Covering Holywood
Our coverage around Holywood (BT18) also includes Newtownabbey, Belfast and Carrickfergus.
Homes in County Down
Northern Ireland has a high proportion of detached houses and bungalows outside the cities, which often suit side extensions, rear extensions and upward extensions.
What is included in a side return extension in Holywood?
A side return extension builds over the narrow passage that runs beside the back of many Victorian and Edwardian terraced houses, widening the kitchen or dining room by a metre or two. It is usually combined with a glazed or part-glazed roof so the deeper room still gets daylight.
- Structural steel to remove the side wall
- Glazed or solid roof with rooflights
- Plastering and making good to the old house
What is the guide price for a side return extension in Holywood?
Typical ranges for side return extensions. Ground conditions, access and specification move the final figure, which we fix in writing before work starts.
| Side return extensions | Guide price incl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Standard specification | £3,350 to £3,700 per m² |
| Good specification | £3,700 to £4,150 per m² |
| High specification | £4,150 to £4,550 per m² |
Do you need permission for a side return extension in Holywood?
In Northern Ireland the council handles both planning and building control. Permitted development rules are set by the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, and there is no party wall act, so we agree access and protection with neighbours in writing.
In Northern Ireland permitted development is set by the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (Northern Ireland) 2015, and small single-storey rear extensions can often go ahead without an application.
What can change the price or programme?
- Access is often through the house, so we plan deliveries and protect floors.
- Many terraces sit in conservation areas, where side extensions need planning permission.
What happens after I enquire?
- Tell us about the project. Call, use the guide price tool or send the form with a few photos and a postcode.
- We visit and measure. A surveyor checks the house, the boundaries and the ground, and discusses what is realistic.
- Design and fixed price. You get drawings and a written price for the agreed specification before anything is ordered.
- We build it. Work follows an agreed programme, with inspections at each stage and a final sign-off.
Questions about a side return extension in Holywood
How much does a side return extension cost?
Usually about £3,350 to £4,550 per square metre including VAT, which works out at around £35,000 to £55,000 for a typical side return before the kitchen.
How long does a side return take?
About 10 to 14 weeks on site.
Do you work in Holywood?
Yes. Holywood is within our coverage for side return extensions, along with nearby Newtownabbey and Belfast.
Also covering
- Side return extensions in Newtownabbey
- Side return extensions in Belfast
- Side return extensions in Carrickfergus
- Side return extensions in Newtownards
Learn more about side return extensions, or see every project we cover in Holywood.

