Where built-in storage earns its money
Almost every London house has between 1 and 3 awkward spaces that can’t accept a freestanding piece of furniture but represent meaningful storage volume. The classic three: under the stairs, into the eaves of a loft conversion, and along the side of a hallway. Combined, these often add up to 2–4 cubic metres of usable storage — equivalent to a tall wardrobe and a chest of drawers — for £1,500–£3,500.
The economics of built-in storage are different from a fitted wardrobe. The cost-per-cubic-metre is lower because the visible surface area is smaller (shorter doors, less painted face per unit of volume), but the design and scribing time is roughly the same — every awkward space is awkward in its own particular way. For low-budget joinery briefs (“we just need somewhere for everything to live”) this is usually where we send people first.
The three patterns we build most often
Under-stairs runs in Victorian terraces. The under-stairs zone in a Victorian terrace is usually 1.2–1.8m long, 600–900mm deep, with a sloping ceiling that drops from full height down to about 300mm at the far end. The most-built pattern: a 600mm-wide vertical cupboard at the high end for coats; a horizontal pull-out shoe rack in the middle; small drawers at the low end for keys, mail, pet leads. Total cost: usually £1,500–£2,200.
Eaves storage in loft conversions. The cavity behind a knee wall in a loft is typically 600–1000mm wide, 400–700mm deep, and as tall as the knee wall (usually 900–1100mm). We build a run of doors in the knee wall itself, with the interior space behind acting as long-term storage (suitcases, Christmas decorations, off-season clothing). Cost: £1,400–£2,400 for an average-sized loft.
Hallway shallow runs. A common late-renovation brief in narrow Edwardian terraces — clients have got the kitchen and reception done and the hallway is the bit that’s still missing. A run of 200–350mm-deep cupboards along the hallway wall, painted to match the walls, with push-to-open doors, gives meaningful storage without making the hallway feel narrower. Most are 2.2–3.2m long and run from skirting up to picture-rail height.
Where built-in storage isn’t the right answer
Not every awkward space wants joinery built into it. A few examples where we’ve recommended against a built-in:
- The Victorian under-stairs cupboard that already exists. If your house has an original under-stairs cupboard with a hinged door, the cheapest improvement is usually new interior shelving, a coat rail, and good lighting — keeping the original door. Replacing the cupboard with a new bespoke run loses character for marginal gain.
- Very small awkward voids (less than 0.3m³). Below that volume the joinery cost is hard to justify; a basket or a cabinet on castors usually works better.
- Spaces near damp. Built-ins against an external wall in an older property with no DPC will trap moisture against the wall and accelerate damp problems. Better to address the damp first or leave the space ventilated.
These are conversations we’ll have at the survey. The right answer is sometimes “don’t build anything here.”
