there's no crane hire or road closure, access doesn't add to the price.
The 40m² two-storey shell is £117,750 inclusive of VAT — a complete, weathertight, decorated shell across both floors: steel frame, external walls, render, roof, glazing and doors up to 3m, electrics, flooring and decoration. On a London terrace that typically means a new open-plan kitchen-diner below and a bedroom with en-suite above, in the same footprint. Kitchens, bathrooms and groundworks are quoted separately at fixed prices. For the full pricing mechanics, see our two-storey extension cost guide.
Almost every London two-storey engages the Party Wall etc. Act 1996. Because Vita's panels are made off-site, the build can go tight up to a party boundary — maximising every centimetre of a narrow plot where a wet-trade build needs working room for scaffolding and bricklaying. Vita provides party-wall and planning support across every London borough, and either builds to your pre-approved drawings or produces and manages the planning application for you.
Much of two-storey London sits in a conservation area or on a period terrace with strict material rules. Vita matches effectively any external finish a planning condition requires — brick slip, render, timber — with the frame behind a compliant façade, and complex hand-laid brickwork detailing is within scope. A modular two-storey is a viable route on sensitive streets, not just contemporary ones.
This piece is the London-specific companion to our general two-storey cost guide and our London site-access piece. For projects, areas and full London pricing, see the main London house extensions page.
Find out if your London site can take two storeys — book a free site survey, or get a fixed price in 60 seconds. Explore London extensions →
