Does a conservatory add value to your house?......

[sammysam]

We are now stuck in our small 2 bed house with dc2 on the way.
Whilst we know that we can't really improve upstairs space (can't covert loft and extending would mean completely moving almost every room) we think that if we add a conservatory at least we'll have some more living space-eg at the moment we can only fit 3 round our kitchen table, so if we had a table out there we could all sit round it.
Will it add the amount we spend on it iyswim? We dp and bil would do as much of the work as they could (bil is a builder but they live miles away and are also doing loads to their house atm so might be limited) to keep the cost down.

Our worry is that it will make the next couple of years more comfortable but we will still need to move as soon as we do and to do it we will need to use our savings which would have gone into the new house so really we need it to add value to the house.

I know without knowing what the house/area is like it is hard to answer but generally does it add value?

(sorry for the ramble btw!)

[bigchris]

I think an extra room always adds extra to a house
my sisietr had a conservatory added which they use as a playroom
it cost several grand I think, her dh is a builder so he did much of the groundwork

[FigmentOfYourImagination]

It depends on the house, the value of it now and the area it is in.

You are unlikely to get your money back via value adding but if it makes the house more useable for your family and enables you top stay put for a few more years then it is worth thinking about, imo.

[lalalonglegs]

I think you would be much better off getting a conventional extension than a conservatory which, imo, are generally extremely unattractive and are just stuck on the back of a house rather than integrated into it properly. As a result, they are underused.

A proper extension that makes an existing room that you already use, such as the kitchen, much larger (and maybe adds things like a utility room which means that the space you already have is much less cluttered by gubbins) is a far better bet.

[Sorrento]

If you need to move in the next 5 years then you need the cash, you may sell the current place at a loss and need to write a cheque to the bank in order to secure a new mortgage as well as a deposit.
I wouldn't spend a penny beyond repairs and presentation when the time comes on house you don't intend to keep.

[lalalonglegs]

I do think that there is an argument that it is always worth spending money to make a place more comfortable and suited to your needs and if the family can't sit around the dining table at the same time, it sounds pretty difficult.

I also think that most people viewing would notice that it is very cramped and, if the property market is still in the doldrums in five years' time, then having a bit more space would make it more sellable.

I've no idea of the value of the OP's house, how much a conservatory or extension on it would cost and what uplift that would give it, but it's got to offset the costs a little and, if it is done well enough, may cover them. In the meantime, it could make all the difference to her sanity .

[Heated]

Mine is a sodding liability. It was here when we moved in & I admit I was attracted by the sheer size of it (currently houses snooker table, play area and seating) but it was done on the cheap & now needs 12k spending on it - 12k we wanted to put into an extension.

If you do it, make sure you do it well.

[jeanjeannie]

I'm with lala - in an ideal world an extension would be the prefered choice for 'adding value' but in this case it would get you out of a spot.

As a rough rule-of-thumb, you get back in value about what you spend - so I wouldn't say they 'add value' but they can be a deal-breaker for a prospective buyer in the future.

If you use your BIL, keep the cost down and use it for the space to keep your sanity then I think it's worth doing. Just don't get carried away and break the bank!

[goldenpeach]

HIre a builder not a doubleglazing company and if you finish off the shell yourself, you save money. I got mine a few years ago for 8k, made in wood and brick, the conservatory company wanted 20k for a plastic one. I painted all the wood myself and the wall and put the flooring too (smart stick-on vinyl that matched the kitchen's floor). I didn't want to spend too much as I knew I was going to sell but it helped to sell the house as buyers loved it. I didn't put central heating and had to use electric radiator, so put in heating if poss. Mine was southfacing and I used it from Feb to November and it was baking on sunny days. I miss it.

[goldenpeach]

Forgot to say it had a full wall on one side made of breeze block which was rendered. I painted it.

[smellen]

Personally find conservatories a bit of a waste of money. They are hot in summer (unless you shell out a fortune on bespoke blinds, upwards of £1000 depending on its size), freezing in winter.

When we were in the market for a house, we were often put off by conservatories that took out air and natural light from the room to which they were attached, or which were badly designed in other ways (e.g. impractical shape, which can't house furniture).

Preferable, IMHO to build a single storey extension, with velux windows, to let in light and extend living space, but without the need for an internal door and with proper insulation. But that wouldn't come cheap, and in the current market I'd hesitate to spend out large sums on a house that I was not likely to be staying in the medium-long term. Better to spend your money making the house look smart for a pair of "DINKIES" IYKWIM.