Extensions v Conservatories

Doozergirl

An extension may cost more but it will also add more to the value of your house. You're more likely to recoup the cost of building it as well as gaining a space that is genuinely usable all year round.

If you do want the space open to the existing house, then it really needs to be properly built and insulated, unless you plan on heating the entire neighbourhood on your central heating boiler!

Jaynne

Even orangeries are cold, ours - which is back wall of the house plus two single brick thick walls and a plastic roof - is still cold in winter. If there's sun coming in then its ok to sit in for a bit but otherwise you'd have to have a lot of heating on.

If it was a choice of conservatory or nothing - well they are worth something and lovely in the summer but an extension is even better. If you do go for a conservatory then for it to be signed off it needs to have doors between it and the main house. My advise is get nice french doors that can be opened all the way then you can have them open in summer and keep the heat in in winter which is what we do with ours.

GlynD

Innys wrote: »

But you mentioned an orangerie. What did you have in mind when you said that?

You said an extension however, were I considering an orangerie I would no doubt do a little more research into what I needed to make it comfortably warm in the winter. My head tells me an extension would be a better prospect.

sunshinetours

thebaldwindowfitter wrote: »

even with argon filled units in frames and roof our conservatory if i was to build for customer would still work out cheaper than equivalent sized extension and is heated and cooled by a daikin inverter airconditioner our rear garden is south facing .I have however left the rear doors of the house in .We have removed doors for people in the past for people and they have asked for something put back after a few years because of heat transfer if south facing

And it would still be colder in winter. Point is to get anything comparable you ould need to up spec the glazing (window and roof) aspect and floor insulation so much that you would certainly not be saving much on build costs.
Arguably an extension amy also add more to value.

If you want a conservatory then fine, but accept they are not the same spec as a proper brick extension for our British winters (and summers to a degree if south facing)

RJS86

alleycat` wrote: »

I think, for regs, a traditional conservatory can't be knocked through into the main house.
They are supposed to be seperated by the equivalent of an exterior grade door.

I think this is because they do not meet regs with regards to house heat loss.

On the basis you want to knock through i would think your only option is the extension.

That is the correct answer. If you have a conservatory you will need a door (French or otherwise), so you can't have open plan as you wanted.

My partner has recently been looking to buy a house and we viewed a property which had a conservatory knocked into the kitchen/dining room (obviously done before the new regs). It put both of us off what was an otherwise perfect house, if it had a tiled roof she probably would have bought the place.

As has been said before it might work out better value to wait a while, save some more money and do the extension.

Nynaeve

A conservatory is not usable all year round. (I know, I inherited one with my house) Save for an extension.

GlynD

Nynaeve wrote: »

A conservatory is not usable all year round. (I know, I inherited one with my house) Save for an extension.

we use ours all year round. It's up to how you heat it (or how much you're prepared to heat it).

SJshah

If you get a conservatory, you'll think back and wish you got an extention instead.

Put some more money into the project and go with the extention, with skylights/domed/velux windows.

spindlegs

I have just had a 6.5m x 3.5m conservatory built and have to disagree that it is not an all round room. With the adverse weather we have had its as warm as toast and we only have a small electric fire on in there as we are waiting or the electrics to be completed. We still havnt got the insulated floor yet. We did pay extra to have a special conservo glass roof (not polycarbonate), which they maintain keeps you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This has defintely worked as through this adverse conditions we still have snow on the glass and the space is still warm.

I am over the moon with my conservatory and would recommend it, bearing in mind things have improved since the old type polycarbonate conservatories.

It cost £24,000 for everything. Hope that helps.

hotclick

Hi Glen1977

I had the same problem whether to have a conservatory or extension, as people had said that a conservatory is to cold in the winter, however I wanted to use the room all year round but wanted it to have plenty of light which an extension didn't. So found a solution, I had an extension and then a triple glazed roof lantern to keep the heat in on the flat roof to let in plenty of light and it kept the cost down by having a flat roof and a roof lantern, i found these people great for the roof-maker.co.uk

Hope this helps , its a hard choice.