Explaining the increase conservatories

Conservatory companies report another record week in sales, it’s apparent that conservatories are coming back in trend this year, as homeowners look to invest in a conservatory to experience the warm glow of the sun in the unique way it provides.

   Why the increase in popularity?

Conservatories have always been a versatile living space, especially for families. Being able to act as breakfast/dining rooms, family dens, studies, it’s extremely convenient for those who need the extra room. Becoming a credible smart investment for home-owners, a conservatory is definitely attracting the majority of home-owners and would explain the rise in sales recently.

   How?

The rise in popularity would suggest that potential property buyers will be looking for houses with a conservatory. Having one can adds to home value of 50% to 133% of typical costs incurred. Typically £16k spent can convert into as much as a £22k increase in value, according to the ‘Market Oracle.' For people looking to sell this would be an almost crucial accessory to have, as it would generate more interest in your property and increase its value.

All reasons considered, it is certainly undeniable a conservatory would be beneficial for any home, being versatile, attractive and a smart investment.

Find free conservatory quotes here: www.windowquoter.co.uk

Benefits of Conservatories

Even though spring has officially arrived, it may not feel like it yet in many parts of the country. Cold weather can continue well after green shoots appear in the garden and buds start popping on trees and shrubs. Deterred by the chill, we’re also deprived of the simple joys of being outdoors, taking in the sun. The Victorians had a splendid answer for that: the conservatory.

Name game

Depending on where you live, conservatories come in many names, shapes, sizes and designs. Some are called solariums, sunrooms, or Florida rooms. Some are free-standing, others attached; some formal and elaborate, others plain and utilitarian.

In Europe, early conservatories were often used to grow citrus during the winter and were called “orangeries.” Sunrooms are often manufactured off site and attached to part of a home. A conservatory usually fits seamlessly with a home’s construction. A conservatory for a Victorian home will have a fanciful look, while a contemporary home calls for a sleek and simple design.

Famous spaces

Some of the most famous conservatories include historically significant orangeries in Paris and Versailles; examples at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa.; and London’s Kew Gardens. One of the most famous in the U.S. is the elaborate brick and glass extravaganza at the Biltmore House in Asheville.

A conservatory differs from a greenhouse in that a conservatory is also a living space. Conservatory floors are finished, and while plants may fill much of the space, they are typically grown in decorative pots or with saucers to protect the floors. Conservatories often have seating areas, lighting, fountains or other water features. Sculpture is a popular touch.

One consideration, the cost for heating and cooling. While some can strain the budget, with insulated glass, they are not as expensive to maintain as in the past.

Biltmore House Conservatory

Styles and options

From simple glass framing to copper and glass roofs, unique roof lines and detailed architectural accents, a conservatory can be suited to your home’s design – and your imagination. A conservatory can serve as an extra room for relaxing, a study-like retreat, pool house, winter garden, orchid sanctuary, even a greenery-filled dining room for parties or other special occasions.

To find the look best suited for your home, start by checking the Internet. One website in particular is Window Quoter. Its a free service that gives you a FREE quote from the top 3 companies in your area.

T-shaped conservatory

I Bid you adieu my dear Sirs and Madams!

Explaining the increasing popularity of conservatories

With conservatory companies reporting record sales this week, its apparent that conservatories are coming back in the trend this year as home-owners look to invest in a conservatory and experience the warm glow of the sun, in the unique way a conservatory provides.


Why the increase in popularity?

Conservatories have always been a versatile living space, especially for families. Being able to act as breakfast/dining rooms, family dens, studies, its extremely convenient for those who need the extra room. Becoming a more and more credible smart investment for home-owners, a conservatory is definitely attracting the majority of home-owners and would explain the rise in sales recently.


How?

Because of this rise in popularity it would suggest that potential property buyers will be looking for houses with a conservatory. Having one can on average increase the value of your home by £9,420! For people looking to sell this would be an almost crucial accessory to have, as it would generate more interest in your property and increase it's value.

Another honourable mention is the obvious excellent placement a conservatory is to have solar panels. Solar power is hugely popular, with earnings and savings up to £750 a year with solar power after the 1st of April. It would seem that coupled with the energy efficiency a conservatory already provides, solar panels would make a tiled-roof conservatory a smart investment for any home-owner as it is the perfect place to have them installed.

All reasons considered, it is certainly undeniable a conservatory would be beneficial for any home-owner, being versatile, attractive and a smart investment. The conservatory is a definite buy.

Find instant online prices for conservatories here.

Choosing the Right Furniture to Add Value to Your Conservatory

So you’ve just finished building your brand new home conservatory with the intent of adding value to your home, and it might be tempting to think that the hard part is done. Next comes actually choosing how you intend to furnish and present your new room so that it’s more than just a shell. What’s best? And how do you decide what to put in there?

