What to Do With an Old Conservatory: Refresh, Replace or Remove
- K&S Bespoke Builds
- May 11
- 4 min read
Old conservatories almost always end up the same way. Too hot in summer, too cold in winter, full of bikes and the kids' old toys. You stop using it and start resenting it.
The good news: you've got more options than "scrap it". The not-so-good news: some of the popular fixes don't actually solve the problem. We replace and remove conservatories every week, so here's an honest rundown of what works, what doesn't, and how to pick.
What is the best thing to do with an old conservatory?
For most homeowners, it comes down to two real options: either improve the existing conservatory with a warm roof replacement so the room actually performs, or remove it entirely and put the space back to garden, patio or a different kind of extension. Cosmetic fixes alone rarely solve the heat, cold and noise problems on their own.
The seven options for an old conservatory
In rough order from cheapest to most expensive:
Refresh the inside. New flooring, paint, blinds and soft furnishings. Costs hundreds, not thousands. Won't change the temperature or the noise.
Add a solar control film. Window film cuts solar glare and heat through the roof and walls. A few hundred pounds for a small conservatory. Helps in summer, does nothing in winter.
Replace the doors or windows. Modern A-rated glazing in the side panels improves insulation a bit. Useful if the existing units have failed, but won't fix a leaky or single-glazed roof.
Replace the conservatory roof. Swap a polycarbonate or single-glazed glass roof for an insulated warm roof system. The single biggest upgrade for year-round comfort.
Convert it to an orangery. Add brick or rendered pillars and a partial solid roof. Looks more like a proper extension. Planning permission may apply.
Demolish and rebuild as a full extension. Tear it down, dig new foundations, build proper walls and a pitched roof, sign off under Building Regulations. Produces a real room.
Remove the conservatory entirely. Take it down, dispose of the materials and tidy the footprint back to patio or garden. Costs vary with size and access.
The first three are cosmetic. The middle three keep the conservatory in some form. The last gets rid of it altogether.
How to decide between keeping it or removing it
Three questions usually settle it:
Is the existing frame and base sound? Surface wear is fine. A leaning structure, cracked dwarf walls or a sagging frame is a different conversation. Get someone to check.
What do you want from the room? A bright reading nook in summer, or a usable extra living space all year? The first might be solved with good blinds and a tidy-up. The second won't be.
Is the conservatory adding to your home's value or dragging it down? A run-down conservatory tied to a 1990s build is often a drag at viewings. A well-finished warm-roofed conservatory that looks like a proper extension adds value.
If the frame's sound and you want an extra room, improving makes sense. If the frame's failing, the room never worked, or you'd rather have the garden back, removal is often the cleaner answer.
When it's worth improving the conservatory
The biggest single upgrade you can make to an old conservatory is the roof. Most of the heat in summer comes through it, and most of the heat loss in winter goes out through it. Sort the roof and you change how the room performs in every season.
We replace conservatory roofs across Berkshire with a warm roof system: insulated panels, lightweight tile finish outside, plastered ceiling inside. The room then performs like a proper house extension. The existing frame, base, doors and windows stay where they are.
In practical terms:
The room holds its temperature in winter without the heating on full blast.
It's bearable in midsummer instead of a greenhouse.
Heavy rain stops sounding like a drum kit.
You stop losing the room for half the year.
A 25-year guarantee on the structure takes the "what if it fails" worry off the table.
Cost-wise, a warm roof replacement is a fraction of a new extension and is the route most of our customers go with.
When it's better to remove the conservatory
Sometimes the conservatory has had its day and improving it doesn't make sense. The most common reasons people ask us to take one down:
The frame or base is in poor structural shape and not worth saving.
It's blocking light into the rest of the house.
The homeowner wants the garden space back.
It's about to be replaced with a proper extension or garden room.
The room has never really worked for how the house is laid out.
Our conservatory removal service in Berkshire and surrounding areas covers the dismantling, taking the materials away, and tidying the base or footprint depending on what you want there next. It's usually a quicker and cheaper job than people expect.
How much does each option cost?
Rough ballpark figures to set expectations - actual prices depend on size, access and spec:
Cosmetic refresh: a few hundred to a couple of thousand
Solar control film: £300-£800
Replacement doors and windows: £2,000-£6,000
Warm roof replacement: £8,000-£15,000
Orangery conversion: £10,000-£30,000+
Demolition and full extension: £30,000+
Conservatory removal: £1,000-£5,000 depending on size and access
We give a free written quote for the work we offer, so you know exactly what you're spending before any decisions get made.
Talk to us about your old conservatory
We're a family-run firm based in Reading covering Berkshire and the bordering areas. Whether you'd like a conservatory roof replacement in Henley-on-Thames, Slough, Maidenhead or anywhere nearby, or you've decided the whole thing needs to go, we'll come out and give you an honest opinion on what's worth doing.
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