Orangery Cost, What Is The Typical Cost Of An Orangery?

Orangeries are growing in popularity. They are the ultimate chic status symbol and they have become ever-so-popular in our cultural lifestyle magazines and home décor publications. But what does an orangery cost?

It is a fact that orangeries will be more expensive than the conservatory. To understand the true cost of an orangery one needs to understand specificity. If one does not understand to what purpose they are building an orangery, then the true cost cannot be really outlined or defined. So, it is crucial that you plan and understand your needs.

The orangery is a “segue” – which means it is a means of moving without interruption from one area to another. The orangery is about balancing the outdoor with the indoor by bringing the luxurious and ornate to your home whilst providing a utilitarian element that intersects with that experience. The orangery is a unique addition to any home, but it is a costly undertaking. Let us find out more.

The Italians, during the Renaissance era, started exploring different ways of building with stone, structural design variations from windows to floors, and invented new ways of working with glass – the result was an abundance of design ideas. One such idea was the orangery. It was then taken to the cold North European shores by the Dutch who, under their own imperial heyday, started building ornate and massive orangeries that would showcase the uniquely exotic fruits of their imperial activities to the people of the Netherlands.

The idea was further enhanced by the British whose glass-making technologies during a period of great glasshouse construction made famous by the Great Exhibition and the Crystal Palace saw the orangery concept boom. The lantern roof was invented, and the entire design of the Orangery upended. The twentieth century brought about big changes to the orangery as cheaper materials and UPVC technologies made it even more accessible to the middle and even working classes.

Today, the orangery has become a symbol of personal design innovation and unique aesthetic elegance.

Orangeries can cost from £10-15,000 but can spiral to the £100,000s. It is all about the quality of the craftsmanship and the structural design that will in probability increase the price of your home in asset terms.

It is possible to build a “cheap” orangery but that is rather not the point of the orangery in the first instance. Therefore, it is all about maximising the value that the orangery brings to your property when understanding the cost dynamics therein.

This is the central quandary any new would-be orangery owner needs to ask themselves. They need to understand how much physical space they need. But they need to factor in other calculations like if they eat-up too much garden space they will increase the value of the property with the orangery whilst simultaneously reduce its overall value thanks to reduced garden space.

The other extreme is to invest in an orangery that is in all-intents-and-purposes a false economy as the space they have constructed does not match the required space for the purpose of its original construction. Therefore, understanding why you need the space is the central part of your planning journey.

As we mentioned above, you need to understand why you need the space you need for your orangery.

This is about developing space to match your growing needs. Are you considering extending the functionality of your home by growing your kitchen/dining space – which is a popular choice for orangery expansions.

Plan out why you need the space and from this extrapolate ideas on ways you could improve your current life through the correct deployment of this new space.

There is a not-so-secret way, called the Golden Ratio calculation, which can help you better understand the space requirements – and therein the cost dynamics of the extension plans.

You need to work alongside a project manager, architect and/or property manager to help them utilise this method. They will calculate need based on dimensions available.

The ratio they use is 1:1.168 which means that for an average 30-foot house, the calculation results would identify an orangery that measures 18.5 foot in width. It is an industry-standard and can help you understand the building regulatory dynamics of unlocking space and understanding cost.

To put it simply, you might not want to splash £30,000 on a new orangery but going for a £10,000 alternative “orangery” could prove to be a riskier endeavour. This is because of build-quality issues. If you spend so little, then you are at greater risk of introducing materials of poorer quality into your construction project.

All of this could impact on the lifecycle of the orangery as less durable materials will have a consequentially detrimental effect on the longevity of the finished product. Furthermore, the mechanical dynamics – from locking mechanisms – could have inferior parts which mean greater long-term spending on maintenance and repair.

Another issue is that a “cheap and cheerful” orangery with lower-quality materials will detrimentally impact your overall house price valuation as it will fail to increase the value of your property and could, in extreme situations, actually decrease the value. Therefore, invest in good quality materials and craftsmanship to help make sure the orangery provides real value.

There are bespoke orangery craftsperson’s and nationwide ‘franchise’ UPVC providers who can offer a range of orangery styles and structures.

At the extreme end, you can get an ‘orangery’ of sorts for £7,995 and you can get a luxury orangery for £300,000.

The materials you choose will impact cost – timber-framed entry-level orangeries will, of course, be cheaper than stone or brick-built framed orangery. The material difference will impact orangery cost and one needs to understand this as a basic concept in orangery costing.

The conservatory roof will always be cheaper than the orangery roof thanks to the cost of the lantern-style roof. The material and glazing requirements will mean there is a major cost increase thanks to this differentiation. So, always consider the materials, the roof and the purpose of the overall extension.

Orangeries can provide a purposeful and delightful space – but you need to understand the costs, the issues therein and how central quality craftsmanship is in building high-quality orangeries that families can enjoy whilst creating new memories and dreams.

In the UK, the average cost of an orangery stands at £19,000