How much value does a conservatory add?

SuzieSue

Nynaeve wrote: »

Like I said, could take or leave the conservatory. It's just that because the market is so slow, we are not seeing much coming up that ticks all the boxes for us. This one does.

Ah well, may just have to wait it out for a few more months.

I have a conservatory, but I don't expect it to add much, if anything to the value of the house.

They are nice to have, but they can't be used all year round economically so can't really be treated as an extra room.

If you like the property, you should still make an offer giving the reason that you are not bothered about the conservatory and so are not willing to pay extra for it and it would actually hinder your plans for the property.

There are some people around (some of my relatives included) who think that if they have spent £15k on a conservatory that they should be able to recoup it when selling, so you should offer what you think is a realistic price. They will probably reject it, but if they don't get any better offers they might get back to you.

jimpix12

A lot of the responses here are assuming that the conservatory will be used only as a conservatory. If the house doesn't have a dining room for example then buyers will see it has a conservatory so they will consider using that instead. It depends on the house, and the size of the conservatory versus the garden.

It could be worth £15k in theory. I have underfloor heating in mine so intend to use it year-round as a study.

Horizon81

+1 for them adding nothing. Temporary structures too hot in summer, too cold in winter. Some people see them as a genuine extra room when they're nothing of the sort. I've viewed a couple of houses with them over winter and the owners craftily had a oil filled or convector heater in there trying to make them feel inviting when they're nothing more than a cheap way of giving the illusion of extra interior space.
A proper extension on the other had would add real value.

Better_Days

I think it partly depends on how nice the conservatory is. Is it a lean to with no heat or one with a nice roof and ceiling fan with underfloor heating or a radiator running off the central heating?

Ours has a radiator running from the household central heating and we can use the conservatory virtually all year round. We have a corner sofa in there and it is lovely to sit in there and relax with a cuppa and watch the birds in the garden. It is especially nice in spring and autumn when it is not quite warm enough (for me anyway:D) to sit in the garden, but I still want to enjoy the garden.

Also which way does the conservatory face? A south facing conservatory will be very hot indeed in the summer during the day. But one facing north or north east may be warm in the morning but cooler as soon as the sun moves round.

So what sort of conservatory is it? Which way does it face? What would YOU use it for? Does it have any heating and if so what? Then with any house purchase you need to weigh up what the house is worth in the current market and what it is worth to you.

ognum

I'm with the group who give little value to a conservatory. If you want one many of the double glazing companies are doing very cheap deals!

The time of the conservatory has passed I think, people realise in the winter they are too cold, even with heating the heat losses are enormous. In the summer they can be too hot and make the rest of the house too hot.
they need to have thermostatically controlled venting and not face south!

it is difficult to even keep plants in a conservatory due to the too hot or too cold environment.

Some look lovely others just look like a carbuncle!

NeverAgain_2

I store my vacuum cleaner under the stairs.

SailorSam

In the Summer on a sunny day it can be nice sitting looking out onto the garden, but it can get to hot and to use it you'd need to leave the door open. Then in the winter most Conservatories are to cold to use. If i were buying a house i'd pay very little extra just 'cos they had a Conservatory. The money would be better spent on an extension that could be used at all times of the year.

Louise.H

People like to think they add value to any house, I've seen ones go up with initial prices 10k more than others in same road due to a conservatory, in the end though they've sold for similar amounts as the others. It also depends on the garden size, in bigger properties it may increase the price marginally. More often than not though not worth it in my opinion.

Strapped

I put some value on a conservatory because they add a play room for the kids.

DominicJ_2

Wow, I was planning on adding a 3x5m conservatory to the back as a utility room, seemed like a slam dunk.
Sure, its cold in winter and warm in summer but its not a sitting room, so who cares?