Conservatory options

OnlyGuyWhoLikesTwix

Hi. I am looking to extend my home cheaply and wondered if someone could look at my idea and tell me if I'm planning badly, or if they have a better idea.

I live in a 2-storey single bed house. At the back of the house, there is the kitchen which directly overlooks the garden and the back part of the living room. This is a very similar plan to my downstairs.



So I am looking at a couple of options.

The first to add a conservatory, most likely Edwardian style dependent on costs. So my first question is, would it be "odd" to have the kitchen where it is to look directly into the conservatory? Does that seem like a hack job? That is the kitchen has an outward facing window and the doorway in the top right is a straight outward-opening patio door. If I make no modifications to this whatsoever, would that look odd?

The second idea is to go for a full on single-storey extension, move the whole kitchen out there and redo the kitchen area as a small downstairs open-office. The idea is to create a small art-studio space. It doesn't need to be huge, just a decent space for an easel, etc. This is obviously vastly more expensive, but if it ends up being the more sensible, then that's the one I'll consider more.

Does anyone else have better ideas than mine? Or thoughts on the above two options?

ed110220

OnlyGuyWhoLikesTwix wrote: »

Hi. I am looking to extend my home cheaply and wondered if someone could look at my idea and tell me if I'm planning badly, or if they have a better idea.

I live in a 2-storey single bed house. At the back of the house, there is the kitchen which directly overlooks the garden and the back part of the living room. This is a very similar plan to my downstairs.



So I am looking at a couple of options.

The first to add a conservatory, most likely Edwardian style dependent on costs. So my first question is, would it be "odd" to have the kitchen where it is to look directly into the conservatory? Does that seem like a hack job? That is the kitchen has an outward facing window and the doorway in the top right is a straight outward-opening patio door. If I make no modifications to this whatsoever, would that look odd?

The second idea is to go for a full on single-storey extension, move the whole kitchen out there and redo the kitchen area as a small downstairs open-office. The idea is to create a small art-studio space. It doesn't need to be huge, just a decent space for an easel, etc. This is obviously vastly more expensive, but if it ends up being the more sensible, then that's the one I'll consider more.

Does anyone else have better ideas than mine? Or thoughts on the above two options?

Not sure I'd call the conservatory idea odd but it's less than ideal. The main problem I see is that conservatories are not extensions, which is why they generally have far fewer restrictions on them than actual extensions. They are not designed to be rooms that are habitable year round. I feel you will be disappointed if you have a conservatory built and expect to be able to use it as just another room as it may be too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. So your two ideas are not equivalent at all.

That layout looks odd and illogical anyway and I'd prefer something like this, structural factors permitting:-

Ant555

my 2p is that our conservatory is often cold in winter but never 'too hot' in summer. We love it when its warm, just open the door and windows if sat in there on a sunny day. In winter we have an electric firefly heater in there - stick that on for an hour before you go in there and its fine - We use our conservatory a lot.

I would not have the kitchen window opening into the conservatory - cooking smells and condensation would be a nightmare.
Would a conservatory right up to, but not over, the kitchen window be big enough - is that roughly 3 metres?

HOWEVER, as you are already mentioning proper extensions and remodelling then that would definitely be my first option - cost it and see if its viable, if not then your conservatory is a fall back.

If you do go for the conservatory I would definitely not have the opening at the far end, have it to the side so you have an uniterrupted corner. A neighbours conservatory is just a 'corridor' to their garden and it doesnt work well as there is just seating on the left and the right side.

hope this helps

Davesnave

You will get lots of views on conservatories, most of them negative. That's because they'll be of variable build quality, facing different ways and owners will often want things from them they can't provide.


My conservatory is actually much more usable in winter than in the heat of summer, which is when I'd rather be cool on the other side of the house anyway. It's a well insulated space, barring the roof, which is just double glazed, so I use very little heating in there. When I do it's just overspill from the wood burner in the living room. Usually, it's the other way round with heat coming into the house on bright days, like today.

I notice your property is terraced, so you have to think seriously about light if you go for a solid-roofed extension. That's one of the main reasons why I went for a conservatory, because I tested the situation with a mock-up solid roof and I didn't like the result. I have a bright house; if I wanted to live like a troglodyte I'd buy a thatched cottage!


While a conservatory will give you the light if you need a studio, and a proper garden room extension will cost much more, the conservatory won't add much value, so bear that in mind too when considering value for money. Essentially, a conservatory is a nice-to-have with a life of aboout 20 years, but it sometimes fits the bill.

Mistral001

I know a couple of people who have put conservatories attached to their kitchens. It is down to personal taste. However I would get the advice of an estate agent before making a decision. I suspect that an extension would be a better investment than a conservatory with regard to resale value.

Flat roof extensions with a rooflight have recently become popular. Because of the relatively short life of old bitumen felt roofs, flat roofs in general used to have a bad reputation. However with the newer roof covering materials, flat roofs have recently had a new lease of life in the building industry and now have come back into vogue.

BTW my boiler/utility room has a bitumen felt flat roof. It only had a life of 45 years before it needed recovering! The newer flat roof covering materials should last longer.

vw100

Because it a single bed house, it will appeal to a smaller market. An extension would boost the appeal, as it would add space to the house. An extension would be sort of integral to the house a conservatory would always feel like a add on.

OnlyGuyWhoLikesTwix

I think I should get both costed. I don't want to whazz a fortune on it. My thinking is that I've made about £35k in property value increase over the time and I don't mind putting a portion of that into it. I love the layout change suggested above in terms of moving the kitchen to the opposite side, but the reality is an extension with the kitchen there seems more sensible.

The next question is, of course, planning permission for such an extension.

As for conservatories, the ones I'm looking at would be Edwardian style, so a partial brick base with glass over for the light. The kitchen window leading out onto the conservatory is my only minor gripe. I'm swaying towards an extension today (I'm really trying to get a feel for any and all options) but simply as I have no intention on selling up at least in the next five years.

martinthebandit

Have a look at sun rooms (basically a conservatory with a proper roof) while your at it.

Davesnave

martinthebandit wrote: »

Have a look at sun rooms (basically a conservatory with a proper roof) while your at it.

But consider your options for obtaining enough light if you do. A dark house is harder to sell and does nothing for people's mental health in winter.


See also the other thread about conservatories if you decide to go for one. Biggest problem is the dodgy people who sell them. Best to get the foundations and walls done first by a real builder.

WaywardDriver

Couple of thoughts. What direction is the proposed conservatory facing? - if North then less useful.
Also some contradiction in proposals - conservatory is essentially for leisure while OP seems to want work-area for which extension better suited.

Davesnave

WaywardDriver wrote: »

Also some contradiction in proposals - conservatory is essentially for leisure while OP seems to want work-area for which extension better suited.

Depends on spec. I worked in my conservatory last year when it was -6c outside. No extra heating, just what came in via the open living room doors.


But yes, aspect is a big factor and affects usefulness in summer if facing south.