Why homes here get so hot
The housing stock in this borough is beautiful and, in summer, hard work. The stucco terraces of South Kensington and Chelsea and the painted rows around Notting Hill and Holland Park were built tall and deep, and most were split into flats long ago. A top-floor flat under a slate roof, with big single-glazed sash windows facing the afternoon sun, can stay uncomfortably warm well into the night, because central London's built-up streets hold on to heat after the day cools. The mansion blocks of Earl's Court and Knightsbridge, and the mews conversions behind the main streets, have their own version of the same problem: plenty of glass, limited through-draught, nowhere for the heat to go.
One thing worth knowing before you weigh up the hassle: a modern split-system air conditioner is a reversible air-to-air heat pump, so it heats efficiently in winter as well as cooling in summer. In a large, hard-to-heat period flat that matters. Prices vary a lot with the building and the install, so rather than quote figures here, our cost guide explains what actually drives the price.
The planning reality — take it seriously
Kensington and Chelsea has a reputation as one of the most tightly controlled boroughs in the country for external alterations. Large parts of it sit within conservation areas, many buildings are listed, and the council looks closely at anything visible on a facade. That does not make air conditioning impossible — outdoor units can often go on rear elevations, in lightwells or at basement level — but you must check with the council before anything is fixed to an outside wall. We will not pretend otherwise. And if you are in a flat, as most people here are, you will almost certainly need your freeholder's consent too.
Older wiring is the other honest caveat. Many period conversions need an electrical inspection first, and some need upgrade work before an installer will connect a unit. Our guide on whether your electrics can handle air conditioning explains what to expect.
Where Coolhouse is up to in Kensington and Chelsea
Straight answer: we are not live here yet. Our vetted installers currently work in Hertfordshire, and we are building the network here — with a particular eye on installers who have real conservation-area experience, because in this borough that matters more than anywhere.
If you register your interest, we will tell you honestly where we are up to and get in touch when an installer who knows this part of London comes on board. No fake urgency, and your number stays with us.