Home air conditioning for London houses
Cool bedrooms in a heatwave, a living room you can use in August, and efficient heating for the rest of the year. We fit air conditioning in terraces, semis and period homes across London and the Home Counties. Prices are on the page, and most single rooms are done in a day.
- one room, inc. VAT
- From £1,850
- most single-room installs
- 1 day
- reversible heat pump
- Heats too
- workmanship guarantee
- 2 years
Which system suits your house
Most London houses end up with one of these. We'll recommend one at the survey, and tell you if a cheaper option would do the same job.
| System | Best for | What you see | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single split | One room, or an open-plan kitchen-diner | A slim wall unit inside, one outdoor unit outside | £1,850 for a 2.5 kW unit |
| Multi-split | Two to four rooms, such as the bedrooms upstairs | A wall unit in each room, sharing one outdoor unit | £3,650 for two rooms |
| Separate single splits | Rooms at opposite ends of the house, or one room you use far more than the rest | One outdoor unit per room | Priced per room |
| Floor console | Under a window, or a room with no high wall space | A low unit near the skirting board | £2,350 |
| Ducted | Renovations with a ceiling or loft void to hide the unit | Grilles only | £4,950 per zone, survey needed |
Whole-home air conditioning with one outdoor unit
A multi-split runs two to four indoor units from one outdoor unit, usually on the back wall or at the end of the garden. Each room has its own remote and its own temperature, and any room can be switched off. It keeps the back of the house tidier than several outdoor units in a row.
The pipes from each room have to reach the outdoor unit, so the route matters. In a two-storey terrace the neatest route is usually through the loft and down the rear wall in one trunking run, or through built-in cupboards and floor voids.
A multi-split isn't always the right answer. If you mostly use one room, a single split for that room is cheaper and usually more efficient. Separate systems also mean one fault doesn't take every room out at once. We'll talk you through the trade-off at the survey.
How a one-day install works
Survey
We visit, or look at your photos, to check the rooms, wall space, outdoor position, pipe route and electrics. You get a fixed written quote.
Protect
On the day, dust sheets go down along our route and over furniture near the work. We agree the exact unit positions with you before drilling anything.
Fit
We core one hole through the wall for the pipes, cable and drain, mount the indoor unit level, fit the outdoor unit and run the pipework in white trunking.
Test
The pipework is pressure tested and vacuumed before any refrigerant is released. Then we commission the system and log the work as the F-Gas rules require.
Handover
We clear up, show you the remote and the app if you have one, and register the manufacturer warranty for you.
How long it takes
A single wall unit with a short pipe run usually takes four to eight hours, so you have cooling the same evening. A multi-split for two to four rooms usually takes one to three days, depending on how far the pipes travel. Ducted systems take longer and are best planned with a renovation.
Keeping your home clean
Air conditioning shouldn't mean redecorating. This is what we do on every home install.
- Dust sheets over floors and furniture along our route
- Holes cored cleanly, sized for the pipes and sealed on both sides
- Trunking run along the line of the ceiling, skirting or a corner wherever possible
- Pipes hidden in cupboards, lofts or floor voids when the route allows
- Every offcut, box and bit of packaging taken away
- The room vacuumed and furniture put back before we leave
Period homes: Victorian, Edwardian and 1930s
Older London houses need a little more thought, but they're very good candidates. Solid brick walls core cleanly, and high ceilings give plenty of room above windows and doors.
- We place units below cornices and picture rails, never cutting into original plasterwork
- Alcoves beside a chimney breast are often the neatest spot for a wall unit
- We never drill through sash windows or their frames
- Outdoor units go at the back or side, out of sight from the street wherever possible
- Lath and plaster ceilings and walls get careful fixings into sound timber or brick
- If floorboards are up for other work, we can hide the pipes in the floor void
Heating as well as cooling
Every system we fit is a reversible heat pump, so it heats as well as cools. At the October to December 2026 price cap of 26.32p per kWh of electricity, a good unit delivers heat for about 5p to 6p per kWh. Gas costs 7.97p per kWh before boiler losses.
That makes it a very efficient way to heat the rooms you use most, such as a loft, an extension or a home office. It doesn't make hot water, and replacing every radiator in a house needs a proper heating design. Our air-to-air heat pump page explains when it makes sense.
Home air conditioning prices
Fixed prices for a standard install, including up to 5 m of pipe in white trunking, an outdoor bracket or stand, commissioning and warranty registration. Your written quote confirms everything before you pay a deposit.
- from£1,850inc. VAT
A bedroom or study
2.5 kW wall unit, 5 m pipe, fitted in a day
- from£2,050inc. VAT
A living room
3.5 kW wall unit
- from£2,450inc. VAT
Open plan or a loft
5 kW wall unit
- from£3,650inc. VAT
Two rooms, one outdoor unit
Multi-split
- from£5,100inc. VAT
Three rooms
Multi-split
- from£6,500inc. VAT
Four rooms
Multi-split
- from£4,950inc. VAT
Ducted, per zone
Hidden in the ceiling, survey needed
- from£550inc. VAT
Design range upgrade
Daikin Emura, Mitsubishi Electric Zen, LG Artcool
After the install
Our 2-year workmanship guarantee covers everything we fitted, from pipe joints to brackets, and it stays with the house if you sell. For the first 2 years there's no labour charge for a manufacturer fault either.
Manufacturers ask for a yearly service to keep their warranty valid (LG asks for two a year). Any F-Gas certified engineer can do it, so you're not tied to us. Our annual service is £119.
Home air conditioning questions
How much does air conditioning cost for a house in London?
One room starts from £1,850 for a 2.5 kW wall unit, including VAT. A 3.5 kW unit for a living room starts from £2,050. A multi-split starts from £3,650 for two rooms, £5,100 for three and £6,500 for four. You get a fixed written quote after a survey or a few photos.
Can one outdoor unit cool the whole house?
One outdoor unit can usually run up to four or five indoor units, depending on the model. For most terraces and semis that covers the bedrooms and a living room. Bigger houses may need two outdoor units, or a mix of a multi-split and a single split.
Where does the outdoor unit go?
Usually on a bracket on the back wall, on a ground stand in the garden or side return, or on a flat roof such as an extension. We keep it away from bedroom windows, yours and the neighbours', and as close to the indoor units as we can to keep the pipe run short.
Will it make a mess?
Very little. Most installs need one hole through the wall per indoor unit, cored cleanly and sealed. Dust sheets go down first, pipes run in neat white trunking or out of sight, and we take every offcut away.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning on my house?
Often not, but it depends on the house and where the unit goes. Conservation areas, listed buildings and units facing the street are the usual exceptions. The rules changed on 29 May 2025, so check current guidance rather than older articles. Our planning guide covers it, and we check your address at the survey.
Is a portable air conditioner just as good?
Not really. Portables typically cost £250 to £600 (a typical market range), but they're louder, less efficient and need a hose out of a window, which lets warm air back in. A fixed split is far quieter, cools faster, and heats in winter too.
Can air conditioning replace my central heating?
It can heat individual rooms very efficiently, but it doesn't make hot water. Most people keep their boiler and use air conditioning to heat the rooms they use most in spring and autumn. Replacing a whole heating system needs a proper design, which we'll talk through if you're interested.
How often does home air conditioning need servicing?
Once a year for most systems, which also keeps the manufacturer warranty valid. LG asks for a service every six months. Our annual service is £119 for one indoor unit and £59 for each extra unit on the same visit.