Buy a conservatory

Buying a conservatory is a big investment. There are many different options to have the conservatory made completely to your liking. Wondering what to look out for? On Renoca you will find an overview of prices and saving tips.

Buying a conservatory: the cost

The cost of a conservatory depends on the following components:

• The dimensions
• The additional work
• The desired material
• Extra wishes

The price therefore depends heavily on your own wishes. In the table below you can see a price indication for a standard conservatory, including material and labour costs.

Why buy a conservatory?

The most obvious reason for building a conservatory is to increase your living space. The extra space provides new possibilities in your living room. But did you know that a conservatory offers even more benefits?

• You bring the outdoors inside
  Enjoy the winter sunshine in the garden, while still being nice and warm inside. Does summer get a little cooler? Then simply move from the garden to the conservatory. You can also choose to add sliding doors or a sliding roof to your conservatory. This makes it even easier to create space in your garden.
• Charme
  A conservatory brings charm both to the look of your home and to the inside. Inside a large room full of light and outside a beautiful view of a large structure.
• More light
  A conservatory is often largely made of glass, which immediately provides extra light in the room.
• An added value for your home
  A conservatory immediately increases the value of your home. . This is because the conservatory gives a cosy look to the house. Moreover, the space serves as an extra room. This extra value can amount to as much as £20,000.

Choices when buying a conservatory

There are several choices involved in buying a conservatory. These choices affect the total price of your conservatory. Design your conservatory according to your wishes.

1. Garden conservatory or residential conservatory?
   The first step in the selection process is the type of conservatory. Will you go for a garden conservatory or a residential conservatory. Compare the 2 options in the table below.
   

   Feature	Garden conservatory	Dwelling conservatory
   Expanding your living space	Yes, but is not part of the house itself.	Yes, for example to the living room or kitchen.
   Additional light	No, not in the dwelling itself. The conservatory does create a space full of light.	Yes, the living conservatory creates a house full of light because of the glass walls (and sometimes even roof).
   Enjoy your garden in winter	Yes, a garden conservatory is built onto your house, giving you an extra space in your garden.	Yes, with a living conservatory you enjoy your garden all year round.
   Relatively small. The conservatory is placed against the house.	Relatively large because the facade often needs to be broken through.
   Price	Price is lower on average.	Price is higher on average than a garden conservatory due to high conversion costs.

2. Dimensions
   The size of your conservatory will be determined based on the following 3 points:
   – The permit you will get for building your conservatory.
   – By how many square metres you want to extend your living space.
   – Your budget for building a conservatory.
   Most conservatories have an average area of 18 m2 – 22 m2, suitable for medium-sized dwellings and detached houses, for example. Get advice from a conservatory specialist for tailored advice.
3. What material?
   A conservatory consists of glass and a construction in which the glass is placed. This construction can consist of different materials. Choose the material that nicely matches the style of your home. See below for different types of material and their prices.

   Material	Average price per m2, including material, labour costs and VAT
   Plastic conservatory	Door conservatory: £1,750 Garden conservatory: £800
   Wooden conservatory	Wooden conservatory: £1,750 Garden conservatory: £750
   Aluminium conservatory	Working conservatory: £ 1750 Garden conservatory: £ 750
   Glass conservatory	Living room conservatory: £ 1750 Garden conservatory: £ 750
   Masonry conservatory	Living room conservatory: £ 1700 Garden conservatory: not possible
   Stone conservatory	Living room conservatory: £ 1700 Garden conservatory: not possible

4. What type of glass?
   A living conservatory comes standard with double glazing and is fully insulated, unlike the garden conservatory. Do you opt for a conservatory? In the table below, check out options to optimally insulate your conservatory.

   Glass type	More price including VAT, excluding labour costs	U-value* (the lower the better)
   Double glazing	Standard	2.7
   HR	£5 per m2 of glass	1.7 – 2.0
   HR+	£10 per m2 of glass	1.3 – 1.6
   HR++	£15 per m2 of glass	1,2
   HR++	£ 55 per m2 of glass	0.5 – 0.9

   * The lower the U-value, the better the insulation and the more you will save on your energy bill. Going for the best value for money? Then opt for HR++ glass.

5. Extra options
   With various extra options, you can design the conservatory entirely as you wish. Do you want to enjoy the sun in summer? Then choose a sliding roof that protects you from rain in winter and enjoys the sun in summer.

   Extra option	Average extra cost including material, labour costs and VAT
   Sun blinds	£ 200 (per m2)
   Tiles to be laid	£ 50 (per m2)
   Laminate to be laid	£ 10 (per m2)
   Air conditioning	£ 1.500 (per unit)
   Painting	£ 35 (per m2)
   Central heating	£ 1.000
   Floor heating	£ 750 (up to 20 m2)
   Sliding door	£ 1,000 (per door)
   Sliding roof	£ 1.700 (per sq m)
   Lightweight	£ 2,000 (per sq m)

Tips when buying a conservatory

You are going to buy a conservatory but may be startled by the many choices available. How do you make the right choice for a conservatory that best suits your needs? Read the tips below.

• Get inspiration.
  There are endless options for the perfect conservatory. First take a look at all the options and find inspiration in, for example, interior design magazines or online. Once you have mapped out your wishes, a conservatory specialist can help you by giving you appropriate advice.

• Compare several conservatory specialists.
  By comparing several specialists, you can be sure to find the best specialist for your project. Compare specialists on the following points:
  • Compare price:Based on your quote request, the specialist will give you an estimated price. After a discussion and a personal visit to map out all your wishes, the specialist will give you an exact quote.
  • Compare several quotes and choose the best specialist.
    Ask about the possibilities. You have gained inspiration and written down your wishes. It is then obviously important that the specialist can meet all your wishes.

Take any permits into account.
In some cases, you need to apply for a permit from the municipality for the construction of your conservatory. So always check first whether you need a permit for your project. A conservatory specialist can support you in this process. A permit application often requires a professional construction drawing. A specialist can draw this up for you.