Top 6 Reasons You Should Consider a Conservatory in 2020

Conservatories have been around a long time and were all the rage in the latter decades of the 20th century but they are not without their challenges.  Everyone has been in a conservatory that is just too hot in the summer or freezing in the winter without additional heating, glass roofs are known to be noisy, and cleaning them can be a massive challenge.  Currently, the vogue seems to be bringing the outdoors inside with garden rooms and glass walls within the actual structure of the house so have conservatories had their day?  Even more importantly, will they add value to the property? 

Conservatories have never really gone out of style but have been around long enough for everyone to know their design faults.  Happily, these are all resolvable so why not take a look at our handy guide to help you decide whether a new conservatory will be your 21st century home project?

• Conservatories add value to your home because they effectively create an extra room.   If you are clever, you can plan and furnish a room that is multi-purpose making your conservatory even more useful, appealing and valuable

• The planning permission question is really important and needs to be addressed thoroughly and carefully as this is something that will be looked at closely if you were to sell your home.  A good, reputable conservatory company in your area will be au fait with local planning laws ad most local authorities will view a conservatory as an extension to the main building as it is connected by plumbing or heating.  Normally an extension would require planning consent but it is possible to neatly sidestep this requirement with clever design planning.  If you are in any doubt though, you should check with your local council’s planning service

• Conservatories offer much needed extra space and can be designed to double or even triple up in functions – a dining area for a large family gathering, a quiet workspace for home workers or students, a spacious playroom for little ones to spread out their toys.  With thoughtful furnishings and interior styling, your conservatory could be all of these things

• Research your choice of glass carefully, there are literally hundreds of different types.  Key points to consider are glare  - there is glare-reducing glass – safety glass and also ease of cleaning

• Consider a uPVC roof material and create a conservatory, garden room cum extension all in one.  This retains all the classic benefits of a conservatory and gets around the problems of glass roofs which can be noisy, ironically let in too much light and glare and are very hard to clean

• Underfloor heating can be a lovely option for the colder months particularly if you are using the conservatory as a playroom.  It allows you to opt for beautiful tiling without the chill factor
Conservatories have come a long way since the 1960s and 70s and can be a valuable and sophisticated addition to your home.  Always choose a professional specialist to advise you, the Conservatory Association have a list of installers or you could look for a recommendation via a friend or on social media.

Some useful tips when buying a conservatory

If you do decide to take the plunge and get a conservatory, here are some useful tips to help you along your way.

- Be aware that whatever you’ve been quoted may not be the final price you pay. More than 10% of conservatory owners said they were actually charged more when given options of add-ons etc – so make sure you budget on top of your originally quoted price to make space for any additional investment needed

- Think very carefully about the type of conservatory you want, the materials used, and indeed, the interior. 44% of people interviewed by Which.co.uk said that if they could have their time again, they would’ve done more planning.

- Many people decide on a conservatory because they believe it’ll add value to their home. Although adding a conservatory may do this, adding a bedroom or extension may prove to be more profitable. Consult with a local estate agent to get their feedback before investing in a conservatory. 

- Many people have problems with the temperatures of their conservatories with them complaining that it’s too hot or too cold. A lot of factors can contribute to the temperature of a conservatory including brickwork, the type of glass you use, the direction your conservatory faces, and the type of heating. You will need to consider this prior to building a conservatory.

- Do your due diligence with shopping around for a conservatory. The satisfaction rate does vary wildly between different companies, so it’s recommended that you shop around to find the right company for you.

Good luck!