Kitchen opened up to conservatory

bluewater

Just looked at a house where the kitchen leads into the conservatory - completely open plan. I know that a conservatory is not a habitable room and that removal of walls or patio doors to open it up to the rest of the house breaches building regulations. Some people I know recently had to reinstate the patio doors that they had removed before they could exchange. In this case there is no opportunity to reinstate anything because the kitchen layout intrudes into the conservatory.

We don't need to borrow to make this purchase but I think a future lender may require it to be changed. We could probably put up with the inefficiency of the conservatory sucking heat out of the house but I wonder if you think this should be a deal breaker.

d70cw6

good to know, thanks.

PasturesNew

It might not be a conservatory - it might have been done "properly". So you should investigate if it's been "done properly" or just opened out without a care for it being done wrong.

HouseBuyer77

I have a similar setup, though it's my living room and doors could be added if required.

I bought the house knowing it may be an issue but I've actually found it just fine. Though your mileage may vary. It's north facing so in summer the sun doesn't get on it enough to cause sizzling temperatures, haven't found an issue yet in winter (though last winter was mild, and so far haven't had much of the way of cold temperatures this year, plus I'm quite happy with a cool house, I leave the thermostat at 18 degress).

The lender raised no issues with it. Though I needed indemnity insurance because it was an unauthorised alteration to a leasehold property.

It's been there for almost 15 years now, so given previous owners haven't found it enough of a pain to do anything about, I don't think I will either.

Do you know how long it's been there for? If it has just been done then I'd worry more than if it's been around for 10 years and worked well enough that no previous owner has done anything about it.

I guess in my case if someone does raise a stink adding doors is easy enough. If you don't have that luxury perhaps you should reconsider.

HouseBuyer77

One thing to consider - condensation and ventiliation.

It's a bit of a problem in my conservatory during the winter. I have a dehumidifer I run occasionally which deals with it.

Lots more moisture around in a kitchen though, so a decent extractor system will be essential (more so than in a normal kitchen). Or at the very least remember you'll need the windows open to cook, especially in winter.

moneyistooshorttomention

I've never understood why people have the conservatory open to a room in the house and automatically mentally put the missing patio doors in or wall back up again whenever I look at a house like that.

But - if it's not even possible to do that - then the house would be on the Reject list for me personally and I'm guessing for quite a few other people as well.

flea72

I have an open plan conservatory/kitchen/diner. No problems with condensation, nor extortionate heating bills. We use the conservatory as our living room, so it is definitely habitable year round

bluewater

Thanks for replies
Pasturesnew - It certainly is a conservatory and has been done 'properly' by the looks of it. The knock through looks professionally finished and, as I said, the nearly new kitchen extends a bit into the conservatory making it impossible to reinstate any doors or wall without major upheaval. The floor in the kitchen and conservatory is the same and the conservatory has a radiator that is part of the CH system.

Interesting to hear that the advantages of such an arrangement haven't had a detrimental impact on some who live with it. Condensation could be a problem though

One other thought: Is it likely that contents insurance could be compromised because the conservatory could be considered a weak point in making the house secure? Although the conservatory's french doors don't seem any less secure than any other french doors.

flea72

A conservatory is no less secure than any other window/door in a house

flea72

bluewater wrote: »

The floor in the kitchen and conservatory is the same and the conservatory has a radiator that is part of the CH system.

What type of flooring is it? Unless you have underfloor heating, lino/laminate will be cold underfoot in the conservatory. We have laminate in the kitchen, but carpet in the conservatory

bmthmark

In my last house I had a conservatory that had doors to separate the dining room from it.
It was south facing and to be honest the winter time was freezing and the summer time it was way too hot.
I would never have a conservatory again.