Things to consider when buying a conservatory

A conservatory is a significant addition to any property, properly designed and professionally installed it will add considerably to the available living area of your home. However it can be a minefield to the unwary. Firstly do you need planning permission, you do not want to go to great expense buying your conservatory only to have a council planning officer issuing you with a STOP order because you are in breach of the planning authority. It is your responsibility to ensure compliance, (Go to our planning permission requirements section for comprehensive advice) Conservatories have improved out of all recognition in the last few years. Designed properly your conservatory should give you and your family a comfortable living area all year round. How many times have you been in a friends conservatory that is unbearably  hot in summer and freezing cold in winter.

Buying second hand.

We are constantly asked to fit second hand conservatories that people have bought. Unfortunately a uPVC conservatory that has been installed 15 or 20 years ago is not going to be able to be reinstalled with any degree of success. The roof bar cappings  are invariably brittle just the same as old uPVC guttering. When they are removed they often snap or the rubber seals stick to the roofing and tear when they are taken off. Consequently it is pretty well guaranteed that it will be very difficult to ensure a watertight installation.  So buying second hand is invariably a bad idea. Needless to say we at Rodda and Hocking never sell or install second hand products.

What are you going to use your conservatory for.

Is it to be used as a dining room, play room for the children, additional seating area, garden room etc. once you have decided it’s proposed use, plan the layout of you furnishings. Once you have done that you can plan the design, paying particular attention to the flow of traffic from the house to the garden.

Styles.

The Victorian style was very popular some years ago but the rounded end limits your options when it comes to furniture layout. A frequent choice today is the Edwardian style with its straight walls with the option of doors on any elevation, the Edwardian style gives much more flexibility. There are numerous varying designs and options available, lean to, P shapes, T shapes, Orangeries etc. etc. We would be pleased to advise so just call our office and we will be pleased to give a free design service with no obligation whatsoever.

Who to buy from?

Remember that the majority of double glazing companies only install the occasional conservatory. Consequently they simply do not have their own teams of ground workers and qualified conservatory surveyors and fitters to build the complete conservatory installation. Beware the salesman who encourages you to find your own builder to keep the price down. He only does this because his company does not sell enough conservatories to warrant having full time employees. We at Rodda and Hocking are fortunate to be able to offer our customers a complete and comprehensive service with our own permanent installation team, from design and survey to ground work and full installation.