With over two thirds of a typical conservatory normally consisting of glazed windows, a conservatory should be treated differently than that of a typical room in your house due to its unusual characteristics. Whilst you’re able to enjoy the sun without being bothered by breezy weather you can also find yourself in uncomfortably warm conditions.

For this reason when selecting furniture for your conservatory you should choose carefully and pick something that’s both resistant and can withstand the affects of changing room temperatures. For example it’s advisable not to have leather sofas, as in the summer any benefits of enjoying the heat indoors will be lost when you’re unable to use them during the day due to the absorbed heat.

When asked we normally recommend individual or sets of woven rattan furniture combined with plenty of soft cushions and settee throws to create a great look and practical solution. Rattan doesn’t absorb heart in the same way as leather does and allows a good level of air circulation; it also lends itself nicely to both indoor and outdoor settings and features within many cheap garden furniture product ranges.

Sun loungers and recliner chairs made of canvas or cotton sheets that are spread over a wooden or metal frame are strong enough to support a person’s weight comfortably and still remain at steady ambient temperature where it comes into contact with skin and is great for sun bathing or star gazing!

Rattan remains the clear winner in terms of longevity due to it not being susceptible to bending or warping like wooden or plastic furnishings, the special faux varieties can even be used as outdoor all year round outside as stand-alone items of garden furniture if you so wish.

This article was written by David Beastall on behalf of Gardens and Homes Direct who sells a wide range of stylish, practical indoor and outdoor home furnishings.

Adding a conservatory to a listed building

Owners of listed buildings will be well aware that certain restrictions will probably apply to any major home improvement like fitting double glazing etc but there are also regulations in place for conservatories too.

It seems the chief areas of concern are the size of the planned conservatory (in relation to the existing floor-plan of the house barring any previous extensions) and the appearance being in keeping with the overall property and in particular the elevation that the conservatory is joining onto.

You may also find that permission is only given for wooden conservatories, however it's always worth checking with your local planning office in advance or indeed your local conservatory companies. They may have experience of installing on similar properties to yours in the area, and as such may well be able to suggest designs and features that will gain planning consent.

Here are a few tips to consider.

Think about a physical doorway between the conservatory and the rest of the house. If you're thinking of a more open plan, flowing floor space, adding a doorway can help your conservatory be considered as a conservatory rather than a full extension.

Size matters. We've seen articles which suggest that considering the 'flow' of room sizes with a natural progression towards smaller rooms the further back you go can aid a planning application. Lantern style conservatories (where there's a second tier of roof/glass) may also make your application harder.

Don't choose an overly fussy design. Your application will be more successful if your planned conservatory is in keeping with the period appearance and features of your home. Some standard conservatory designs can appear fussy and overly detailed. Wood conservatories are usually favoured more because they usually have slimmer frames, compared to the more 'box-like' construction of a upvc conservatory, and detailing can be smaller in appearance, but modern upvc frames are always progressing and shouldn't be discounted that easily.

Shop around. As we've mentioned, a local conservatory company may have more local knowledge, useful for suggesting designs and features which will help meet planning applications. They may have already installed similar structures on other properties in the area and be uniquely aware of what is usually allowed and what is not.

Be prepared to 'negotiate' on the finished size of your planned conservatory, even if that means changing the build / design style.

Window-Quoter has access to 100's of local conservatory companies, specialising in hardwood, upvc and aluminium. You can get a rough expectation of cost based on your own measurements before having to contact any companies. What's more, you can use our free matching service to locate the very conservatory companies you seek, without obligation.

As with any improvement or alteration work on a listed property or one within a heritage or conservation area, it's vital to get all the proper consents before starting any work.

photo credit: Home Improvement Quotes

This story first appeared in our weekly homeowner newsletter - week beginning Monday 13th December 2010 - click here to read the newsletter in full.

Orangeries - so many advantages over the humble conservatory

If the term orangery makes you think back to those elegant glass structures beloved by 17th century gentry, filled with all manner of exotic plants (including oranges), then we need to bring you up to date.

Today's orangeries have been likened to the more common conservatory but that doesn't really do them justice, nor does it explain why an orangery has many advantages over the humble conservatory.

For example, construction differences: A conservatory is usually an all glass structure (roof and walls), built around a upvc or wooden frame, where as an orangery is a solid wall construction with floor to ceiling glass panels and a glass roof.

This design has several advantages over a conservatory. For example, it's easier to control the temperature - especially if you face South, which during the Summer can make a conservatory a little too warm. The solid wall construction allows for cavity insulation, increasing the all year round comfort, whilst still providing plenty of light from the 'open' glass ceiling.

Also, the design of an orangey makes it easily integrated into your particular needs - perhaps a kitchen or dining extension or somewhere civilised to unwind or enjoy the company of friends?

