Conservatories have a long tradition in UK homes, becoming popular in the country since the 19th century! Providing extra space, plenty of natural light, and increasing the value of your home, they are a great addition for those with the space to build one.
Garden Rooms, while also having a similar tradition, have had a more recent explosion to fame, in many ways due to the covid-19 lockdowns and subsequent push to remote work. Like conservatories, they offer many fantastic benefits, including a dedicated area to work, easy temperature control, and extra privacy.
Today, we’ll be comparing garden rooms and conservatories, seeing what both have to offer and helping you make an informed choice if you’re deciding between the two. Let’s get started.
Garden Rooms vs Conservatories:
While a conservatory is attached to your house, a garden room occupies space in your garden as a standalone room. The building materials also tend to differ, with a garden office usually built from timber whilst conservatories primarily use glass and uPVC.
Below, you’ll find our summary table of the benefits of garden rooms and conservatories. Following that, we’ve provided more details for you to consider.
| Benefits | Garden Room | Conservatory |
| Increase property value | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gives you extra room | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customisable interior | ✓ | ✓ |
| Secure | ✓ | ✓ |
| A place to relax | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plenty of design options | ✓ | ✓ |
| Natural light | ✓ | ✓ |
| Separate area for working | ✓ | ✖ |
| Easy temperature control | ✓ | ✖ |
| Privacy from family & neighbours | ✓ | ✖ |
- Increase property value
Both garden rooms and conservatories can increase the value of your home. However, there can also be a difference in just how much they increase your property’s worth by. It’s worth noting that, with the rise of remote work, more buyers are searching for properties with a garden room.
Not only does this increase your home’s value, but it can also decrease the time it takes for it to be sold.
- Gives you extra room
As an extension of your property a conservatory is a great choice for extra room. It’s seamless to travel between rooms and the options that you can use the space for are endless. Garden rooms also provide a great amount of extra space, and the detached nature of these buildings tends to lend the use of this space more towards work or study.
- Customisable interior
For homeowners, you can choose to turn your conservatory into a dining area, an area for your hobbies, or simply a place to relax. Likewise, a garden room is equally customisable. You can choose the furnishings, the building materials used, and much more. You can really make these areas feel like home with these personal touches.
- Secure
Security is a primary concern for homeowners. Conservatories can be very secure, however a large amount of glass can be a target for criminals and will require soft furnishings to prevent others from looking inside.
A garden building can be locked, just like your main door, helping give you extra peace of mind. As the primary building material is wood, it is very sturdy and prevents others from looking inside.
- A place to relax
Sometimes, it’s nice to take some time away from the other busy areas of our home and just relax. While conservatories can definitely be a quieter area of the home, garden rooms definitely win the competition in this regard – leaving to go to the garden room can signify to others that you want to spend some time to relax.
- Plenty of design options
As for the external appearance of conservatories and garden offices, both have a fantastic range of design options that you can customise to your personal preference. Generally a conservatory tends to lean heavily towards using glass, whereas a garden room features a more natural look by using high-quality timber.
- Natural light
One aspect where conservatories shine is in the natural light that they let in. This can be great for hosting events or even just having fun with your family. It can also be a great mood booster as natural light can be lacking within the main building.
However, garden rooms are by no means devoid of natural light. In fact, they provide a manageable level of light, reducing any screen glares you may experience in rooms with too much natural light.
Glass sliding doors, as well as additional slot windows work wonders in providing the perfect amount of natural light for you need. This is a comfortable level for work and ensuring you stay focused.
- Separate area for working
While you can certainly use your conservatory for work, as the area is directly connected to the main house, you may be interrupted by noise or family members coming into the room. This can break your productivity and be difficult to manage when you are in a video call.
In a garden room, you have an isolated space that you can use for work. The building materials and distance from the main house also do a great job at reducing noise, helping you to be more productive and focused.
- Easy temperature control
Although smart, temperature regulating conservatories are becoming more popular, they remain relatively expensive. The majority of conservatories do not do a great job at regulating the heat of the room, especially on hot bright days. This can cause the area to become uncomfortable to work or relax in, leaving you to spend more money on an air conditioner or fan.
In a garden office, the room contains insulation, and the building materials used do a great job of reflecting the heat from the sun. You’ll find that these areas are often quite cool, even on particularly hot days. This is great when you need to work and want to do so in comfort.
- Privacy from family & neighbours
A dedicated area to work allows you to keep your work to yourself, free from the prying eyes of family or your neighbours. During the day, it is unlikely you will have the blinds down in your conservatory, which means that neighbours could see what you are doing.
Summary:
Both conservatories and garden rooms have many advantages which can make them a great choice for you. While the final decision is ultimately up to you, we suggest considering which factors you value the most, such as having a separate area for working or the need for extra privacy.
Here at Garden Office Buildings, we offer contemporary and fully insulated garden rooms in a wide range of models. Our standardised model includes the Mini, Midi, Maxi, and Multi, while we also have bespoke garden rooms available as well.
To learn more about whether a garden office is right for you, get in touch with a member of our friendly team on 01689 818 400, via email at info@gardenofficebuildings.co.uk, or by filling out our quick and easy online form.