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Does A Conservatory Add Value?

if you’re looking to get a new conservatory built in your home or you’re moving into a new home that features a conservatory, it’s understandable if you’re wondering whether or not a conservatory adds value to a property.

Adding a conservatory to your home will not only create additional space, but it’ll also add value to it. When the right style, fit and shape is chosen, your conservatory can become an asset that’ll be well worth the investment when you want to dispose your home or property. Generally, a conservatory is estimated to add about 7 percent value to a home as stated by a popular property personality Phil Spencer. However, the correct level of the value it adds will be based on how well your conservatory is built as well as well it matches with its surroundings. As a result, when building your conservatory, it’s crucial to make sure that the new living space fits your home perfectly well in such a way that it showcases your property’s style of interior in order to create continuity.

When building your new living space, the first thing to do is to determine the best place for the structure to be placed. This should be given your total consideration because conservatories that look out of place can actually end up causing more harm than good like reducing the value of your property, as the potential investor may see it as more of a burden pr something that needs to be fixed.

If you choose a conservatory that perfectly suits the rest of your home and also creates value by allowing you derive maximum benefits from your garden, it’s likely to be a hot cake amongst potential buyers.

What Is A Conservatory?

A conservatory is basically a structure constructed on a property that’s usually attached to the side of a home. It’s a room as well as a greenhouse that’s constructed with the help of a wide range of materials which includes bricks, wood, glass and polycarbonate. A conservatory is typically built with a great amount of glass which enables it to offer huge amount of sun and light. During construction, the idea is always to muster sufficient sunlight for the plants while also enabling a cosy room within the structure especially during the cold months. Generally, conservatory extensions’ walls are made of over 50 percent of glass, while their roofs are usually made up of more than 75 percent glass.

Thanks to the advancement in technology, conservatories have also greatly developed over the years. They’ve significantly evolved from the usual luxury greenhouses to normal and everyday home extensions. Conservatories have also grown to become very energy-efficient while also providing super comfort to the extent that they’re now being used throughout the year. And while it’s formerly known to be an occasional room, it’s now more of a home’s extension.

Legally, conservatories are usually covered by what’s called the permitted development rights which exempts them from both planning permission and building regulations. The conditions below form the legal definition of a conservatory to differentiate it from an extension.

✓ Below 30 square metres in size

✓ Constructed at ground level

✓ Separated from the main building by external walls, doors or windows.

✓ Possesses its own stand alone heating system

✓ The glazing as well as fixed electrical fittings are in compliance with the relevant building regulations.

What Is The Best Material For A Conservatory Roof?

In the past, conservatories normally have just a single roof material option - polycarbonate. However, there are a number of problems that was faced by some of the older models such as overheating, leaking roof, cold spots as well as poor sound insulation. With the great improvement in conservatory roof technology, better models have been developed which have completely eradicated these issues.

In recent times, we now have a wider varieties of materials that are incorporated to make conservatory roofs which are able to perform much better for a longer period of time. While tiled roof are incredibly useful to minimize heat loss, glass roof make use of clever reflective coating to keep the space at a comfortable temperature and modern polycarbonate roofs are now more energy efficient than it has ever been. So picking the best material for your conservatory roof is now a matter of preference.

✓ Glass conservatory roofs. This type of conservatory roof material is the perfect choice if you want a sleek, architectural finish for your conservatory. Not only are they available indifferent shapes and sizes, but you can also choose a large atrium style roof. They are made using solid aluminium frames that works to support the glass units which are thermally efficient and designed to retain natural heat while reflecting the sun’s glare.

✓ Tiled conservatory roof. Tiles roof are able to fit both the shape and size of your conservatory which provides you with a sloping or vaulted ceiling. They come in varying tiled finishes to match any style home like Marley clay, slate grey, pale shingles amongst others. Tiled roof are also called “warm roofs due to their particularly high levels of thermal insulation. They can also be installed quite easily and as quickly as any other conservatory roof options.

Building a conservatory can be a challenging task. But whether you plan to hire a professional to build your aluminium conservatory or are considering DIY, it’s good to start with a rough idea of how the process works.

It’s essential to begin with a strong conservatory base. The area needs to be measured out carefully and then dug out. You then need to level the earth and pour in concrete. Your damp proof course goes on top of this, preventing rising damp from entering your structure and creating the floor level.

