A beautifully designed, hardwood orangery will add significant value to your home, over and above that of the outlay. But in terms of the initial cost, it will depend on a number of factors including the size, the materials, the site, the specification and the style. And, as well as the price of the orangery itself, you may need to account for other expenditures such as planning permission, architects fees, groundworks/foundations, and painting & decoration.
Different approaches to orangery construction and their costs:
- The uPVC option: Some companies offer standard uPVC-based orangeries that can only mimic the look of a timber structure. These plastic-style orangeries are generally purchased as an off-the-shelf product, meaning the homeowner has little input into the design and no allowances are made to ensure the orangery will exist in harmony with the host property or surrounding architecture. These range from £15,000 to £30,000 plus VAT for a 6×4 metre size, excluding VAT and building work.
- Self-build masonry wall construction: This method involves using masonry walls with windows and potentially a traditional flat roof with steel beams, a temper joist and perhaps a uPVC roof lantern. While it can resemble an orangery, it lacks the intricate details and classic proportions of a well-designed timber structure. This type of self build orangery typically costs between £20,000 and £50,000 plus VAT for a 6×4 metre building.
- Timber orangeries: An authentic timber orangery typically ranges from £75,000 to £100,000 plus building work and VAT for a 6x4m building. The cost breakdown is approximately £3,000 to £3,500 per square metre for the orangery itself, plus VAT. Additionally, base work costs around £1,000 to £1,500 per square metre plus VAT.
In all the above cases, the homeowner may need to consider additional extras such as lighting, flooring, heating, decoration and furniture.
The environmental cost
As well as considering the financial cost, increasing numbers of homeowners are keen to ensure that their new orangery has a minimal impact on the planet both during both its manufacture and delivery. This is a blog topic in itself and more can be found on our sustainability page. However, it should be stated that by choosing a dedicated orangery manufacturer for your orangery such as Hamptons, you can have great peace of mind that your new glazed structure has been built to stand the test of time. That means that your new orangery can be enjoyed for years to come and is an efficient use of the world’s resources.
Running costs
An orangery usually adds a considerable amount of space to a home and many homeowners choose to knock through into other rooms, creating a large open-plan area. While a large open-plan space is in demand, homeowners must pay attention to the heating and ventilation requirements of such a space.
An experienced designer will take this into account and ensure that there are suitable radiators, underfloor heating, log burner, glazing, vents etc. so that the orangery can maintain a comfortable temperature all year around.
It is therefore hugely important to ensure that your new orangery not only meets current energy-efficiency regulations but ideally exceeds them. This way you will know that you are not unnecessarily using fossil fuels to heat or run your home, or incurring the associated costs of doing so.
Many of our clients add a separate heating circuit for their new orangery. This is because it tends to become the heart of their home and where the family spend the most time. Although a large area, when an orangery is designed and built with energy efficiency in mind, it can save on household bills as the rest of the home is not heated to the same extent as it was previously.
Maintenance costs
An orangery should require little maintenance. Some key tasks include an annual gutter clean, wipe down of paintwork, clearing of any climbing plants and cleaning of seals and tracks. Most of this can be undertaken by the homeowner or a general maintenance company.
Reputable orangery manufacturers such as ourselves will offer a service contract to maintain optimum performance. Being a natural product, wood needs appropriate care and attention but when maintained has a beauty unsurpassed by other man-made materials
A timber orangery will also require painting every 7-10 years in line with any other windows and exterior doors. This can be undertaken by a reputable painter and decorator.
So if orangeries come at different price points, what do I get by buying a well-known brand?
Let’s step away from orangeries for one moment.
Why do people drive a luxury car? An rust-bucket will still get you from A to B but there is a pedigree, status, reputation, after-sales care, and build-quality in luxury brands that stand the test of time. Why settle for anything less than superior?
The same goes for orangeries.
Assessing the cost of an orangery is a little like asking how long is a piece of string. But, suppose you reframe the question to be about value.
Many companies purport to designing and manufacturing quality orangeries but the Hamptons name has been synonymous with bespoke hardwood glazed extensions for over 40 years. By investing in one of our orangeries you are truly investing in your property now and in its future – its value and its saleability.
You may have read that a typical orangery adds around 5-10% to the value of a property. We say that one of our bespoke designs can add much more, meaning that your initial investment will be a sound one. And should you decide to move house, the orangery is sure to be a selling point among equally discerning buyers.
As well as being an investment in your home, a luxury hardwood orangery is also an investment in your family and lifestyle: the classical elegance of a Hamptons orangery will transform your home adding a hugely versatile, mutli-functional space to enjoy with family and friends for many years to come.
That is real value.