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Original poster

Conservatories? Yes or no? How Much?

45 replies

crunchie · 12/12/2005 12:36

I am thinking of getting a conservatory, and need some input from those of you who have one. What do you use it for? How much do you use it? Does it cost a fortune to heat? How much did it cost? Was it worth it? What style have you got?

In fact just tell me anything about your conservatory that will help me decide. AT the moment we have 2 large rooms downstairs, a Kitchen breakfast room (separated by an archway, was 2 rooms) and a long living room. That is it for 'Living space'

OP posts:
NewBethlehemGirlwithsparkles · 12/12/2005 12:40

Well ours is pretty carp (thanks Zippi for that!).

It has a tiled floor and no heating so now it's just as cold as being outside in there. In the summer it's like a sauna, no joke!

We have a sofa, tv and dd's toys in there. We've put a heater in and if you leave it on for a few minutes before you go in, it's not too bad.

Original poster
crunchie · 12/12/2005 12:43

Was it in the house when you got it? If not where did you get it from, was it expensive?

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BROWNYtherednosereindeer · 12/12/2005 13:02

Hi Crunchie,

The only living space we have is a long thin living room (used to be two rooms). We only have a small kitchen so have no table in there to sit at.

We had our conservatory built in the summer and it's the second best thing we did (1st was to convert our loft into a large bedroom).

Anyway, we have a tradional edwardian design, (four straight corners), with the door to the right-hand side. It cost around £7.500 in total (we're in Liverpool).

We've just laid a gorgeous laminate (plank effect) floor in there, (foil-backed underlay) and have a radiator plumbed in - we also have a small electricl radiator to boost the temperature when it's really cold.

I have a couch, two chairs, a small dining table and chairs in there and nests of tables and NO TELEVISON!! My eldest daughter (almost 10) loves to sit in there and read or do her homework, my ds (18 months old) loves the bright light in there and plays with his toys and when they're all at school, I read, do paperwork, or just chat to friends in there - it's lovely to be nice and warm and to look out onto the garden - it's very relaxing and I love it!!

Let me know if you need any technical help with kind of roof, glass etc. HTH

Original poster
crunchie · 12/12/2005 14:14

Bump, more ideas please

OP posts:
merrycompo · 12/12/2005 14:17

my sister has got one. Don't know how much it was but her dh is a builder so did all the labour himself, just bought the windows. It has heating and they use it as a playroom. Don't know if it would be unbearably hot in the summer though

NomDePlumPudding · 12/12/2005 14:21

I would say it depends on the aspect of your house (which way the wall it would be on faces). We've thought about doing it here, but it would be onthe back which is south facing and it would be unbearably hot, like NBG's in the summer. Not much use really.

Feistybird · 12/12/2005 14:22

Ok, it's hardwood from B&Q (it was a real PITA to get someone to build it) - can't recall how much it was tbh. But it's great, love it. Can't wait till kids get older and we can reclaim it back from them as it's a playroom. It has 2 sofas in there.

Does get hot for part of the day in summer but then is shaded by a tree in the pm.

It has a radiator in there, floor is wood.

LucycatsGotTheTurkey · 12/12/2005 14:23

I think it realy depends on which way you think the conservatory will face when installed, ours in North facing so never gets too hot in the summer and we do have laminate floor in there, with rugs and an air conditioning unit which is a heater in the winter too, go for the biggest you can afford and like browny I think the Edwardian design seems to make best use of space and it's much easier to fit furniture in.
We also have decking coming straight out the back of ours and then steps into the garden - I love it, especially when the doors are shut into the house and I can't hear the dd's!!

futurity · 12/12/2005 14:27

We got ours a few years ago and it was 10K+. Downstairs we had a lounge then double doors to kitchen/diner and that was it and we felt we needed more living space as we had a DS who was on the move! It is quite big (sorry..no good at sizes!)...we decided to go for as big as we could afford as saw small conservatories and the owners didn't really use them. We also went for four straight walls..ie no funny corner bits as again we needed all the space we could get so arty shaped conservatory wasn't for us. We have double doors to the right going out to patio (which we added a year later). Fan and light. Tons of windows and roof window as we are south facing...no blinds as can't afford it! It does get v hot in the summer but we just open everything up and it is manageable. Also gets cold in the winter! Got tons of plug sockets as in the future it may have children's tv/computer in. Main regret is that we have a plugin freestanding radiator...should of got a proper one plummed in. Floor is laminate which DH put down himself.

Yes it was worth it..it has all the toys in and gives us loads of extra room downstairs although DS1 has to be persuaded to go in there to play sometimes if I am in the kitchen as he likes to be around me (another friend whose child has a playroom says there child does the same). DS2 loves going in there and exploring!

LucycatsGotTheTurkey · 12/12/2005 14:31

oh yes LOTS of sockets, we have 4 doubles and when the fairy lights are plugged in with the air con/tv/lamps it all adds up. Ours is oak/brown on the outside and we paid an extra 1k for that but I had a thing about white conservatories when we had it built!

Original poster
crunchie · 12/12/2005 14:55

Sounds like everyone likes theirs. We are looking at a brown one (all our windows are brown) and about 4m x 3m, but I am trying to see if we can squeeze and extra 20 - 30 cms in widthways. The cost all in (inc fan etc) at the mo (with 4 new windows and front door) is £15,000 (about £13k) for the conservatory. It will have 4 double sockets and a fitted heater, not plumbed in. We face north east ish (I think) At the mo in high summer that area of the patio gets the shade by about 1pm, so it should be OK heatwise. We also want a slightly higher wall than normal as it will give more privicy (our next door could see in if they wanted to )

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chenin · 12/12/2005 15:49

We love ours! It is 20ft long and south west facing. Yes, it is hot in summer but when it is a scorching hot day, you don't sit indoors anyway. I love it in spring and autumn - the sun makes it soooo warm. We have two double radiators plumbed in so we use it in winter. At Christmas, it comes into its own with fairy lights etc. We do have really nice blinds on the roof and the windows so it really is an extra room for us.

Bear in mind, the blinds cost half the price of the conservatory (£12,000/£6,000) but they are superb.

leggymamba · 12/12/2005 17:00

Ours is being built as I type. We're having 3.2m by 3.4m gable end. Went round show room with about 10 different styles and this felt the biggest and lightest (it's worth finding different sorts to have a look at). I still wanted a garden and not to have to knock a wall down so hence the odd size! Ours is costing £7000 including new french windows instead of patio doors out of the dinning room and sockets but no heating or floor. I think we got a really good price as my dh likes to see how far he can get a price down - sees it as a challenge. we got £1000 off the original quote.

Planning on using it as a toy dumping ground, don't really care if the kids stay in there as long as can shut the doors on mess at night! Putting a tv in there so can banish ceebeebies for a while.

Original poster
crunchie · 12/12/2005 17:30

leggymamma who is doing yours?

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IOTAnnenbaum · 12/12/2005 17:33

I love my consrvatory -- my one regret is that we didin't get underfloor heating - -I relly wish we had - -tha sales rep said we wouldn't need it - -he lied

Original poster
crunchie · 12/12/2005 17:36

Hmmm Underfloor heating, I'll look into that one too.

OP posts:
leggymamba · 12/12/2005 17:38

we live near stafford and it's a small company who manufacture themselves. found companies who manufacture and fit cheaper and able to make changes from the bog standard. only draw back is having to wait for a fitter as they don't have loads.

IOTAnnenbaum · 12/12/2005 17:47

good ventilation is essential if it's S facing - ours is SE. We have a roof opening and extractor fan and a ceiling fan, plus opening windows.

It still gers cold in winter though hence the desire for underfloor heating (currently use free-standing radiator and fan heater)

misdee · 12/12/2005 17:48

if you have one done (i would love one) then get heating and ventilation sorted. my other sister has a massive conservatry, 3mx5m, but it isnt heated or ventilated, which means that most of the year it cant be used. its freezing in there atm.

Blossomgoodwill · 12/12/2005 17:49

We too are in the process of having a conservatory built. I live in a 3 bed mid terraced house. So am having brick walls either side. It's going to be 5m x 3m and have an Edwardian style roof. It's going to be an extra living room really and will use it mainly for the kids. Going to have wooden flooring that looks like ceramic as warmer than actual ceramic. Having s large radiators put in too (toyed with underfloor heating but too expensive). Hopefully mine should be finished in about a month
Just have visions of me chilling out in there with my Pimms No 1

Blossomgoodwill · 12/12/2005 17:51

Forgot to add it's costing me £10,900

006 · 12/12/2005 18:00

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Blossomgoodwill · 12/12/2005 18:05

Do you need planning permission for a radiator?

IOTAnnenbaum · 12/12/2005 18:07

we needed planning permission for the conservatory as our double garage is separate and used up the 'free' allowance for additional devt to the house ( weird but true)

006 · 12/12/2005 18:08

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