Havering · London
Under-Stairs Storage in South Hornchurch
Pull-out drawers, cupboards and coat storage under the stairs, for homes in South Hornchurch. We measure, design and quote first, then make it in our workshop and fit it.
- A low corner too deep to reach into
- A meter or fuse board buried behind clutter
- Space under the stairs that’s hard to use
Under-stairs storage in South Hornchurch
What it costs
When we put a quote together, we consider:
- How many doors and drawers there are
- Whether you choose a spray or hand-painted finish
- Access to the room, like stairs, lifts and narrow halls
- Tricky walls, sloping ceilings and uneven floors
Access to the room makes a difference too. Several flights of stairs, a small lift or a narrow hall can mean smaller sections and more carrying, and that’s part of the price. The price comes in a written quote, worked out from the measurements and the design you choose.
Getting in touch
Before the design visit, it helps us to know about:
- What you’d like to store or use the space for
- A few pictures of the space, taken from the doorway and from each corner
- The type of home and how the room is reached
- Examples of the look you are after
Every quote follows a design visit. At the visit, we measure, look at the walls and floors and go through the design with you, then send a quote in writing. We quote each job for the room it’s going into, after the design visit. To arrange a visit, tell us about the room on our contact form.
Under-stairs storage in South Hornchurch: what you get
Every staircase has its own shape. The underside slopes, the side of the stairs runs at its own angle and the floor below is rarely perfectly level. We scribe the storage to the stairs and the walls, so it looks as though it has always been there. That is something a standard unit can’t do, in South Hornchurch or anywhere else. We make under-stairs cupboards from birch plywood and moisture-resistant MDF with a spray-painted or hand-painted finish, and people most often get in touch about open space under the stairs that collects clutter and space under the stairs that’s hard to use.
Homes from the 1950s and 1960s usually have plain, regular rooms, which suits fitted storage with clean lines. Around South Hornchurch, many homes were built between 1945 and the early 1970s. We still measure everything, as no room is perfectly square.
The quote names the materials: moisture-resistant MDF, birch plywood or both, depending on the design. It also says how the furniture will be finished: spray painted or hand painted.
- Where
- South Hornchurch (RM13, RM10, RM12)
- Area
- Havering
- Cost
- Quoted for your room
- To begin
- We visit, measure, then quote
- Making
- In our workshop, then fitted in your home
- Made from
- MDF and birch plywood, painted
- Working days
- Weekdays; Saturdays on request
- Enquiries
- Send us a message
- Updated
- 27 October 2026
What under-stairs storage cannot fix
Not everything around under-stairs storage is carpentry, from an electrician to a plumber or a Gas Safe registered engineer. Here is what to bear in mind:
- Any work on gas pipes or appliances
- Relocating meters, which your energy supplier deals with
- Electrical work under the stairs, which your electrician carries out
Not sure whether your space suits under-stairs storage? You can get in touch through our contact form and we’ll tell you before you arrange a visit. Our process from visit to fitting.
Boards, parts and finishes
- Coat hooks and shoe shelves
- Pull-out drawers
- Spray-painted finish
- Hand-painted finish
- Moisture-resistant MDF
- Birch plywood
Looking after your furniture
Fresh paintwork takes a while to cure fully, so go gently with it for a while. Beyond that, these tips help:
- Clear the space before the design visit if you can
- Check whether your meters or fuse board are under the stairs
- Bring paint colours you like to the design visit
- Mention any decorating plans so the work can be timed well
Decorating around the storage is for your decorator, and it is best to protect the new paintwork while they work. Masking tape can lift fresh paint, so it shouldn’t go on the new finish. If anything isn’t right, get in touch through our contact form and we will talk it through.
Closing drawers fully helps keep the runners and fronts in good order. A quick sort every so often stops drawers getting too heavy. Deal with any wet shoes or umbrellas before they mark the base.
What happens on fitting day
Period rooms often have skirting boards, picture rails, cornices or coving for the furniture to meet. On fitting day, we cut and scribe the furniture around these details, so it looks as though it was always there. How long the fitting takes depends on the shape of the space and the number of drawers and doors, and the fitting days are agreed in your quote. Drilling into concrete is noisier than into brick or plaster, so if neighbours are close, a note before fitting day can help. Fitting day is planned around any building rules on noisy work. Dust is kept down and cleared as we go.
- You tell us about the stairs and what you’d like to store, like coats, shoes or the vacuum cleaner.
- At the design visit, the space is measured and any meters are noted.
