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Extensions

What kind of extension to have, conservatory or something more robust?

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 2.54 PM

At the moment we have a lean to garage on the side of the house. It's roughly 3 x 5. It was obviously someone's DIY project as it's very makeshift. We would like to knock it down and build something more useable, possibly extending it the full length of the house (so about 2 more metres) and having 1/2 as a garage and 1/2 as a room we could actually use to eat in or just hang out. We had a quote for a 2 storey extension a couple of years ago but it was just way too much (over £45,000) and put us off. We recently saw an ad for conservatories with proper roofs, the question is to go for a conservatory (would we need planning permission?) or a proper extension. What are the foundation requirements for both? Thanks. Would it be any cheaper to build a garage or is that just exactly the same as an extension? *******Thanks for the replies, it looks like we'll just have to give it a miss as our budget is way WAY under that. (We only want 1 storey now incidentally). All we wanted was a bit of extra room as the house is getting a bit cramped.

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5 Answers

Anonymous user

There has been a great response already, but if I may add, one of the main differences between a conservatory and extension, apart from the price, is how they are treated within the Building Regulations and how this affects your home. If you have an idea of using a conservatory as part of the main living area and to create an open plan space in your home, then it is not suitable for you. A conservatory will normally have to be separated from the living areas in your home by a door, or doors, as they, very rarely, meet with the requirements of the conservation of fuel and power, part L, of the building regulations. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for and a quality builder will help you find a solution within your budget.

Answered20 June 2012

Anonymous user

Stop looking for cheap options. This is where people go wrong. 45k sounds right for a 2 storey,and as roc and r says conservatories are typically built on shallow footings to save costs. As there are no inspections they can start to fail quite quickly. Go for a decent sized extension to suit your budget, do not go for the cheapest quote unless the 3 quotes you get are all within 2k of each other,if 1 is 7-10 k cheaper do not be tempted.

Answered8 June 2012

Roc builders

Rating: 5 out of 5

Harlow

Conservatories are a complete waste of time in my opinion.As stated by R&R,the cost difference can be minimal.Besides the obvious difference in quality and life expectancy,the conservatory will offer you nothing in monetary terms should you ever sell.It would be an extension every time for me.

Answered8 June 2012

Anonymous user

The foundation requirements would be the same for a 2 storey extension as for a single storey one, typically a metre deep. There is no requirement for conservatories as they are not covered by building regs, however you would need to dig footing until you had a solid bottom of trench. Most companies would charge you around the price you mentioned as most have to charge VAT and have overheads. Personally, I would not go down the conservatory route because the savings are negligible. Your best bet would be to find reputable tradesman who will give you a labour only price on a day rate or pricework basis. I dare say you could expect your build to be between 20 and 30 percent cheaper this way. Hope this helps.

Answered7 June 2012

Anonymous user

A garage would not cost the earth, nor need planning permission but would need planning consent. A conservatory is not a waste of money. Even rich people have conservatories. It is a place to sit within the confines of your own home but also where the sun shines brightly so you feel warm, comfortable but above all safe. An extension is what people do to increase the area of their home and at the same time it increases the value if you were to sell so please try to decide what you would prefer then make a simple choice. I am sure you would get a conservatory below 5k and a proper garage for maybe the same or a touch more but both below 15k dependent on where you live, so that is a third of the price you have been quoted. Anything less and you may as well go for another lean to made out of poly sheets which let the light in, usually fairly warm in summer and very cheap to build/install. Same with the garage....build a strong timber framed building attached to side of the house which will also keep the car warm , dry and safe.

Answered15 June 2012