TOP TIPS WHEN BUYING A CONSERVATORY
We know that buying a conservatory is a big deal, so we’ve come up with some top tips to make the process easier!
- 1. Ask yourself, what do I plan to use my new conservatory for? Deciding on this will help you to pick the right size to suit your needs, and don’t forget to consider what shape you want too! If you want to be able to use the space for dining or entertaining, you should be considering a room at least 4m x3m.
2. Remember that when talking to a conservatory company you will be discussing the external dimensions, so ask for confirmation on the internal dimensions. A good tip to get a clearer idea of the space is to mark the dimensions out in your living area. It always looks smaller when you mark this out on the garden, so make sure you do this inside.
- 3. Check with your local planning office with regards restrictions on the size and type of conservatory that can be installed in your area. If there are any issues, ask the conservatory company for advice – a reputable company, like us, will be able to help.
- 4. Don’t simply opt for the cheapest option – with conservatories it’s very much that you get what you pay for! If you find that a company is quoting you a higher price than a competitor, question them about what advantages their product and service has over others. This can be a very worthwhile and help you realise that cheapest is not usually the best option.
- 5. Visit the company’s showroom. If they don’t have a showroom, then this should set alarm bells ringing about how credible they are. (Ours has just had a complete redo!) Check out all the different conservatory styles at the showroom and ask about the benefits of each.
- 6. Ask if you can visit an installation. Any reputable conservatory company should have happy customers living nearby, who wouldn’t mind you visiting. It’s always useful to find out how others customers have found the whole process of dealing with a conservatory company.
- 7. Consider carefully the roofing options. There are some fantastic modern conservatory roof options. Polycarbonate is widely used on conservatories, but in recent years high performance glass units have become very popular. These can cut out most of the noise from rain and are available with self cleaning options. Another very popular option is tiled roofs, which allow you to make the most of your conservatory all year round – keeping them cooler in summer and warmer in winter. There are also now a wide choice of attractive roof tiles available to complement the home, which is adding to their increasing popularity.
- 8. Check with the company what roof and profile supplier they use - this is important as there can be a big difference in the quality of these systems. Do your research on which are the best systems on the market.
- 9. Ask questions about the installation to check out the conservatory company’s service levels. We recommend using a company that has its own in-house surveyors and installation teams, avoiding companies that contract this work out to external teams, as they are generally not as reliable or responsible. Make sure they have their own surveyors who will visit site and carry out a complete assessment to make sure that the installation runs as smoothly as possible.
- 10. Ask about guarantees. Check what the company’s guarantee covers – glazed units, roof, moving parts? This will you give you greater peace of mind.
We hope these are useful, and don’t forget that if you need any more advice you can call us on – we’re always happy to help!
