If you long to add more living space to your home but wish to avoid the upheaval and expense associated with moving somewhere bigger, a roomy conservatory could tick all the right boxes.
Considering their suitability for enjoying time with your rapidly expanding family, or making the most of your garden whatever the weather, the popularity of conservatories is hardly surprising.
In fact, statistics reveal there are over four million homes in the UK with a conservatory, adding, on average, a whopping £9,000 to the value of a property.
While it may be tempting to opt for kit or DIY conservatories, it’s recommend you hire the services of a specialist, lest your new addition falls around your ears like a soggy pack of playing cards.
But before you sprint to your nearest conservatory showroom clutching a fistful of sweaty banknotes, check out our top tips for choosing the perfect addition to your home …
Planning Permission
Firstly, some good news – adding a conservatory to your home is considered a permitted development, which means it doesn’t require an application for planning permission. Hooray! However, this is subject to some limits and conditions set out by the government’s Panning Portal.
Among other conditions, your conservatory must not be higher than the highest part of your roof, with the maximum height of a single-storey rear extension being four metres. For more information and guidance, you can view the full guide here.
Choose Your Style Wisely
It should go without saying, but if you live in an older property, it’s important to choose a conservatory that’ll mesh with your home’s exterior. In these cases, Victorian or Edwardian style conservatories are popular choices.
On the flip side, if your home is fairly new, it’s important to lean towards a more modern style, as the design of your conservatory shouldn’t stick out like an expensive mistake unconsciously tacked onto the rear of your property.
Glazing Considerations
It’s something of an urban myth that conservatories are stiflingly hot in the summer and practically uninhabitable in the winter – but it’s crucial you select the correct glass and glazing to ensure energy efficiency and keep your heating bills to a minimum.
Consequently, opt for glass with a low U-value, as this will allow less heat to escape from your conservatory during the colder months. Importantly, if your conservatory will face north, therefore receiving less sunlight, lower U-value glass will be essential.
Now it’s over to you …
Have you recently added a conservatory to your property? What other tips would you give our readers looking to follow suit? Please let us know by leaving a comment below – we’d love to hear from you.