You need to pinch out, not cut the top of the basil, this will encourage it to put out side shoots. Mint needs to be outdoors, to warm for it in the house.

Moongrowes right, why not pot them up and have them outside, you could have a cluster of herbs in pots, it may be far to warm in your house for these herbs, julien.

Basil likes the heat, but it also needs very bright light. Also, what are you feeding the Basil, Ninja? It needs regular feeding if you are going to harvest it. Mint shouldn't be bothered by house heat, but it needs massive amounts of water. One severe drought can kill it out completely. If the roots are alive, it will come back, but that may be slow, especially without feeding.

Thanks for the tips, I didn't realise you had to feed herbs, but I will try moving them outside.

TugB is writing rom the US so far as I am concerned herbs need to be grown in a lean and mead soil! I would also say that in the UK most herbs are far happier grown outside. I have never seen mint grown as an indoor herb... given hat it marches all over every where out doors given the opportunity I simply find it hard to contain, unless in a pot!

Oh and our Basil which survived for almost a year on the kitchen windowsill had no direct sunlight.

Basil is the hungriest herb that I have dealt with, Mg, but you're right in that it needs less food when pinched, rather than branches cut. Direct sunlight not needed, but if it was in a window under a deep porch, the shade may still have been too dark. I also get the impression that our soiless mixes here are lighter and less nutrient retentive than any of the John Innes mixes used in the UK. We grow mint indoors here to save a little water--outdoors in the desert, it needs watering three times a day in a pot, and, like you, we don't dare plant it in the ground! : )