The traditional glass roof of an orangery lets in plenty of light, creating a unique interior, and whereas a conservatory can look 'bolted on' to the side of your existing home, being able to use the same building materials as the rest of your house in a solid walled orangery means it easily blends in.

There are many excellent orangery designs now available, utilising the latest upvc energy saving glazing and glass roof technology.

If you're thinking an orangery might be for you, then there's one other feature you might want to consider including. Due to their solid brick (or stone) construction, it's very easy to integrate a bi-folding door into one or more of the side walls.

Bi-folding doors are a series of door width glazed panels, joined by hinges. The whole mechanism moves on rails so the doors fold back a pane at a time concertina fashion. This allows you to select how much you open to the outside. In the summer, the whole wall can literally be opened up to the garden, where as cooler times of the year, you may only want to open a single panel.

They're easy to open, require no more maintenance than a normal upvc door and extremely secure against intruders.

Furthermore, with the recent changes in planning permission, a typical orangery won't need planning permission, however discuss this with your preferred installers as the dimensions of what you had in mind may mean it does require planning permission. Especially if your property is subject to special planning considerations e.g listed status or location etc.

Typically, an orangery of up to 3mtr depth (semi or terraced property) or 4mtr depth (detached property) with a length no greater than the length of the existing property, and a height of less than 4mtrs is OK without permission. It shouldn't increase the overall floor space of the original property by more than half (do not include any other extensions) and shouldn't move your property closer to front or side boundaries in the process.

Again, it's vital to check with your preferred installers or your local planning office before embarking on any work, to be absolutely sure.

Click here to get your Orangery or Conservatory quote, online, in minutes and without a salesman having to call you.

photo's courtesy of Better Homes

Did we say conservatory? We meant porch...

A bit of feedback from some homeowners who have been exploring getting quotes for a new entrance porch.

Because todays modern porch constructions mirror the exact same processes as a conservatory, whether that's in wood or UPVC, homeowners can get an online quote for their porch at WindowQuoter.

Just follow the prompts for conservatory and when you get to the part where you're asked for your approximate measurements, just enter the dimensions of your porch.

A modern porch does more than just make your home stand out from the others. It may be a small room when it's complete but it can make a big difference to your home - somewhere to leave the wet or muddy shoes, wellies' and of course coats and umbrellas.

It can also make a huge difference to your comfort as a modern fitted porch puts another weather-proof layer between you and the outside world.

On a nearby new housing estate, we've noticed a few houses where the front door was set back into the house creating an 'open' porch / entrance way - the owners have blocked the open end to the entrance up with a fitted upvc door and side panels effectively creating a sealed porch area.

For a whole range of instant online home improvement quotes - head over to Home Improvement Quotes now. Select the project you're interested in and enter your measurements and details for an instant online price. Alternatively, find out more about the project you've got in mind with our range of useful features and articles.

Better to Ask Forgiveness?

You might have thought that you would need planning permission to add a conservatory to your house, and until October 1st 2008 you would have been absolutely right. Since then, however, planning regulations have been altered so that you no longer need to secure planning permission before building a conservatory.

The new rules are subject to some limitations, however. You’ll still need to check with your local planning authority before adding a conservatory to a listed building or one in a conservation area. What’s more, there are a few rules concerning the size and construction of the conservatory.

You may need to seek planning permission if your planned conservatory will be taller than the tallest part of your house. It also cannot be built on the front face of a house which faces a highway without permission.

A single storey conservatory must be less than 4 metres deep and 4 metres tall to be built without requiring permission. A two storey conservatory should extend no further than 3 metres from the rear of the house

The conservatory must also not take up more than half of the area of land around the original house. One thing to be careful of is that if your house has been extended since it was built (or since 1948 , if it was built before then), then this refers to the house as it was originally built. Be sure to check the records for your house to make sure it hasn’t been extended recently, you don’t want to get caught out.

- - -

The great thing about conservatories is how flexible they are. They have many of the advantages of garage conversions or extensions, and they also let a lot of light into your house whether in summer or winter.

Conservatories make great spaces in which to a host party or barbecue, to watch the birds in the garden, or just relax and put your feet up.

With a few well chosen plants and other decorations they could even become an indoor extension of your garden.

The new planning rules make it quicker, easier and cheaper to plan and build a conservatory, and with the summer on its way there has never been a better time to get an instant online quote from WindowQuoter.co.uk.

Time for a Conservatory?

October is drawing in, and it can be a tough challenge to keep your house feeling light and airy all through those long winter months. A conservatory can bring in light you didn’t even realise was there, and even better, you can get free, instant online quotes for Conservatories with windowquoter.co.uk.

Pictures courtesy of Homeshield Group.

