Conservatory or extension??

gasbill

Oh - I suppose when you think about it, it makes sense. The dwarf wall bit, I mean! Didn't mean to be a thicky. Would it be cheaper to have a conservatory with or without a dwarf wall?

devmcc

SO... an extension it is!
Now the question is - what sort of price would we be looking at for a 10*13ft extension?? I mean from start to completion... just so I can check the coffers pot!!!
I would need electrics, a heater, french doors and 2 sky lights if that helps (a sort of extension/conservatory!!!!).
Do I get a builder in first or plans drawn or go to the council.. I have no idea on this at all.. any advice would be smashing!!
Happy weekend...

ormus

the_mackem wrote:

ormus any project managing tips is it as easy as you say.

well it is easy really. as long as you are methodical and disciplined about it.
rather like organising a wedding or similar big project.

once youve got the objective in mind and the rough BUDGET of course. the rest can follow in logical steps.

here we go off the top of my head!

legal stuff. council and PP etc... drawings. talk to the BCO.
quotes, groundworks, brickies, sparks, chippys, roofers, poss plumbers?, etc..
get quotes for labour only and labour/materials. (some trades like sparks may be cheaper/easier to let them supply materials).
price up materials.
now you should have a realistic budget. add some contingency funds.
10/20% is typical.
sign contracts with the tradesmen. make sure you both understand what is exactly being paid for, and when! work dates.

a diary is vital. timings are now everything. ordering materials, delivery of same. as when required. not too early, and never late. make sure you have space for materials! offloading problems?
timing again, delivery of labour.

(open accounts with the usual suspects for materials).
dont forget things like a skip! as and when required.

more to follow..........im sure others can add here?

Fruitcake

We had the same dilema. Our neighbours at the back had a conservatory but hardly use it; cold in winter, too hot in summer. They've put blinds on the ceiling and walls but have to leave the french doors open as it's still too hot on a sunny day.
The other deciding factor was that we could use the tiled roof of an extension as an upstairs fire escape but a conservatory would be a death trap if we had to make a "sharp" exit in an emergency.
Eventually went for an extension the full width of the house (6.5m) and extended out as far as minimum slope tiles (17.5º I think) would permit, about 4.4 m. Double french doors, single standard back door, three dirty great panoramic windows on dwarf walls. Underfloor insulation, cavity wall insulation, 200mm loft insulation. Put in two radiators off the central heating but only ever need one. All for less than £10k including Architect, Builder, and Planning fees.

Fruitcake

You Only Listen To Me When I'm Wrong

chinagirl

thescouselander wrote:

Someone else asked this question recently, you might be able to find the thread by doing a search.

I would advise going for a proper extension. We have a conservatory and it is absolutly freezing in winter and building regulations prevent you from installing central heating in there.

We have a large double radiator fitted in our 10 x14' conservatory which runs off the household gas central heating system. We also have a small oil-filled radiator which we keep on a low 1 bar setting for at night, when the heating goes off, so the temperature in the conserv does not drop too low. I never consulted building regulations, and know a few other families who have also fitted radiators with out 'permission'.

There is no point in having a room you can't use because it is too cold. I'd say our conservatory is the most used room of the house. The kids watch telly and play on their PS2 in there, DH listens to his record collection in there, and eldest son and friends congregate in there on the computer and to chat and drink tea.

I am over-the-moon with ours. We would struggle to function as a family if we all were crammed into our lounge/diner of an evening, like we used to be before we had the conserv built.

Also, ours has a tiled roof on it, so in the summer it does not get too hot, and I am sure this helps keep the warmth in during the winter, as it looks like just a regular room ceiling from the inside.(ps it cost £6000 3 years ago, which included 4 opening windowlights, french doors, plugs and lights, it pays to shop around for a good price), and did not need planning permission as a conservatory is classed as a temporary structure (think), so just went straight ahead withit.

chinagirl

gasbill wrote:

Oh - I suppose when you think about it, it makes sense. The dwarf wall bit, I mean! Didn't mean to be a thicky. Would it be cheaper to have a conservatory with or without a dwarf wall?

Cheaper without a dwarf wall.

We were on a tight budget when we commisioned ours which has PVC panels floor to ceiling, solid 1/3rd and glass 2/3rds. We have roller blinds down 2 sides but have left the end with no blinds (we not overlooked by neighbours) as we want to look out onto the garden through the french doors. I like roller blinds as you can wind them right up out of the way in the daytime so as not to obstruct the view and it feels like you're sitting in the garden, which is lovely on a frosty morning, when your all warm and cosy inside.

alice's_mum

When we were looking at houses, we had a choice between this one with an extended kitchen from 8ft x 7Ft to 8Ft by 11ft or a conservatory. both gardens faced south west and got lots of summer afternoon sun. We chose the bigger kitchen without really much of a dilema, bigger kitchen gets used much more than I think the conservatory would ever have done. Hope this gives you the view from a different angle.

ictmad

chinagirl wrote:

We(ps it cost £6000 3 years ago, which included 4 opening windowlights, french doors, plugs and lights, it pays to shop around for a good price),.

6000 is very cheAP i have been quoted 3 times that price,who did u go with??

cat79_2

Hi all, I am a town planner and work for local authority in scotland, so not sure how much the legislation info will help, but hopefully some of the info re extensions/conservatories might. In terms of what is termed an "extension" and what would therfore require permission is no different for a solid extension as oppposed to a conservatory. In general a detached property would have up to 24sqm permitted development provided no other extensions had been erected (and within 5m of the house as extended) and no higher than 4m within 2m of the boundary and provided not coming closer to the road (if bounding curtilage of property) than the original dwellinghouse, there are of course other restrictions especially if in conservation area or if building is listed, so always check with your Local Authority (LA).

In my experience, people tend to go for extensions and call them sun lounges/garden rooms as opposed to conservatories. The extensions can be very glazed with large windows, patio doors and rooflights, but have a solid roof. Many people with conservatories quite often complain that in summer they are too hot and in winter (if heated) problems with condensation and dampness. However if you have a problem with neighbours in terms of an extension may block light or overshadow them then a conservatory can be more likely to be approved, though then you have additional problems of overlooking issues, meaning fences may have to be erected or in some instances obscure glazing put in.

Check with building standards but I think in terms of whether a conservatory is heated or not may determine whether a warrant is needed or not (depending on size of conservatory).

A "dwarf wall" is probably the base wall of the conservatory (i.e between window cills and ground).

Hope this helps

[Deleted User]

I'll be watching this thread with interest because I too am contemplating having a conservatory or extension at the back of the house to make our lounge bigger.

Our garden is south facing and being in the South it gets very hot in the summer, so I am leaning more towards an extension with a solid roof, but with windows all around to enjoy the garden and a dwarf wall because I like the idea of an internal window cill for plants.

I really like these two, the first one possibly being more suitable for my house.





I have a feeling it will cost me and arm and and a leg, but a girl can dream, right? :beer: