Like @mummyblogger says, “Adding an orangery to your home can add extra room, a great new place to relax and entertain guests and can also add value to your home in a similar way to an extension.” Light, bright, and extremely versatile: orangeries can be used as anything from dining spaces to lounge areas and offices to playrooms.
Thanks to the style and flexibility they offer, orangeries and garden rooms are becoming increasingly popular, with more and more erected across the UK every year. If you’re thinking about adding an orangery or garden room to your property, you may well be put off by the thought of applying for planning permission, filling in forms and dealing with the council. Luckily however, in most cases you won’t need to secure planning permission for your stylish extension. Keep reading to find out more.
What is an orangery?
Orangeries and garden rooms share a lot of qualities with conservatories, however there are some key differences. In general, the walls of orangeries are more solid than those of conservatories. Walls and pillars are often made from brick with large windows, used to let in the light and make the room feel bright and airy. This solid feel and elegant architectural style makes orangeries and garden rooms especially versatile.
Planning permission
In most cases, UK homeowners won’t need to apply for planning permission to add an orangery or a garden room to their property. The current guidelines, which apply between May 2013 and May 2019, state that you can add a single storey extension to your property as long as it meets certain criteria. If you live in an attached property, you’ll need to ensure that the orangery or garden room doesn’t extend more than 3m from the existing building. Detached homeowners can extend up to 4m from their existing walls.
The rules also state that no more than half the area of land around the original house should be covered by additions or other buildings, that the extension can’t be more the 4m high, and that the extension can’t be higher than the highest part of the existing roof. In general, orangeries and garden rooms will meet these criteria. This means that you won’t have to worry about securing planning permission or dealing with the council before you begin enhancing and expanding your property.
To find out more about orangeries and garden rooms, and to explore the different styles and sizes available, take a look around our site, or get in touch with a member of our team.