A conservatory can make a wonderful multi-purpose room, and is an impressive alternative to just extending an existing room. Conservatories can make gorgeous lounges, dining rooms, playrooms, or just provide you with a peaceful space to read a book or listen to some music.

You’ll remember the 5th of November forever if you watch the fireworks from the warm confines of your new conservatory – and a double glazed exterior will keep those bangs, whizzes and pops quiet enough that even your dog can enjoy the show!

Conservatories can be made to fit almost any house and garden, so check out windowquoter.co.uk. now to get a free instant online quote and save money on your dream conservatory.

Conservatories - create some 'you' space

Conservatories are the perfect way to get that all important extra space without the hassle of moving home. Conservatories are available in every shape and colour you could want and can be beautifully added to any home – be it a modest semi-detached or a Victorian mansion.

You don’t have to own a big house to add a conservatory. Even small conservatories mean that bit of extra space that provides the kids with a great playroom or yourself with a relaxing breakfast room.

Just because your conservatory may have been an afterthought doesn’t mean it should look like one. Ask for the external features to blend in with the brickwork and window frames. Adding big double doors will also allow the feeling of the garden to run through into your home.

Many people who live in an old Georgian-style house may worry that adding a brand new conservatory will ruin the look of their grand home. Yet manufacturers of tailor-made conservatories can use bricks and designs that are in-keeping with the Georgian theme – and provide a very attractive garden feature that looks like it was built along with the house.

f you have the space for a big conservatory, try using it as a dining room. Come summer or winter, it’ll provide the perfect setting for a dinner party for family and friends – whether it’s a warm summer’s evening or a chilly night under the stars, just don’t forget to think about heating!

To get an instant online quote for a conservatory, click here. It only takes a few minutes and you can choose from a variety of styles all online.

School Holidays start - what home improvement will you be carrying out?

The school holidays are finally here, or maybe they've already started for you? Either way, the house will suddenly seem to fill up as the children and their friends seemingly take over the house. So what better time to create a little you (or them) space with a conservatory?

Of course you don't have to have children to enjoy a conservatory, these versatile rooms can be everything from a sun lounge to a dining room, study to kitchen extension, and there are some very good deals to be had at present.

We also take a look at the sheer practicality of having replacement fascias fitted, as the warm weather shouldn't mean having to get out the ladders for some annual re-painting.

Double glazing - why summer is the perfect time to get a double glazing quote

Double glazing – Summer is the perfect time to get a double glazing quote

A double glazing quote? In the Summer? (when the sun is normally shining and drafty windows are preferred).

Well actually yes! Summer is the perfect time to get a double glazing or if you prefer replacement window quote, for your home.

There are a number of reasons for enquiring now about double glazing. Firstly, because double glazing companies are traditionally quieter during the summer, they usually have some really good deals on double glazed windows, doors and conservatories.

Secondly, having double glazing installed in the summer means (hopefully) that the weather will be drier, so whilst the double glazing installation team are removing your old windows and doors, although they work extremely quickly, there's less chance of bad weather blowing into your house or affecting your double glazing installation date.

Not to mention how cold it can be when there's just a blank hole in the brickwork where a window or door used to be.

If your thinking of having a conservatory added to your home, then again the same reasons apply, but also consider (if the weather is warm and sunny) that because conservatory installation usually involves a lot of groundwork – preparing footings for walls and flooring etc, then this job will be less messy in the warm weather and should be able to proceed quicker.

Of course, just because you're thinking about getting double glazing installed – a rotten window replaced or leaky front door, the conservatory you've always dreamed of so you can at least pretend to be outside enjoying your garden or a upvc porch to keep all those wet shoes and wellies in – doesn't mean you have to start shopping around and endure evenings besieged by sharp salesmen.

Window Quoter was designed to give you an instant online quote for all your double glazing requirements. You login, choose your style of opener and enter your own measurements and get an instant online double glazing quote without the need for a salesman to call.

It works for all windows – from non-openers to bay windows, all types of doors and even conservatories. (treat a porch quote as a conservatory quote and just enter the correct measurements).

If you prefer, you can talk to one of our customer advisers and we can arrange for up to a maximum of three local double glazing companies to you, to visit and leave a no-obligation written quotation that's valid for 6 months.

Click on windowquoter and see just how easy it is to get an instant online quote for double glazing now. We're market leaders in providing instant online quotes for homeowners and were the first company to offer instant online quotes for double glazing. Since then we've expanded our network to include everything from fitted kitchens and fitted bedrooms to paving & driveways, fascia & roofline to patio and window awnings.

Click here to visit home improvement quotes and get instant online quotes for any of the services listed above plus loads more services.

You can also read more about our Deposit Protection scheme which is also completely FREE to homeowners who use one of our recommended companies.