Where a house extension still pays for itself (2026)
By Housey · Data: UK HPI average price, 01/04/2026
In Kensington and Chelsea, £50,000 of builder's dust turns into 5.4× its cost in added value; in Hartlepool, the very same extension adds less than it costs to build. A typical £50,000 rear extension clearly pays for itself in 175 of 295 English areas — is yours one of them?
- 295
- Areas ranked
- 175
- Where it pays off
- 5.4×
- Best return
- 0.5×
- Worst return
59% of areas
Kensington and Chelsea
Hartlepool
| # | Local authority | Payback × | Net value added | Local £/m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kensington and Chelsea | 5.4 | £220,800 | £13,540 |
| 2 | City of Westminster | 3.5 | £123,336 | £8,667 |
| 3 | Camden | 3.4 | £119,048 | £8,452 |
| + 289 more authorities — unlock the full ranking below | ||||
| 293 | Blackpool | 0.6 | £-21,334 | £1,433 |
| 294 | Burnley | 0.6 | £-22,435 | £1,378 |
| 295 | Hartlepool | 0.5 | £-22,526 | £1,374 |
Methodology & sources
Whether a typical 20m² rear extension (£50,000 build) adds more value than it costs, using local £/m² derived from UK HPI average prices. Payback × = value added ÷ build cost.
- Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-house-price-index-reports
- Period: UK HPI average price, 01/04/2026
- Data retrieved: 7 July 2026
- Authorities ranked: 295
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