Comparison

Conservatory vs Orangery vs Garden Room vs Extension

Written byGraham Sutcliffe, Project Management Specialist

The four options differ in wall construction, roof insulation, cost per square metre and how they are treated at valuation. This page compares them for Glasgow homes.

What is the difference between a conservatory, an orangery, a garden room and an extension?

A conservatory is predominantly glazed, an orangery combines masonry piers with a glazed lantern, a garden room is fully insulated with conventional walls, and an extension is masonry construction built to the same standard as the house.

Option	Walls	Roof	Typical Glasgow cost
Conservatory	Mostly glazed	Glass, polycarbonate or warm roof	£12,400 – £26,000
Orangery	Masonry piers with glazing	Insulated perimeter with lantern	£28,000 – £45,000
Garden room	Insulated solid walls	Fully insulated solid roof	£19,500 – £32,000
Extension	Full masonry	Tiled or flat insulated roof	£2,200 – £3,200 per m²

Which option is warmest in a Scottish winter?

An extension is warmest, followed closely by a garden room and an orangery, with a glass-roofed conservatory the coldest.

A conservatory fitted with a warm roof and an insulated base closes most of that gap at a much lower cost than a masonry extension.

Which option gives the most usable space per pound?

A conservatory with a warm roof gives the most usable year-round space per pound spent in Glasgow.

At roughly £1,100–£1,800 per square metre against £2,200–£3,200 for masonry, a warm-roof conservatory delivers comparable winter comfort at around half the cost.

Which option adds the most value?

An extension adds the most resale value, because valuers count it as full living accommodation.

An orangery or garden room is valued more favourably than a glazed conservatory. A cold, glass-roofed conservatory sometimes adds nothing at all.

Which needs the least approval?

A detached garden room within permitted development limits usually needs the least approval, while extensions almost always need both planning consideration and a building warrant.

How should I choose?

Choose based on how the room must function: light-filled sitting space favours a conservatory or orangery, a home office favours a garden room, and a kitchen, bedroom or bathroom requires an extension.

Sitting and dining space, budget-led: warm-roof conservatory
Open-plan kitchen-diner, premium finish: orangery
Home office, gym or studio: garden room
Additional bedroom, kitchen or bathroom: extension

Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

No. An orangery has structural masonry piers and an insulated perimeter roof, so it performs thermally much closer to an extension.

Often yes. Fitting a warm roof, insulating the floor and upgrading the glazing converts most conservatories into year-round rooms.

We specialise in conservatories, orangeries, garden rooms and warm roof replacements. For full masonry extensions we can point you to specialist builders in the Glasgow area.

Interior of an insulated warm roof conservatory in winter

Planning a conservatory in Glasgow?

Get a fixed written quotation

Send us your postcode and a rough idea of size. We will confirm whether a building warrant applies, specify the roof and glazing, and send a fixed price in writing.

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We survey across Glasgow and the surrounding council areas. Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm.