Conservatories, those glorious light-drenched rooms that link a home with a garden, are the ultimate way to enhance your house.
A recent nationwide survey ranked them as the third favourite home improvement, after kitchens and bathrooms, and it's not difficult to see why. No longer necessarily a space dedicated solely to plants - their original purpose when they were invented by the Dutch in the 17th century - they are now a great way to get extra living space. (bring the garden into the home) They can perform as kitchens, dining rooms, playrooms, workspaces or even the setting for indoor pools.
Get a professionally installed conservatory by Upper Glass, on the back of your home and add thousands to the value of your property. Just imagine lounging in a sunny conservatory and enjoying a leisurely weekend lunch, or looking up at the stars and having a romantic dinner in the evening. Decorated with lights, ornaments and candlelit - it could be the perfect place for family celebrations.
They are undoubtedly an excellent investment, but it's sensible to proceed with care before you rush to become a member of the fast growing conservatory club. First of all its important to appreciate the quality of the design and the materials which will dictate whether the conservatory will add value to the house. The general rule of thumb when buying a conservatory is to opt for the largest design you can afford and the correct design to suit your home.

There are many types of conservatories you can get designed and choose from, for example:

• Lean-too, this rectangular design with flat slopping roof, which is perfect for a small garden.
• Victorian, this shaped style with crested roof.
• Georgian, this rectangular design with crested roof.
• Bespoke, one-off designs, which are ideal for awkwardly shaped, or sloping sites.

The back of the house is the most common site. You may be able to add a structure to the side of your home provided its set back slightly by even just a couple of bricks. But don't demolish a garage to fit a conservatory as it could put off future buyers. A south facing room will benefit from heat and light throughout the year. North facing conservatories will be cool and shady but can be made comfortable with heat retaining glazing and extra wall and floor insulation. East facing rooms will benefit from sun in the morning and with glazing the heat will be retained until later. A west facing room, meanwhile, will have sun in the early evening.

Conservatories are now available in a variety of shapes, sizes and designs from traditional to modern. So if you are interested or have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Upper Glass Conservatories.

Visit www.dgcos.org.uk