Hampstead homes are among the most characterful in London — period features, thick walls, and the kind of well-sealed interiors that retain heat beautifully but trap moisture just as effectively. Condensation on windows, damp patches on external walls, and stuffy air in upstairs bedrooms are common complaints in properties of this type, regardless of how recently they have been decorated.

A single room heat recovery unit from the Prana decentralised MVHR range was installed directly through the external wall of the affected room. The MVHR unit draws stale, humidity-laden air out of the space whilst simultaneously supplying fresh air from outside — passing both streams through a copper heat exchanger that recovers up to 96% of the room’s warmth. The result is continuous heat recovery ventilation with no open windows, no heat loss, and no ducting required.

The single room MVHR installation was completed within a single morning. One core hole through the external wall, sleeve fitted, unit mounted — and the room left clean with no remedial work required. Wall decoration remained untouched throughout.

The property now benefits from a permanently dry, fresh-air environment in the treated room. Window condensation has gone. The heat recovery ventilation unit runs silently in the background, monitored automatically by built-in CO₂ and humidity sensors and fully controllable via smartphone. For a period London home where invasive works were not an option, decentralised MVHR delivered exactly what was needed — efficiently, cleanly, and in half a day.