As you are well aware, a conventional door opens inwards or outwards depending on which side of the door you are located. Patio doors are a little bit different as although they can be controlled via a handle, they open from side to side. With one simple slide of a patio door, you can have instant access to your back garden.

This gives you the perfect chance to host a barbecue or even a summer party for your children, friends and family. Too few of us make the most of the patio area of our homes but a set of these doors give you that luxury.

Similarly styled and an equally as effective set of doors, French doors offer the same qualities that its patio equivalent provides, the main difference being that a French door opens inwards and outwards.

A new set of doors situated at the rear of your household will also be beneficial from a security perspective as they each come fitted with a sophisticated locking system. When properly locked, both types of door will protect your property and keep it out of the hands of thieves. The durability of the lock is also designed to last.

When you add a new set of doors or conservatories to your home, you will be unable to resist the urge to invite everybody round to see them in all their glory.

When you have a lack of funds to play with, the second option will definitely be more financially viable as home extensions will prove to be much more affordable.

The majority of homeowners tend to prefer extending their home in the form of a conservatory as it offers a way of living unlike any other extension around. Neither a loft or garage conversion will give you the heat, warmth and stylish living quarters that conservatories can bring to a property.

The only other form of home extension which can be compared to the conservatory is the orangery as it provides similar benefits but on a much larger scale. It may also blend in with your home that bit easier as orangeries are put together using a combination of brickwork and glass, rather than UPVC and glass.

Both types of extension bring something truly special to a property as never before will you have been able to relax in such glorious surroundings. The moment natural light hits either extension the whole interior will illuminate and create an atmosphere right out of the top drawer.

Added to this is the fact that the installation of a home extension will boost the overall selling price of your home. So not only will you capture better home living, but you could also make yourself a tidy profit when the time comes to sell up.

For many, when planning your contemporary conservatory or modern orangery, Planning Permission and Building Regulations can be an unwanted concern. By choosing Conservatory Outlet this is taken out of your hands so you are free to enjoy the exciting parts of choosing your dream conservatory – such as what style will you have, will the roof be glass or polycarbonate and how will you use your new conservatory or sunroom?

What is the difference between Planning Permission and Building Regulations?

Planning Permission and Building Regulations are often confused. Both are the responsibility of the Local Authority and basically, Planning Permission takes into consideration the aesthetic effect of a new building/extension on the surrounding homes and neighbourhood, whilst Building Regulations define how the structure must be constructed in terms of thermal efficiency etc.

Do I need Planning Permission?

Conservatory Outlet will take care of this for you, but for your information, here is a summary of the basic facts. In most cases you will not require planning permission for your conservatory under the present legislation, unless you are adding a conservatory to a house that has already been extended. You may also need to check if your house is a ‘new build’ as developers sometimes place restrictions on them.

You may now be able to build quite a number of upvc orangeries and upvc conservatories without planning permission that previously would have needed it. The following rules must be followed to remain exempt from them.

• They are built at ground level and are less than 30 square metres in floor area

• At least half of the new wall and three quarters of the roof is either glazed or translucent material.

• The conservatory is separated from the house by external quality door(s).

• Glazing and any fixed electrical installations comply with the applicable building regulations requirements.

From 1st October 2008 new rules for conservatories and extensions took affect which replaced the old rules and affect conservatories as follows:

1. No extension forward of the principal elevation or side elevation fronting a highway.  This means that any conservatory on the front or side of a house that will be closer to a public highway than the original house will need planning permission. A highway is any public right of way including footpaths.

2. Maximum depth of a single-storey rear extension of three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.  The width of a conservatory running along the back length of a house is not constrained at all unless it projects beyond the house which is constrained by rule 3. A house is only detached if there is no solid structure connecting it to a neighbour. A “link” house is therefore not detached nor would be two houses with a common garage. The rules on what counts as being detached have not changed from the previous ones.

3. Side extensions to be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.

4. Maximum eaves height of an extension within two metres of the boundary of three metres from the lowest point on the ground.

5. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.

6. On designated land no permitted development for rear extensions of more than one storey; no cladding of the exterior; no side extensions.

7. No more than half the area of land around the “original house” would be covered by additions or other buildings.

8. Maximum height of a single-storey rear extension of four metres.

While permitted development rights now allow for the construction of many conservatories without planning permission items 1 and 2 above may still limit their size and material construction if you want to avoid building regulations. If a conservatory you are building does not meet any of the above four rules then it will have to adhere to building regulations in full.

Will my orangery or conservatory need to satisfy Building Regulations?

In general, a domestic conservatory/orangery will be exempt under UK building regulations, again, ask Conservatory Outlet to check this out for you, they will take care of the process.