How much to add a conservatory like this? (With house pics)

[tailfeathershaker]

In the process of buying this house and we want to add space to the kitchen, also would like to keep the room at the front and not knock the two through. We don't have the budget for a full on extension so would adding a conversation with dwarf walls be a cheaper option or is it similar cost to as extension. We're in the south east if that's relevant. Any recently done an extension? Would be around 3x3m so not huge and we'd go upvc (although I'm hoping we can get one in a dark grey or green colour not the white options)

Don’t do a conservatory. It cost us a fortune after building ours, to have to knock it down and build a proper extension.
Too hot in summer, too cold in winter. And if you don’t have doors to close it off, it’ll cost you a fortune in heating bills.

Adding a UPV conservatory to your existing kitchen and not having doors separating it from the existing kitchen means that you're going to pay a fortune to heat it in the winter. Not even the best conservatories are energy efficient. It will bring your EPC down and make the house more difficult to sell. Better to spend the money on a proper extension — although I can see the house has been extended already, possibly twice, so that ship may have said.

Just taken a look at the plans. This house has a small kitchen and three reception rooms. Turn one of the larger receptions into a kitchen and use the existing kitchen as a utility room.

This is the area it would go in, the garden wraps around the whole house so we wouldn't be too worried about losing this area. One side that will run by the brick garage would need to be brick and we'd run kitchen units down it rather than have a conservatory side looking through to the brick garage wall.
Also I know I've missed a career in architectural drawing!

@Pluvia we do want to keep the existing rooms downstairs rather than knock through as we need to future proof and have a separate room as I think at some point DHs mum might need to use that room as a bedroom

missing the point but how do you get in to those two rooms on the right? There’s no doors on the plans!

Thanks for the advice I had though it would be quite energy efficient, do you think only having 2 sides of glass would help with this? Or any ideas on cost of an extension?
Are we talking £50k or like £100k?

@Overthebow yes they've missed a door between the stairs and the porch on that floor plan!

Conservatories are the least energy efficient thing ever in my experience. Literally freezing on winter mornings and 50oC in the summer. Even mildly sunny days in spring they heat up to unbearable temperatures and you have to have all the doors and windows open.

Ok well looks like the conservatory idea is out then! Damn!

I’m sitting in our conservatory now and it’s lovely. One radiator keeps it ok in winter, and there’s passive gain from sunshine, and we open the windows in summer. It’s open to the kitchen and has French windows closing it off from the living room (it’s a full width across-the-back). I wouldn’t be without it

What about when people have these wrap around bi-folds on their extensions, do they cause the same issue or is it more the glass on the roof?

We'd plan having a radiator and the area of the garden it's in is very shaded so perhaps it wouldn't get that hot?

I have to say I love my conservatory,
As pp radiator keeps it warm in the winter and we keep windows open in the summer if it's really warm.

Having a kitchen open to a conservatory won't pass building regulations on energy efficiency, I am afraid.

Ours was like what you wanted when we moved in. We had to open the fridge for heat it was so bloody cold in winter. Stifling in the summer. We knocked it down and built an extension - so much nicer now.
If you don't have the budget now, live with what you have and save until you can afford the extension. Trust me - it'll be a waste of money to put up a conservatory and knock through.

www.tradeconservatories2u.co.uk/blog/conservatories-quick-guide-planning-permission-and-building-regulations.htm

Can you point me in the right direction @DellaPorter to read about info like that? I've seen loads of Pinterest but maybe they're from overseas countries where the regs aren't the same

Thanks for that link @DellaPorter very helpful

We lived in a flat that had such a conservatory. It was joined to the house on 3 sides and only one side low wall/glass. French doors had been removed so it was open to the living room.

it was lovely and not particularly hot/cold in itself, though our energy bills were high. But it wouldn't be allowed under current rules (and actually, 15 years after it was built there were issues with it on the survey and we had to reduce the agreed sale price)

www.hhcelcon.co.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Technical%20Update%202022-01%20%28Part%20L%202021%29.pdf

I think as we've keep the existing bit of the kitchen we should be fine on those building regs you sent through on that link, so long as the washing machine was kept in the original house bit and not moved to the conservatory floor space

Ah I see the U values on the roof would now be an issue

We’ve just had one built - had it 6 months and it’s a very high end one. We are using it as a dining room / social room.
I’d read so much about them being boiling hot in summer and freezing in the winter. So we have installed both under floor heating and air conditioning. Not cheap but the whole room is wonderful so far. Cost £60k all in but it’s a top end look and is something pretty special.

I think it's not a great idea (no idea about the building regs side of things). I have a conservatory but it's a self contained one with doors from our living room. The previous owner built it and I really dislike it. Our garden is south facing and the heat in there is unbearable. Opening all the windows and doors does nothing. It also means we can't cool down our living room or get any fresh air in there because all we do is let the heat into the living room. And absolutely freezing in winter. We don't have a radiator in ours and I wouldn't like to run one now because we'd just be throwing money away. I think they can be more comfortable in summer if they're not in direct sunlight all day long. Sorry, I know that not what you wanted to hear.