What about extending your family home with an Orangery?
Given current house prices, many people can no longer afford to move home to gain more much needed space. Instead, they are looking at adding an Orangery to their homes.
But a full height extension may also be too expensive, particularly if they are only looking for one extra room.
A conservatory is one solution, but increasingly, homeowners are choosing to add an orangery instead – which is not only a beautiful option but can also be more practical and of longer term value.
The key difference between an orangery and a conservatory is the amount of glass used. An orangery is constructed of less than 70% glass with the remainder made up of a low wall and quite often a level, covered roof with perhaps a ‘roof lantern’ to add more light from above.
Obviously, these details will vary according to what is required, but it is a good general guideline.
Will I need planning permission for an Orangery?
Whether the building is considered a conservatory or an orangery under building regulations and planning rules will depend on the amount of glass it contains.
Below 70% glass and you have an orangery, above and it is a conservatory. This is important because a conservatory does not require planning permission (unless you are adding it to a listed building), whereas an orangery does.
However, I would always recommend that you check with the relevant authorities before going ahead with construction, to be on the safe side.
What about the cost?
Adding an orangery may be more expensive than a conservatory in terms of building costs, but in the longer term, it could actually be the better investment. Because a conservatory has so much more glass, it is more susceptible to variations in the weather.
Even with additional heating for winter and suitable blinds to protect you from the summer sun, they can still remain colder in the winter and hotter in the summer than an orangery.
An Orangery with less glass, will be more insulated, cheaper to heat and much more likely to be used throughout the year.
The options now available for the type of orangery you can choose are vast. You can go for uPVC, hardwoods or oak, in a traditional or contemporary style, according to your own personal taste and what would suit your home go here for average prices.
You can even decide on a colour of your choice, meaning you can make it as individual as you wish!
