Why Lewisham homes run hot
Most of the borough's housing is Victorian or Edwardian terracing, and a large share of it has been carved up into converted flats. Both struggle the same way in summer: solid brick walls soak up heat through the day and give it back all evening, and because inner London stays warm overnight, opening the windows at ten o'clock doesn't do much. Top-floor conversions and loft rooms — common in Forest Hill and around Lewisham town centre — tend to be the worst off, because the bedroom sits directly under the roof. The terraces around Catford have the same solid-wall problem one floor down.
A split-system air conditioner — a quiet wall unit indoors, a compressor outside — is the option that reliably works in this kind of home. We won't put prices on this page, because they swing too much with the property and the installer: our guide to what air conditioning costs in the UK sets out realistic ranges and what pushes them up or down. One thing worth knowing: a split system is a reversible air-to-air heat pump, so it heats in winter too, and it's usually cheaper to run than plug-in electric heaters — genuinely useful in converted flats stuck on panel heating. For the quirks of terraces specifically, see our guide to air conditioning in Victorian homes.
Flats, freeholders and older wiring
Two checks before anyone quotes you. First, if you're in a converted flat or any leasehold property, you'll almost always need the freeholder's consent for an outdoor unit. Start that conversation early — it's often the slowest part of the whole job. Second, parts of Lewisham sit in conservation areas, and the rules on fixing equipment to outside walls vary from street to street. Check with Lewisham Council before committing to anything, and don't let an installer assume on your behalf either.
Electrics are the other common snag. Older terraces and conversions sometimes need wiring or consumer unit work before a unit can be safely connected, and a good installer will check this before quoting rather than springing it on you later. If you want to get ahead of it, ask an electrician for a condition report on the property first.
Where Coolhouse is up to in Lewisham
Straight answer: our vetted installers are currently in Hertfordshire, not south-east London. We're building the network out, and we won't pretend otherwise or promise a fast quote in SE postcodes yet. What we can do is take your details through a free estimate, tell you plainly where we've got to, and put you in touch with a vetted installer as soon as we have one worth recommending in the borough. No spam, and we don't sell your details on — just a straight update when there's something real to offer.