Three Crucial Considerations before Buying a Conservatory

If you’re anything like the rest of us, you want to enjoy your garden all year round.

For most green-fingered Brits, however, the volatility of the weather in Dear Old Blighty is enough to make even the most serene gardener shake an angry fist at the threatening clouds above.

At this time of year, even when the sun is shining, it’s normally cold enough to break the smoke off your chimney, which makes sitting outside in your garden akin to an Arctic expedition.

But this is where a conservatory is worth its weight in gold.

Whatever the forecast, conservatories offer an agreeable space to take pleasure in your pansies or bask in your bellflowers, as well as adding around £9,000 to the value of your property.

Far from being a passing fancy, there are well over four million homes in the UK boasting a conservatory, with hundreds of thousands more being constructed every year.

Interested? Check out our three crucial considerations before you hotfoot it to Conservatories R Us (that’s not a real place) in a desperate bid to join the ranks ...

Select Your Style Carefully

Whether you live in a mock-Georgian mansion or a contemporary grand design, it’s important the conservatory you choose blends with the existing style of your home. Why? Because if you get the style wrong, it’s much like giving a horse a pair of stilettos – it just doesn’t work.

As a result, most folk tend to opt for a Victorian or Edwardian style of conservatory if they have a more traditional home. If you home is fairly new, however, it’s important to speak to your conservatory specialist to find a modern style that won’t stick out like a very expensive sore thumb.

Learn About Planning Permission

It’s natural to imagine that erecting a new structure onto the back of your home would require reams and reams of paperwork – but adding a conservatory is actually considered a permitted development, which means it doesn’t require a planning permission application.

However, according to the government’s Planning Portal, a single-story rear conservatory must not be higher than four metres or higher than the highest part of your roof. For further details, and to avoid the wrath of your local authority, familiarise yourself with the full guide here.

Chew Over Your Glazing Requirements

When you fork out for a new conservatory, it’s understandable you want to use your investment all year round – and choosing the appropriate glazing, which will also make it energy efficient and reduce your heating bills, is a crucial part of making that happen.

Therefore, be sure to choose a glass with a low U-value, especially if it faces north and receives less sunlight, which means heat will be trapped during the colder months, keeping you and your family warm without turning up the thermostat.

Fancy having your say?

Let us know what else our readers should consider when buying a conservatory by leaving a comment below – we’d love to hear from you.