Download a Conservatory Checklist
Can I afford a conservatory?
I don't know, can you? Only joking.
Best thing to do is get some quotes in to get a feel for the costs involved. Most firms will offer a free quote and if they won't, go elsewhere. It is good if you have an idea of what you want so the salesperson has something to go on.
Think about what size you want it to be (more than 30msq/325sqft will DEFINITELY need Planning Permission!) and don't opt for a tiny conservatory either, especially on the grounds that it will be cheaper. Something that is twice the size is not twice the price and bear in mind that any space paced out in your garden will look big, but you need to remember that you'll be putting furniture in it and too much furniture will make a conservatory feel very crowded very quickly. A very common remark I hear from folks who are replacing a conservatory, or building one in a new house, having already had one is:
"We wish we'd built a bigger one in the first place."
So be flexible on the size and allow for walkways from the house to the garden (don't put a table in between the house door and conservatory door out into the garden, you'll only have to walk around it for the next twenty years). Remember to leave spaces for the doors to open into, floor spaces for lamps to stand in... you get the idea.
I digress.
Can you afford the conservatory? You need to factor in tiling, plastering, heating and electrical points (assuming you want all these things). Glass roof or polycarbonate roof? Listen to what the sales chappy says and MAKE NOTES! Believe me, all these guys blend into one after the third or fourth quote! You need to be sure who suggested/promised what.
The bottom line:
If you are going to do it, do it properly; don't build a tiny conservatory because you can't afford what you want, you'll only regret it.
Which brings us neatly onto the next section.....
Read enough already and want a quote? CLICK HERE.
