Tim Matcham Garden Design

For many of us, a conservatory is high up on our ‘wish list’ – a room to be used all year round, a bridge between the house and garden, a calm and tranquil space that lets us shelter from the elements but allows us to enjoy (almost) being outside.

The thought of being able to linger over the Sunday papers ‘in the garden’ without putting on an extra layer or jumping up to retrieve the business section from the rose bushes, is very appealing but in reality how often does this happen?

A great number of conservatories become an overspill from the main residence. I have seen many used as playrooms with an array of brightly coloured plastic scattered across every surface, storerooms with the windows blocked out to prevent items from fading, games rooms where the snooker table is so large you have to squeeze around the edge of the conservatory, laundry rooms with washing hanging from the cross beams and ‘pet’ rooms, with dog kennels, aviaries and multi-story hamster cages, all far removed from the original idea of a conservatory, in the traditional sense.

It is often quicker, cheaper and less messy to add on a conservatory than build an extension and in some cases you don’t even need planning permission.

However, if you are considering an addition to your home and wanting to add value as well as space, bear in mind how the room will be used. Possibly you do need extra storage for the kid’s toys or an area to contain your dogs but if the space is off the main sitting or dining room, a conservatory may not be the best solution!

A conservatory that becomes an aspirational improvement to a home and by that, I mean one that really enhances a property; possibly enlarging the kitchen or providing an additional sitting or dining room, a room that can have many guises but fuses with the rest of the house, always adds to the value and saleability of a home but a glass ‘box’ that simply exists to store extra clutter will never be anything more than an eyesore!

By Helen Silver www.propertystylingcompany.co.uk

M: 07789 488446 T: 01225 330088

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Tags:   aspirational · benefit · Conservatory · Property · valueNo Comments