Kitchen Conservatories
What are kitchen conservatories & how much do they cost?
The home kitchen can often be a focal point for many families as a place where they all get together at different times of the day, be it for breakfast lunch or dinner. A kitchen can also be a source of frustration if it’s laid out badly or simply too small and that’s why a lot of folks want to get a bigger or newer kitchen.
A conservatory or orangery could be an ideal solution to generate more space for your existing kitchen or even a place to relocate it, freeing up more space within the house itself.
Orangery or Conservatory Kitchens
Broadly you are looking at two different types of kitchen conservatories:
- Conservatories that function as a kitchen
- Conservatories opening off a kitchen
What we mean by that, is in the 1st situation all the worktops, cooker hobs, cupboards etc. are built into the conservatory. In the 2nd situation you are keeping the kitchen where it is, but increasing the size of it by adding the extra room.
Each one of these options would tend to have different features and benefits.
Features & benefits of kitchen conservatories
Firstly, with conservatories that function as a kitchen, the biggest of these would be the brand new modern kitchen. Being able to choose your new style, layout, colour and equipment means that you are going to get the kitchen that you always wanted (budget allowing!).
You are also going to free-up the space in the house where the old kitchen was, allowing you to either use that area as part of the kitchen itself or allocating the room for another use.
Having the kitchen under a full glass conservatory roof is going to give you huge amounts of natural light and you can also fit vents directly over the cooking area for effective ventilation.
Fit a set of bifold doors to the conservatory and you are virtually cooking (and eating) outdoors.
With conservatories that open off an existing kitchen you get loads of extra room to extend worktops or create a roomier seating area, plus you are bringing more of that lovely natural light into the existing kitchen.
A quite popular option for conservatories opening off a kitchen is to build a “kitchen island”, which is a free standing work surface that can be used as a type of brunch or breakfast bar.
You could also use the island to house your cooker, putting you in the centre of the room with easy access to all sides. On the subject of access, make sure you have enough clear space around the island to move freely (about 4 feet should be enough).
The above can be the “lifestyle benefits”, but there are potentially two additional financial rewards to building a kitchen conservatory.
Both of these home improvements, even when done separately, are proven to add re-sale value to a property. Therefore, combining them into one must be a sure-fire way to make your home more desirable and valuable.
As a point of note, full glass kitchen conservatories could end up getting very hot if you don’t use energy efficient glass and have adequate ventilation. So take some time to consider this issue carefully.
How much do kitchen conservatories cost?
The work involved in creating a conservatory that function as a kitchen is likely to be more complex than one that opens off a kitchen. This is because you are going to need new plumbing, wiring and power outlets for the sink, cooker and electrical appliances. You also have to take into account the cost of the kitchen and the work on installing the kitchen itself.
For a conservatory opening off a kitchen, there is likely no need for any more work than would be needed for an average conservatory. If you are just upgrading cupboard doors and worktops, then the cost is not that heavy (unless you are looking at Italian Marble work tops!).
A brand new fitted kitchen can cost from a few hundred to several thousand pounds depending on what specification you wish to fit.
If you are doing re-modelling on the house to accommodate the new conservatory, such as knocking though a wall, then there are building regulations to take into account. Not forgetting that, whilst most conservatories are permitted developments, if you are having a larger one built you should also check to see if you need planning permission to build it.
How much does a fitted kitchen cost?
| Kitchen Conversions | work details | Sample Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Cupboard Doors | Replace up to 10 doors | from £200 – 400 |
| Basic Ikea Kitchen | w/o appliances or fitting | from £533 |
| New Fitted Kitchen | Average size room | from £5,000 – 8,000+ |
| Bespoke Fitted Kitchen | Full replacement | from £10,000 + |
How much does a kitchen conservatory cost?
| Conservatory Type | Kitchen Type | Price Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 3500 x 2500 Lean-to | self-assemble kitchen / no appliances | £7,500 to £9,500 |
| 3500 x 2500 Lean-to | basic kitchen / with appliances | £14,000 to £16,000 |
| 3500 x 3500 Edwardian | basic kitchen / with appliances | £16,000 to £20,000 |
| 3500 x 3500 Edwardian | bespoke kitchen / with appliances | £20,000 to £30,000 |
It may be difficult to find an installer in your area who has the combined skills or experience to be able to carry out the complete works, so you could be using 2 different contractors. Make sure that the both contractors understand what needs to be done and work together to get the job done smoothly.
You may want to look at other articles:
Modern Conservatories | Conservatory Ideas | Styles & Designs | Bungalow Conservatories | 2018 Price Guide
