Covering Kensington from our Fulham base
We are based in Fulham, at Jerdan Place in SW6, and we cover Kensington as one of our neighbouring areas. There is no Kensington office, so we come up by road. When you ask for a quote, it is our own handyman who looks at the job and comes to do it, and we are used to working in period homes.
Kensington is in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is a different council from ours in Fulham. Much of W8 is covered by conservation areas, including Kensington, Kensington Square, Edwardes Square, Scarsdale and Abingdon, and Holland Park. That shapes what we can and cannot do on the outside of a house.
The housing stock in W8
The council's appraisal for the Kensington conservation area says most of the housing is late Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian. Campden Hill Square dates from 1823 and has bigger gardens than most streets nearby. The Phillimore Estate went up between 1855 and 1870 as medium sized semi detached villas, and the Pitt Estate was mostly built between 1844 and 1864 as terraces behind front gardens.
Hillgate Village is different again. Its small terraces were put up in the middle of the 1800s for working families, and they are much smaller in scale than the villas a few streets away. Mews, which were built as stables, have mostly been turned into homes.
Many terraces have a half basement at the front and a mansard on top. A mansard is the steep sided roof storey with windows set into it, often added later to gain a bedroom.
Jobs we help with in Kensington
- Sash cord and bead repairs
- Rust treatment and repainting of front railings
- Easing and rehanging mews and front doors
- Shelving and alcove storage in mansard rooms
- Mould clearing and resealing in basement bathrooms
- Tidy cable runs for doorbells and cameras
- Picture, mirror and curtain pole fitting
- Flat pack assembly
What our handyman in Kensington is asked to fix
Windows come first. The appraisal notes that sliding sashes, often six panes over six, are the main type here. These are worth keeping, and most problems are mechanical: a broken cord, a sash painted shut, a loose parting bead rattling in the wind. Our handyman knows old joinery and can fix most of that in a visit without changing the look of the front.
Front railings are next. Many front lightwells here are guarded by iron railings with spear shaped tops set into a stone plinth. Rust at the base where the iron meets the stone is common, and it is worth catching early with a rub down and fresh black paint before the metal swells and cracks the stone.
In a mews house the jobs lean towards doors. Where an old stable opening now has a large timber door, it can swell, drop and stick. We plane, rehang and adjust these, and look at draughts around them.
Basements, mansards and tight spaces
Half basements stay cool and can get damp, so we see a lot of mould around window reveals, tired bath sealant and extractor fans that have stopped pulling air. Clearing the mould, resealing and checking the fan is often the first step before anyone repaints.
Up in a mansard, built in storage and shelving into sloping walls is a frequent request. Old walls in W8 are often lath and plaster, which needs the right fixings. We pick these to suit the wall, not just whatever is in the van, because a heavy shelf on the wrong plug will pull out.
Keeping changes in line with RBKC guidance
The Royal Borough's appraisal is clear about what has harmed these streets in the past. It names uPVC windows, painted brickwork, the loss of front gardens to parking and visual clutter such as burglar alarms and trailing wiring. When we fit a smart doorbell or camera, we keep cables neat and as hidden as the building allows.
If a job could change the look of the front, such as a new door, a different window or removing railings, it may need permission. We do not give planning advice, so we will point you to the council before work starts.
How to book a Kensington job
Use the free quote form. Tell us your street, if you are in a house, a mews or a flat, and add photos if you can. We reply by email with a free quote and arrange a visit where needed.
Any gas work is done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, as the law requires. We will arrange this for you. Larger electrical work, such as a new circuit or a new consumer unit, is done by a registered electrician who can self certify the work. We arrange it rather than doing it ourselves.
Who we work with in Kensington
- Owners of villas on the Phillimore Estate
- Residents of small terraced houses in Hillgate Village
- Mews house owners with old stable doors
- Flat owners in mansion blocks and converted houses
- Landlords letting period flats in W8
Common questions
Is your Kensington handyman based locally?
We are based in Fulham, SW6, and come up to Kensington from there. Our own handyman does the work, and we know period houses well.
Can you swap my old sash windows for uPVC?
We do not fit uPVC in place of period sashes. The council's appraisal for the Kensington conservation area says uPVC windows have harmed the look of some houses, so we focus on repairing the timber sashes you have.
My mews garage door sticks every winter. What can you do?
Timber doors on old stable openings often swell in wet weather. We can plane, rehang and reseal the door, and fit draught strips where they will not stop it closing.
Do you paint front railings?
Yes. We clean off loose rust and paint, prime bare metal and repaint in black. If the base of a railing has rusted badly into the stone plinth, we will tell you if it needs a specialist.
Which council covers Kensington?
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Large parts of W8 are in conservation areas, so check with the council before changing anything visible on the front of the house.
Can you put up shelves in a sloping mansard room?
Yes. We measure for the slope and choose fixings to suit the wall, which in older houses is often lath and plaster rather than solid brick.
How do I get a quote for my Kensington home?
Fill in the free quote form with a short description and photos. We reply by email and book a visit if the job needs one.