Then, you need to build your conservatory walls. Start by building your dwarf wall, positioning the external sills on top. Next, fix in the frames and hang your doors. Sit your roof ridge on top of the frames, and add the roof rafters.

Finally, you need to fit the glazing sheets and guttering. Once this is all done, your new aluminium conservatory is ready to go!

How Wooden Conservatories Add Value To My Home?

Wooden conservatories does not only offer a bright and exciting way to increase both your entertainment and living space, but can also go a long to add immense value to your home. If you recruit master craftsmen to utilize superior quality wooden materials to build your conservatory, it can boost the value of your property by 5 percent - ranging between £13,000 to £15,000.

Like many other construction projects, the amount of value that’ll be generated by a wooden conservatory depends largely on the quality of the materials and construction utilized. A higher quality wood like an Oak or Iroko will definitely add a greater value to your home than woods of a lesser quality.

Below are some good points you can put to use to ensure you get the best return on investment.

• Do not alter your home’s style

If you have a modern home, building a traditional conservatory would not only make your home have an inconsistent appearance, but also reduce its value. Ensure that your wooden conservatory has a similar style to your home to derive maximum value.

• A great looking and professionally done wooden conservatory equals a great value

To maximize the possible benefits from your wooden conservatory, it is essential to use a reputable company with a fantastic portfolio.

• Strike a balance between garden space and your conservatory size

A big or moderate outdoor space is just as valuable as your wooden conservatory. So when building your conservatory, do ensure to take the outdoor space into consideration, as a little garden space can imply a negative ROI.

• Consult a local estate agent

The size, style and construction of your wooden conservatory can greatly impact its value. A local estate agent can assist you to determine the potential ROI.

Click here to learn more about wooden conservatories

Are Glass UPVC Conservatories Cold?

An extension is always a great addition to any home or property and while it’s a handy space, it also helps to enhance the visibility of the garden. If you plan to extend, the choice is yours as you can develop a customized design to give you the much desired appearance as well as function. However, in order to give more natural light to a single storey extension and for a more modern look, so many homeowner’s wonder the viability of glass roof. The short and quick answer to this question is yes, but will this lead to a trade off when it comes to heat loss?

If you’ve had the chance of making use of a poorly designed conservatory, you’d be in a better position to explain how weather affects the living space. Due to fact that glass is being used, heat becomes very difficult to retain as it easily leaves the conservatory. However in the summer, this quality can actually be helpful as conservatories without the right glass or the appropriate vents can heat up in just an hour or even less. Overall, all these are extremes a glass roof extension wouldn’t suffer but there are still a few things to be learned.

First and foremost, glass needs to insulate the space, it’ll never perform as good as a flat roof when you make use of a cheap glass. Then secondly, the installation of the glass roof extension has to be designed and carried out for your unique home or property by a specialist due to the fact that both size and direction would have to be put into consideration. This way, your UPVC conservatory wouldn’t have to so cold and unusable especially during the winter months.

Many conservatories fall under permitted development which means they don’t require planning permission. There are exceptions to this though, especially if you’re looking to have a large conservatory installed. Read our guide on conservatory planning permission for more information.

When it comes to boosting the value of a property, there are a bunch of home improvements one can make to increase a property’s value. One of these improvements that can add to both the value as well as saleability of a home is a lean to conservatory. So exactly how much value does a conservatory add?

According to several studies carried out, a lean to conservatory should add anything within the range of 7% to 15% of the average property value in the UK. This equals thousands of pounds which ultimately translates that home and property owners can recoup some or even all of their cost of investment in the extension with relative ease. However, in order to determine the exact value added, you’d have to calculate the value of your investment. These includes determining the amount of money the lean to conservatory will cost including installation, the current value of your property as well as the amount of value the conservatory will add to your property. Doing this will help you determine how wise the investment in a lean to conservatory will be.

At present, the average price in the UK stands at about £240,000 and according to the experts, lean to conservatory should add with the range of 7 percent or 10 percent of that price in terms of value. In other words, the value of your property can rise by close to £17000. And if the total cost of building the lean to conservatory is about £9000, that means you’ve made a profit of up to £8,000. Besides this, there are also some other significant values and benefits offered by installing a lean to conservatory which includes more living space, aesthetic appeal and many more.