It is widely accepted that conservatories will boost the value of the homes that have them installed. But is it always that simple? Could the way you go about it actually be counterproductive?
This is a question one might not expect to read, but it has been posed by chief sales officer at Purple Bricks Vince Courtney in a controversial piece for the Daily Mail, in which he claimed there are seven ways a conservatory can actually reduce a home’s value.
He listed these as: appearance, specifically looking “cheap” and “dated” with a design out of keeping with the rest of the house; lacking energy efficiency; a trend for open-plan living instead of separate spaces; a lack of central heating; small size; a desire for garden space and the popularity of garden rooms as an alternative.
However, these claims may be taken with a pinch of salt. Not everyone wants open-plan living by any means, while plant lovers may prefer a conservatory to a garden room. The aesthetically inadequate conservatories he referred to are early 21st century and today’s products will look nicer, not to mention making better use of space and having greater energy efficiency.
Indeed, the Sheffield Star has reported on how far conservatories have come in this regard; in a feature by local firm Globe Windows, it was noted that Victorian and Edwardian are the most popular styles right now, which is certainly turn-of-the-century, but not THIS century.
Moreover, it noted how energy efficiency has come on in leaps and bounds. It acknowledged that “conservatories used to feel like igloos in the winter and saunas in the summer,” but added: “Today’s conservatories are a world away from that,” with PVC windows and other game-changing features.
That suggests there may be a significant flaw in Mr Courtney’s argument. The conservatories he talks of as being bad for property values are the kind of poorly designed structures that went through a phase of being popular 20 years ago.
But not all conservatories are the same. You can do a lot better than that – and your home’s increased value will be a reflection of it.