Conservatories in the South East

The interwar and post-war semis that fill the South East have gardens deep enough for almost any style. Victorian and Edwardian conservatories look right on them, and a gable front suits the larger detached houses. In the older market towns and on the coast, the period houses often call for a more traditional design.

uPVC dominates the suburban stock here, and most of it is accepted without question. Near the South Downs, the New Forest and in the older town centres, the planning authority may expect timber or a dark aluminium frame. Ask early, because refusals cost more in time than a better frame costs in money.

Many South East conservatories face south or west and overheat in summer, so solar control glass or a solid roof earns its keep. The region has plenty of installers, which keeps roof prices competitive, though demand pushes them above the national average. Compare at least three written quotes.

Gardens in the South East are often deep and sunny, and people use them as an extension of the house. Bifold doors are popular on rear extensions here, and the larger budgets in the region make them an easier choice. French doors remain the cheaper option for a smaller conservatory.

The South East has the largest stock of interwar and post-war suburban housing in the country, most of it cavity-walled semi-detached and detached. Older market towns and the coastal resorts add pockets of Georgian and Victorian stock with very different needs, and the region has an unusually high rate of owner-occupation, so most work is commissioned directly by the person living there.

Large parts of the region sit inside National Landscapes, the South Downs and New Forest National Parks, or Green Belt, all of which tighten what can be done externally. Conservation areas are common in the market towns and along the coast.

Dry and comparatively warm, with the south coast among the sunniest places in the UK. Low rainfall is kind to brickwork and render. Coastal properties are the exception: salt-laden wind corrodes fixings and shortens the life of anything metal facing the sea.