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)

This is a very interesting blog read with loads of details about a conservatory extension that is stunning, practical and surprisingly good value!

aliceinscandiland.com/2017/03/12/how-to-extend-your-home-with-style-for-less-than-you-might-think/

Cute looking house OP. I’d be tempted to have an extension myself as I’d like the clean lines instead of the odd windows on the ground floor, it’s definitely got potential.

If extension is out of the question my PIL had a roof put on their conservatory which has regulated the temp better making it much more useable in winter and summer.

They're recommending electric underfloor heating, which is an absolute disaster. I work in the heating and renewables field and many clients who've bought houses with electric underfloor heating were coming to us even before the latest round of price rises, because they couldn't afford to run the heating. Wet underfloor is cheaper.

Just this Christmas I stayed in a house with a small conservatory with underfloor electric heating. The owners don't tend to use the conservatory in the winter because of the cost, but they switched it on so that there was extra entertaining space. It was going on at around 8am and off at 5pm, when it was dark. It was costing them 87p an hour. Around £40 a week, say. £160 a month. And that was before electricity prices doubled. If you can afford £220pm (say) then have a proper extension with wet underfloor heating from the gas boiler of the ASHP.

Wet underfloor is cheaper

Until it leaks!! Three friends in row who had wet underfloor heating in their new kitchens had to get their lovely new floors dug up due to leaks. Disaster.

It shouldn't leak. My company has installed literally hundreds of underfloor systems over the last decade and have never had a leak. I am very rarely, only once in every couple of years, contacted for help by a person whose underfloor heating leaks. They are not my customers, they're people who've had other installers work on their homes. My own underfloor heating has run for 13 years now without any issues.

We design systems so that there are no joints under the floor to leak. We pressure test to three times the standard pressure before the pipes are buried under the screed. Any installer should do the same and offer a 10-year-guarantee, as I do. Obviously if the client's done building work and put a nail or a screw through the pipes then it's their problem to sort out.

If anyone's interested, we use Uponor systems for underfloor heating. They're one of the more expensive manufacturers but as I've said, we have never had any problems. You tend to get what you pay for. My installers have been trained by the manufacturers. If you expect your local plumber to be as good as my guys you may be disappointed.

Presumably, BigWoollyJumpers, someone in your area is an installer who doesn't know what they're doing.

OP we are in the south east and mid way through putting a 4.5m square garden room extension on - single story, large windows and patio doors, dwarf walls and solid/tiled roof vaulted ceiling, 2x velux. Beam in and knocked through to kitchen. 80k.

I love my conservatory, but it's definitely an "extra" to the house rather than a year round room. It really wouldn't work as a kitchen - too hot / too cold.

Ah here we go again, the usual anti-conservatory moaners. Build one with no roof vents and no solar glass, then moan it's cold/hot.
If you want the termerature to be more controlled in summer, get solar glass in the roof (Cuts out around 60-80% of the heat depending on which you pick) and opening roof lights for ventilation. In a north facing conservatory we had it never, ever got too hot in over 10 years with that glass in it and opening roof lights. We're having a south-facing one put in here, we're just doubling the number of roof lights. Underfloor heating for the winter (Put central heating in it and you come up against lots more regulations). We used ours every month of the year, I wqorked most days in it one year writing a book in it.
We have had both an extension and a conservatory. They both have pluses and minuses. Extension downsides- makes inner room dark as a tomb here in spite of extension being quite small and having 2 double patio doors, one south facing, and having side windows in inner room. We had 2 veluxes put in the extension- it helps a lot, but inner room is still fundamentally dark. Fine for me, I am making it a library and a snug, but if you had to live in it, it'd be dismal.

Ours was south facing and the solar glass did diddly squat.

Plus don't discount a conservatory I love ours it's a really special place from March to October. My fave thing is just chilling or entertaining in it in the summer gorgeous and warm and feels like you are in the garden but don't have to actually sit in the garden to be enjoying the summer in all weathers - we are in scotland so all seasons in one day but its a super spot. Wouldn't have built one but house had it when we bought it and made it our own. Fabulous 👌

We inherited a rather expensive designer conservatory....it was still crap even with expensive glass etc. Cost an absolute mint as the invoice and guarantee was passed on to us. The owners definitely got very little back in the sale price of the house.

We demolished it and had an extension built. Large sliders, roof Veluxes (don't have lanterns). It is lovely, light and airy. Gets the heat from sun in summer so virtually no heating required then but doesn't get the blistering extremes of the conservatory.

Given the prices of conservatories I just wouldn't both for what is considered a temporary structure