One of the trends we are seeing at Complete Renovations over the last 2 years in Cork has been the trend to replace conservatories with an extension. Replacing your conservatory as part of a home renovation makes sense by adding more living space as well as value to your home.
It also makes great sense if your conservatory is on the older side and is more like a freezer than an inside room during the autumn and winter months and like a sauna or steam room during the summer months.
For this reason, conservatories remain largely unused.
Also, if your conservatory is on the older side, it may look kinda dated as designs have moved on in recent years.
That is why it makes sense on many levels to think about replacing your conservatory with a renovated space so full use of the same space can be made.
So, we will do our best here to answer some of the questions we are asked by clients when they consider this option.
Can you replace a conservatory with an extension?
The simple answer is yes. You do however, need to check to see if you require any planning permission in your area or if there are any planning conditions attached to the original house.
What are my options?
- Remodel the existing layout. If your current conservatory is relatively new and in good condition, sometimes all you need to do is to reimagine the space. This might involve moving doors, raising floors, or widening entrances but is more cosmetic than any huge rebuild.
- Renovate the existing conservatory. This can be done but putting in a new floor or adding a new ceiling/roof and changing some of the rounded edges into sharper-looking corners.
- Replace your conservatory with a different style. Again, this will involve building and knocking down but if it is done well, it will add to the value and look of your house.
- Demolish the old conservatory and build an entirely new extension. This is more costly and more disruptive to your life, budget and home space but ultimately it will be worth it.
Planning permission has not been needed for many of the conservatory replacements in Ireland but it always makes sense to contact your local planning office to confirm.
Is Renovating a Conservatory Better Than Replacing it?
For some people, renovating a conservatory as opposed to demolishing it and replacing it is a route taken because it is far more cost-effective and is less likely to need any planning permission. It can be as easy as making a few easy changes like taking out connecting doors and widening an entrance so that it becomes part of the house rather than a doored room that everybody uses to get to the garden. It is all about giving the room more flow.
One major thing to remember is to make sure the insulated plasterboard is used so that you do not have a bigger colder area than you started with!
Can I Replace My Conservatory Roof only?
It’s your money and your call. It is certainly one of the simplest ways to transform a conservatory. Conservatories of a certain age are likely to have a lightweight roof. Replacing it will a normal roof structure along with insulation can transform the external look and the internal feel of the room.
Again, this option may be decided by your foundation footings and whether they are capable of holding the extra weight of the new roof.
Do you need to put in new foundations if you are replacing a conservatory?
That’s a loaded question. It very much depends on how deep the existing foundations are. If the conservatory was built in the last 20 years, the chances are that you will not need new foundations.
This will be done as part of P & T’s extensive site check, and you can always employ a structural engineer if you wish.
A trial pit will usually determine the depth of your foundations and will allow you to see the depth and width of the foundations.
How Much Will It Cost to convert?
Given what’s going on in the world at the moment, converting a conservatory to an extension will vary hugely in cost. As part of your detailed quote, you will know exactly what everything will cost with P & T Complete Renovations.
Just remodelling is going to be the cheapest option. Your basic costs are going to be removing any internal walls, the addition of new lintels and maybe reflooring the whole area as well as the removal of rubbish from the site.
How much to replace a conservatory with an extension?
This is going to be a much more expensive option than renovating especially if you need to put new or deeper foundations in. You may also need to factor in planning fees and costs, professional fees, and surveys. Add in the cost of materials – which seem to still be changing weekly- and you have a good idea of how much more expensive it can be. Having said all that, it is worth it for the extra space you have added as well as the value you have added to your home.
If you are employing P & T Complete Renovations, we will give you the most detailed quote in Ireland so you can see what you need and how much each element of the project will cost.
Will it add value to your home?
We have yet to come across a property where it didn’t. How much value it adds depends on the type and size of the structure you have added.
How much value depends on the type of structure you have converted it to. It could end up saving you money in the long term also by cutting down on the cost of heating the old conservatory.
We feel from our experience that it makes more sense to replace a conservatory with an extension for the added living space and added value to your house.
If you need professional advice and a quote, please contact us.
