Conservatories have become a functional and desirable addition to many homes, but what factors do you need to account for when planning your dream conservatory.

One of the most important factors without a doubt, are site conditions. Are you realistically able to place a conservatory on your plot. You need to pay close attention to issues such as drainage, plot size, and the possibility of having to have extensive building work carried out just to make the site suitable to situate your conservatory.

Once these considerations have been met you then need to think about the conservatory itself. What style will you have, Edwardian, Victorian a P-shape a t-shape a bespoke design? What kind of glass do you want? What kind of roof do you want? What will the conservatory be built of? Wood, upvc - the possibilities are endless and can be somewhat bewildering at times. My advice to you is, take your time and shop around. The internet is a wonderful resource and used correctly provides you with the necessary skills to stop a jargon wielding salesman dead in his tracks. Web sites like conservatory TV offer the resources of professional advice without having to venture into sales driven showrooms.

Once you have decided where on your property the  conservatory is to be situated and what it will look like. The next issue to consider is "will I need planning permission?"

As a general rule in England and Wales you'll need planning permission if:

1. You build within 2m of the boundary line and the highest point at that junction is 4m or more high.

3. Your planning development rights have been removed.

4. Grade 2 listed buildings

5. Where a conservatory is 20m or less from a road or public footpath.

6. Permitted development means a property can only be extended by 50-70 metres.  This is accumulative, if the property has been previously extended, the conservatory added to the previous work exceeds permitted development levels

Once you have crossed these hurdles, you then need to decide if you will build you conservatory yourself or bring in the professionals. The current trend for home DIY shows has given many people the opinion that building work is easy and can be attempted by anyone, this couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not saying that DIY isn't a serious option. If you have the skills it can be a very cost effective way of achieving your conservatory. But if your skills fall short of what's needed you could find yourself making some very expensive mistakes.

The beauty of using a reputable dealer is you have the peace of mind that the job will be done correctly and in many cases have some kind of guarantee. Ultimately be honest with yourself, do you have what it takes to build your dream conservatory or would you let it become a nightmare. If you think the latter, get the pro's in it will save you a lot of sleepless nights.

Matthew Davis is an expert at Conservatory Outlet. For further advice on buying conservatories or to arrange viewing in one of Conservatory Outlet showrooms, contact him at www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk