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Property/DIY

Does Anyone Enjoy Having a Conservatory?

18 replies

fourtothedozen · 27/07/2015 11:10

I keep reading lots of criticism of conservatories, used at best for drying laundry or storing stuff. Too cold in winter, too hot in summer.

This is not my experience at all- I bought a house with a conservatory and I love it, we use it all year round, every day. It's a fantastic place for relaxing, chatting.
Any other conservatory lovers?

OP posts:

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umiaisha · 30/07/2015 14:14

I love ours too. It is more of an extension to our tiny kitchen and although it was very hot at the start (south facing) this has been rectified with roof shade sails. We have a dining table out there and will get a sofa.

It has made a real difference to our downstairs living space and has bought us some time until we need to move again and hopefully added some value to the house as well.

ValancyJane · 29/07/2015 17:48

I love ours, it has underfloor heating and a radiator so can keep it toasty in winter. It's south facing so does get hot in summer, but we usually leave the back doors open all day wen we're home, so that helps keep the temperature sensible. Have a sofa in there that is bliss to curl up on with a good book. It's brilliant in Spring and Autumn as even when the weather's crap you feel like you're a bit outside and all the light does lift your spirits.

bilbodog · 29/07/2015 14:32

i've had 2 previous houses with conservatories open to the kitchen. Absolutely loved them. I had an Aga in the kitchen so that helped with heat in the winter and it was only very occasionally cold in there (when it was extra freezing outside) but mostly wonderful in winter with the sun coming in most of the day. If it was that hot in summer we just opened all the doors, windows and skylights (I think you do need skylights to open) and it was wonderful. Am desperately missing a conservatory now we have moved and can't afford to put one in at the moment.

FunkyPeacock · 28/07/2015 21:44

Our house had a conservatory off the lounge when we bought it.

It was ugly & impractical. Either too cold or too hot and ended up as a dumping ground for toys as our DC were toddlers are the time.

We had it knocked down & had our lounge extended in its place about 5 years ago and it was one of the best things we ever did.

Girlsbrigadewashorrible · 28/07/2015 21:38

I enjoy ours, it was built before we bought the house. It has underfloor electric heating and wall heaters which we rarely turn on as it is expensive. So we tend to only use the conservatory from May to October, unless we are entertaining at Christmas.
It's a nice addition to our home but I probably wouldn't choose to build one myself.

Superexcited · 28/07/2015 08:19

We had one in our old house and I hated it. We should have built a proper extension instead. It was heated but still not as warm as the rest of the house during winter and leaving the double doors open would just lower the temp in the adjoining room.

wonkylegs · 28/07/2015 08:12

I love ours as it has the best view of our gorgeous garden but it can be too cold in winter, I open the doors / windows in summer so although it can be hot to start off its fine. This doesn't matter though as it's an extra room rather than being integral space we have to use as we have lots of other reception rooms.

lavendersun · 28/07/2015 08:08

We really love ours and had it built while we were here. Lovely views onto woodland/fields was probably the reason we chose it.

It is used every day, all year round, also has the glass mentioned upthread and heated.

It has a huge dining table, sofa, toy corner, x trainer (would prefer this was somewhere else but our old cottage ceilings are low), old school cupboard, and today, a laundry rack!

Even in the winter it is useable with the heating on in there. We usually have Sunday lunch/afternoon of games in there when we are at home.

I do dislike the fly/bug graveyard bit though!

MrsTaraPlumbing · 28/07/2015 08:02

Yes Yes Yes againn.
I think construction and aspect has a lot to do with it.
Our's is North facing so doesn't suffer so much sun
And walls on 3 sides with "proper" insulated base so not so cold.

Also we do have an air con unit built in. It costs 5p per hour to run when on max cold setting and on the hotest days but cools the whole of our ground floor to a comfortable level. Well worth it.

Our base is constructed as per building requirements for an extension - insulation - (as are our walls) but conservatories don't have to meet that specification.

Another house of a family member - they "live" in the extension - north facing with blinds. It is massive (about 8 metres by 5) and lovely temperature all the time. They previously had a house with a little cheap conservatory - south facing - which did get too hot in height of summer, but they used it throughout winter from about Sept - to May.

The best thing about conservatories is the light and the connection with outside.
I suspect the negatives are mostly to do with cheaper construction methods.

ChablisTyrant · 27/07/2015 21:15

We love ours and use it every day. Sw facing but an expensive build with full wall one side and dwarf walls on others. Blinds and fans and decent heating mean we use it every day of the year.
I was very apprehensive when we bought the house but it worked out well.

Donatellalymanmoss · 27/07/2015 14:22

My Mum and my in-laws both love theirs.

EddieVeddersfoxymop · 27/07/2015 13:03

Yep, I love mine! It's south facing so can get v hot, but I am in scotland and so far this year that's not happened . Ours is heated, so its toasty in winter too. Love it, and like someone upthread I can fall asleep on the sofa in seconds. Our builders were ace, they came up with an amazing design that suits my house perfectly and we're so glad we spent the extra money to go with their plans rather than a bog standard build. My fav room in my house!

fourtothedozen · 27/07/2015 11:49

Maybe that's it. Like scatter mine is off the dining room and the doors are always open. It is North facing, and has central heating but a very open aspect E and W. I am in Scotland, I have never been too hot in my conservatory.

OP posts:

Nooname01 · 27/07/2015 11:33

We have one and it's great! We bought the most expensive glass and it keeps heat in well in winter and doesn't get ridiculously hot in summer if windows and roof vent are open.
It faces NW ish so that may help.

Afterthestorm · 27/07/2015 11:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

grahamnortonsbeard · 27/07/2015 11:28

Love mine and it really comes into its own in the spring and the autumn when it's too chilly to sit outside but the perfect temperature there.
I have a sofa in it I can fall asleep on in SECONDS!

scatterthenuns · 27/07/2015 11:25

Ours is off our dining room, with big double doors that are always open. Thus, is stays the right temperature, and I love the bright natural light that it gives to the room.

yomellamoHelly · 27/07/2015 11:21

My only experience of a conservatory was as a child. As per the cliche, it was freezing in the winter and too hot in the summer but my parents were determined to use it all the time as the house was really quite dark inside and it was (obviously) much brighter out there (and it had cost them a lot to do). Not sure a modern one would be like that.

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