Sometimes, for would-be home buyers, getting more floor space isn’t always a good thing.
More bedrooms are great and who doesn’t welcome a larger kitchen or lounge for their money.
However, buyers are not always so keen on conservatories. There can be a sense that money is being spent on a space which isn’t going to get used. Given a choice between two near identical properties – one with a conservatory and £10,000 added to the price tag, often the majority of buyers would choose the one without.
So, what does this mean for anyone considering buying a property with a conservatory, what are your options? And for those trying to sell a house with a conservatory, are there ways you can counteract concerns a would-be buyer might have?
This is an obvious option. You’ve found a house you like but you’re not sure the conservatory adds a great deal, you’ve heard that they tend to be too hot to be usable during the summer.
Given it’s just wasted space, why should you pay for it? Yes, the owners paid to have it fitted, but ultimately that doesn’t mean their mistake should be passed on to you.
Potentially, you could put in a bid reflecting the fact you see the conservatory as being of little value. Much though will depend on other factors. If the owners are keen to sell quickly then they might happily accept a lower offer; equally they might have plenty of interest in the property and so have no need to drop below the asking price.
And while you might not see the conservatory as adding value, others will. If someone else is willing to pay the asking price, your tactic of a lower offer is doomed to fail.
A variation on just making a low offer, this method at least feels a bit friendlier and introduces the human touch.
Perhaps on a viewing with the owners present, you can talk openly about the property and your concerns – we’re all adults after all. Perhaps you love the garden and the bedrooms are great, but you have reservations about the conservatory and perhaps the kitchen needs a refresh.
In some ways it might feel brutal to openly make criticisms (even minor ones) of someone’s house in their presence, but we’re sure you can be tactful!
What this tactic does do is plant two seeds in the owners’ minds. Firstly, they get a sense that there is much you like about their property and that it could be an option for you. But, they also realise that it’s not perfect.
You’ll be in their mind as people of interest, people who might make an offer, albeit one below the asking price. If you take your time to make an offer, you might even find the owners are contacting the agent to chase you up and enquire whether you will be putting a bid in. Suddenly, the ball is in your court (if you’ll excuse a cliché).
A bit brutal, but it is an option.
If you get the property at the right price, then you can always just get rid of the conservatory. If you’re not going to use it anyway, why not get a bit of garden space back?
Many people who have spent money on a conservatory probably toy with the idea of knocking it down, however the fact they spent thousands of pounds having it installed means such a move is hard to justify.
But as a newcomer to the house you can be far more brutal. In the same way you might gut the kitchen or strip all the wallpaper, why not just get rid of the thing?
This one might come as a surprise, but did you know that you can effectively turn any conservatory into a sympathetic extension.
A space which was once too hot to use and perhaps looked a bit dated – after all glass hardly blends in with the rest of the house – will become a great room all-year round with a roof that blends in with the rest of the property.
If you’ll allow us a few words to talk about our product, the Guardian Roof is a solid, tiled roof which replaces the glass or polycarbonate roof on your conservatory. Typically, it takes our skilled, experienced installers just three days to complete the job – in three days you go from conservatory to extension.
With the Guardian Roof you also see energy bills tumble – around £200 per year based on a typical conservatory according to independent research – and you buy with the knowledge that the Guardian Roof has full Local Area Building Control approval. No other solid replacement roof can say this.
The Guardian Roof comes in a range of styles, so whether it’s Victorian, Lean-to, Gable or another, there is a roof which will blend in with the rest of your property.
If you’re selling your property, this can be a great option too – yes, it means spending some money but in many cases the work to upgrade your conservatory more than pays for itself. Rather than getting a flawed conservatory, a buyer is getting what is effectively an extension, and for that they are willing to pay that bit more.
If the option to turn a conservatory into an extension is of interest, please take a look around the site. There are galleries, the list of styles and a wealth of information.
But whatever you do decide, we wish you luck and, whether you’re buying or selling, hope you get what you’re looking for.
