Conservatory-Base.com presents an introduction to DIY Conservatories
 WHY HAVE A DIY CONSERVATORY?
- The satisfaction of Doing it Yourself.
- To save money, larger conservatory 4 less
- To get the conservatory you REALLY want!
The above are just a few of the many reasons why some people
will consider building their conservatory themselves.
DIY is not for everybody - but
for those who are inclined towards it, DIY can be a very
rewarding method (both mentally and financially) of building
a conservatory.
Some people will complete the whole work themselves (base and
conservatory fitting) or others will prefer to "self manage" the
project and use a builder or friend to do, for instance, the
base and walls.
Saving Money?
There's not much doubt - the prices often quoted for DIY conservatories
do appear attractive. We have seen prices quoted from under £1000 and certainly
there are plenty of models in the £2000 - £4000
range.
It is worth,
however, realising that the specification included may not
be quite the same as that supplied by the specialist SUPPLY
and
INSTALL
companies. For instance, a conservatory quoted at under £1000 may only feature 10
mm polycarbonate and single glazing. Still an EXCELLENT price for what is provided
but nothing like what most people will be looking for when adding an "extra
room" to their home.
 Most people reading these pages we find are looking
for an extra room and for that the very minimum specification must be double
glazing and 16 mm polycarbonate.
This means there will be very little to choose from under £2000.
We have found that a large percentage of our visitors are not
only going the DIY route for money reasons. Many are looking
for conservatories
for
homes
they are building or a major renovation or remodelling project.
For those visitors in particular we emphasize the need to consider
insulation and
if their requirement is for, say, a Three Seasons room or Four
Seasons room.
Part
DIY - The Self manage Option.
An increasingly popular approach, you buy the conservatory
from a DIY conservatory supplier and then arrange a builder
/ conservatory
installer
to complete
the rest of the work. While you will miss out on a comprehensive "cover
all" guarantee using this approach there can be substantial savings
over the "supply and fit" route especially if you
do part of the work yourself such as digging the foundations.
Advantages
- This is a quite flexible approach. You can do as much of
the work as you want and as with DIY you save money.
- You can dictate
the time scale and manage your finances more easily. If you are one
of those people who don't mind this sort of thing - then
you
can do the work in various stages - often some time a part. For instance,
you could
construct the base this year but only purchase and erect the conservatory
next year or as funds allow.
Disadvantages
- You need to be confident at managing various trades (make sure you
know what you are doing!). You need to at least have a working
knowledge of what's
involved. Remember you will be selecting each trade individually
- but if you are lucky then some of the trade's people will be able to
introduce
other
trades.
- I hope you have a lot of spare time on your hands because
this is probably the most time consuming of all the alternatives.
One Final Thought
As the market for conservatories has grown, many more retailers
have decided to concentrate on the DIY market. This has brought even
more choice and has
in some cases driven price down. That said, we do still feel that SERVICE
and after sales service are especially important. Remember, you will
have paid
for your conservatory either just before or on delivery. Many companies
now catering for the DIY sector do not concentrate on conservatories
alone -
but also retail other products, and while it may be a little unfair
we do feel
it is wise to give preference to suppliers who concentrate on conservatories
only. (Assuming all other factors such as price and specification are
reasonably equal.)
For even more information on DIY Conservatories visit http://www.diy-conservatories-uk.co.uk
Images courtesy of Dial a Conservatory - click here to visit their
web site
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