Genius idea - conservatory?

[Rrrob]

I’ve posted on here before about our desire to do a 2 storey side extension but unexpected arrival of dc3 in Aug plus spiralling building costs mean it is not doable any time soon.

We could do the loft, and have plans drawn up, but really the most urgent space need is downstairs. We have a living room, kitchen/ diner and downstairs toilet. My genius idea today is to stick a conservatory onto either the kitchen to make an L shaped kitchen/ dining/ family space, or onto the dining side, making one long space.

Before I get excited, is this a terrible idea? I’ve never wanted a conservatory until now and know the heat issues, but it seems a no brainer on the space front? Would a conservatory need planning permission? If we were to sell, is a conservatory an off putting feature?

If you don’t mind upvc (sorry I loathe it) and you don’t mind getting a heater out when it’s cold that’s fine. As pleasant places in clement weather they can be lovely, as working kitchen and dining rooms not so much.

They don't have to be UPVC. Ours is aluminium, friends of ours have a timber frame.
We've never needed to get a heater out in ours, the underfloor heating is more than enough even when there's snow on the ground. The tiles really hold the heat.
Ours is a working dining room and family room. We use it every single day, it's the most used room in the house. It's everything we wanted from an extension but more because the glass roof is much brighter and it was so much cheaper.

I loved our conservatory on our old house. We had solid walls either side that were plaster boarded and painted so only had glass at the front and roof with blue glass. We had a good heater and used it all year round with massive wide doors so it could open up when very hot and become a garden extension. We sold the house in one day with 3 viewings 4 years ago so it didn’t put anyone off.

We had ours refurbished last year. It has a warmroof and updated glass. There is a radiator in it although this is a bit shit and needs replacing.

It's a lovely space and I wfh in it. It does get cold but I can manage with a small space heater or a blanket and over the summer it was no where near as hot as it used to get.

My mums is a wooden one and also really lovely. She has underfloor heating which I would recommend upon reflection (mine had a concrete floor with lvt and it's that as much as anything which makes it chilly).

Both are add on rooms separate from the main house mind

Our old one was a stop gap until we could afford the larger extension - only 1 floor unfortunately.
We had 1 solid wall and 2 glass with 1/3 high brick wall.
It was off the dining room and made 1 big L shaped room with the kitchen. We tiled it the same as the rest of the room, and put in a good sized radiator.
Conservatory cost £300 from mate of a mate.
We used it for 4 years until we could afford the extension.
It bloody saved our lives.
It can work for you.

We have an awful conservatory but it's probably about 20 years old and I'd hope that materials have moved on since then.

Hopefully this link works. I really like their "conservatory" and it looks like somewhere that would quickly become my favourite room. www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/119295512

I'm speaking from experience of having one that 'works'- so I'm objecting to those who insist that conservatories by definition never work. It isn't just expense that makes one workable, it's thinking them out and designing them properly, and putting them in the right place

Same here (in London, 'large detached" part of the market). I quite often work in ours instead of the office and have taken many work calls in rainstorms without being deafened.

We had brick side walls, fairly modern glass types for roof and windows. It needs no more heating than any other room in the house in Winter and does not get too hot in the Summer. UV resistant glass and vents seem to do the job for temperature control (and of course just like any other room - we can open the windows).

The builder who constructed ours has a three year waiting list for conservatory builds just in the local area but I guess he must be imagining it if a fashion magazine has said nobody puts them on higher end houses in the SE

1. Fashion magazines weren’t mentioned.
2. Londoners spent the 80s + 90s erecting conservatories and the noughties and 10s replacing them with more substantial structures. Nowadays standard back extensions are 2 sides brick, one wall with french windows or bifold doors, and a solid roof either flat or pitched with roof lights in. For a more daring or imaginative look, there’s a lot of use of glass and light but the lessons of the past are incorporating that within a brick structure or having serious aircon. Don’t take my word for it, take a tour round London or look on Prime Location.
3. Two solid walls mitigates heat issues considerably (as opposed to the classic 3 side low brick wall + glass conservatories). Not always the heat, noise, glare, bleaching issues though.
4. OP asked for opinions this is mine. Not stopping anyone from doing what they like.

I enjoy mine - I keep my cactus collection out there and they like it out too.
I think you can put one up without planning permission provided you keep the doors to into the house. It would never meet insulation regulations otherwise. And believe me, you really wouldn't want one which was open plan to the house because they do get really hot and really cold at different times of the year. But like at the moment, it's glorious in there; it magnifies the tiniest bit of sun into something really pleasurable to sit in. I'm not sure they are good for a year round room though. You could spend a fortune trying to heat it.

Fashion magazines weren’t mentioned

I think it was you who mentioned "House and Garden" - fashion is not confined to dresses.

You seem to be redefining terms to suit your argument.

Around my area modern conservatories are still being built and are popular. I actually live in the areas you are claiming eschew conservatories.

@LaMariposa

We had a conservatory in our old house and I miss it. It was a separate room on a south east facing wall. We had a tree that shaded it in the summer. Spring/autumn it was the perfect second living room/playroom. Winter, we had an oil filled radiator in there. It was great on a sunny day too as it caught the heat. In the summer it was shaded by the tree for most of the day, so didn’t ever get too hot. Plus every window had a fanlight and with the double doors open it had a decent draft as well. We did have roof blinds as well as solar glass.

Same as us, we use our conservatory year round as a playroom. One side is a wall and then low walls the other two sides so not sure if that helps

@C8H10N4O2

H&G is an interiors not a fashion magazine. I'm certainly not the one redefining terms.

Either way, it was me wot said it not H&G.