Know Which Conservatory is Right for You

Published: 31/03/2011

If you have decided to build a conservatory you may be surprised to know that there are a wide variety of home extensions available.

An increasing number of people are looking to add a conservatory to their house as more homeowners are looking to 'improve not move' in the current property market where it is almost impossible to secure a mortgage.

Conservatories are becoming more popular because they are a proven way of adding value to a property as they add extra floor space and also act as an extra room for either dining or entertaining.

As a naturally light and warm room, conservatories can help to reduce heating bills, which will make the property more attractive to potential buyers when the property market eventually picks up.

With so many home extension options available it can be difficult to select the correct conservatory type to suit the specific needs of your property and more importantly your lifestyle.

There has been a modern trend towards building modern bespoke conservatories as opposed to the traditional model of Victorian, Georgian and Edwardian style conservatory extensions.

Many old houses already have existing traditional conservatories and these styles are often mimicked as they are classic models which evoke a past era of middle-class luxury.

Victorian-style conservatories usually have a bay front and a steeply pitched roof and are easily identified by their elegant look and unique shape and this model can still be replicated using modern materials.

A Georgian model conservatory resembles a basic square box with a flat front and this layout makes it really easy to fit furniture in which makes them very popular with interior designers.

Edwardian conservatories are usually square or rectangular in shape and there main feature is that they enable light and air to flood into the conservatory, which makes the room ideal for summer time.

These traditional types of conservatory are not popular with everybody and more people are looking to construct bespoke conservatories in order to create a particular style that relates to their property.

Modern bespoke conservatories can be designed where space is a limited so they are being added to smaller properties which were historically not suited to having an extension.

Orangeries, which are usually made of hardwood or masonry, are also growing in prominence as they are similar in size to conservatories but they provide more privacy because they have a smaller glass area.