- The design is agreed and a written quote follows, with the finish set out.
- The storage is made at our workshop and painted in your colour.
- The storage is fitted, scribed to the stairs and checked with you. The way to any meters is left clear.
Before we arrive
- Mention any parking restrictions on your street
- Have your electrician move any sockets or switches beforehand
- Keep pets out of the room and the hallway
Starting with a design visit
Prices are quoted for your room, once we’ve measured and talked through the design. Each room is different, so we quote after seeing it. To arrange a visit, message us from the contact page.
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Common questions about under-stairs storage
Will parking be an issue for fitting furniture in South Hornchurch?
It depends on the street, as many London boroughs run controlled parking zones. Depending on the street, a visitor permit, a paid bay or a bay suspension through the council may be needed, and suspensions often need notice. Let us know what parking is near you at the measuring visit, so we can plan the day around it.
Do you cover homes near Rainham (Essex) station?
Yes. We cover all of Havering and the rest of London. You can send us a few details through our contact form to arrange a design visit, and tell us about parking and access at the same time.
Can you build storage around a gas meter or fuse board?
Yes. Meters and fuse boards often sit under the stairs, and they need to stay accessible. We note them at the measuring visit and plan the drawers and doors around them. We don’t move meters, so the storage works around their current position.
Can you come on a Saturday?
Yes, Saturdays are possible by prior arrangement. Let us know when you first get in touch.
Can you fit a small desk under the stairs?
It depends on the height and how open the space is. At the design visit we’ll say whether a desk makes sense there. If it does, a compact desk with shelving can suit paperwork and a laptop.
What happens when you come to measure?
It’s a chance to measure properly and talk through what you’d like. We also check the walls and floors and note radiators, sockets and other things in the way, then send a written quote.
Places near South Hornchurch
Other services in South Hornchurch
Under-stairs storage in South Hornchurch: local notes
Homes built between 1945 and 1972 make up about 47% of the housing in the area around South Hornchurch, with about 28% built since 2000, on the Valuation Office Agency’s council tax figures for 2025. Knowing roughly when a home was built helps, because walls and fixings change from one era to the next. Red routes are run by TfL, with tight limits on where and when vehicles can stop. If your street in South Hornchurch joins a main road, it’s worth telling us at the measuring visit. That way we can plan where to load and unload. About 33% of households in the streets around South Hornchurch live in terraced houses, based on Census 2021. Under-stairs cupboards in terraces often house the gas meter, electricity meter or fuse board, and they must stay accessible.
The wider area includes historic houses like Rainham Hall, about 0.9 miles south. If your own home is a period one, pull-out drawers can reach right to the back of a deep under-stairs space. If you live near Beam Valley Country Park, living near green space often means muddy boots, bikes and outdoor kit, and under-stairs cupboards can give those things a place. For a family home near Whybridge Junior School, a place for each person’s coat and shoes stops the hallway filling up.
South Hornchurch is part of the London Borough of Havering, about 3 miles north of Romford. Our work covers every London borough and the City of London, South Hornchurch included. Our Havering coverage includes South Hornchurch and the places around it.
Design visits and fitting in RM13, RM10 and RM12 work the same way as everywhere else we cover. We cover homes on streets like Hood Road, Ford Lane and Philip Road, for under-stairs storage and any of our other fitted furniture. Neighbouring places we cover for under-stairs storage include Beam Park (1 mile south-west), Rainham (1 mile south-east), Hornchurch Marshes (1 mile south-west), Dagenham (1 mile north-west) and Elm Park (1 mile north-east). Other parts of Havering we cover include Romford (3 miles north), Hornchurch (2 miles north-east), Gallows Corner (5 miles north), Heath Park (3 miles north), Collier Row (4 miles north) and Upminster (4 miles north-east).
Around South Hornchurch
We fit furniture in homes around The Brittons Academy, The Bell pub and The Chafford School and the streets around them. The nearest railway station is Rainham (Essex) station, roughly 0.9 miles south of the centre. A little further out are St George's Hospital (1.9 miles north-east). Open spaces near South Hornchurch include Ingrebourne Marshes.
When is bespoke worth it?
Shop-bought shelves can sag over a long span. How much a shelf bends depends on its span, depth and load, and long runs need a thicker shelf, a lip along the front or a support. That’s something we plan for in the design.
Off-the-shelf cupboards come in fixed sizes, so there’s often a strip of wasted space at the side or above. Furniture we make is built to the room’s own sizes, so it can use the full height and width.