A few years ago, it was claimed that ‘tacky’ conservatories could reduce house values. But repairing and revamping your conservatory could have the exact opposite effect, as well as creating a more pleasant environment to spend time in.

There may be many good reasons to have conservatory repairs carried out. It could be that the roof is leaking. The glass may be grubby. There might be broken seals and draughts. All of these are good enough reasons.

However, as well as providing a more pleasant environment to enjoy, keep plants in or use to entertain guests, a significant improvement may also boost the value of your home.

This is a point that might have been taken for granted until three years ago, when price comparison site Checkatrade made headlines by claiming that ‘naff’ conservatories could actually reduce the value of the typical home by as much as £15,000.

Why Might Conservatories Reduce Your House Value?

Among the issues it raised were:

  •       Poor energy efficiency deterred buyers
  •       A belief that they looked dated and unattractive
  •       Changing fashions, with evidence from Rightmove indicating that searches for homes with conservatories were falling
  •       Rightmove also recorded a 52 per cent drop in houses with conservatories coming onto the market between 2012 and 2022

Such revelations may have deeply concerned householders with conservatories. Nobody wants to learn that what should be an asset and an attractive element for potential buyers might have the opposite effect.

However, the gloomy tidings from Checkatrade do not tell the whole story, or anything close to it. One reason is that fashion is fickle. If conservatories had become less popular, that did not mean they would not come into favour again.

Another reason is that carrying out work to improve a conservatory could address issues of energy efficiency and appearance, turning a liability into an asset.

How Can A Better Conservatory Raise Your House Value?

Indeed, the quality of a conservatory can make a huge difference. This point was made by Certain Surveyors, which pointed out that while a poor conservatory may indeed lower your house value, a good one can increase it by as much as £7,000.  

This point was made in the context of surveyors advising householders about the need for high quality in construction, but even if you already have a conservatory in place and it is showing its age and flaws, there is much you may be able to do.

An obvious example of this is when repairs can help improve its energy efficiency. This may involve eliminating draughts or replacing the glass to improve insulation.

Such steps could play an important role in raising your home’s energy performance certificate (EPC) rating. This is a factor any potential buyers will take into account, especially now in an age of energy shocks, when keeping bills as low as possible is a priority.

This depends on whether the conservatory is separated from the home or integrated into it, through walls having been knocked down and acting as a de facto extension.

If it is separated, it will not be taken into account when your home’s EPC rating is calculated. However, if it is integrated, this will be a significant element. Indeed, integration requires that you upgrade the insulation to avoid being disadvantaged by this renovation.

That could mean that you need to have better home insulation as well as work on the conservatory, but any work you have done on the conservatory will still make a positive contribution.

Even if the conservatory is separated, better heat control can certainly make it more attractive.

What Can Be Done To Make A Conservatory An Asset?

According to Ideal Home, features that can enable a conservatory to boost the value of a home include:

  •       Low-E glazing
  •       Integrated heating
  •       Timber, composite or aluminium frames

Of course, a completely new conservatory could include these things, whereas repairing an existing one might limit what can be done. For instance, it would be a major undertaking to completely change the structure if the existing one is made from PVC.

However, other steps such as changing the glazing are much easier to carry out, as is including new heating units.

The key point to understand is that having a conservatory in itself is neither necessarily an asset to raise a home’s value nor a liability to reduce it. But if the latter does apply to your conservatory, having repairs and modifications made could make a significant difference.

If your conservatory is falling into the category of ‘naff’ and has some clear flaws, it may indeed be having a detrimental effect on your potential house sale price.

However, it doesn’t have to stay this way and we may be able to make major improvements that make a big difference.