Photo: Within Home

Before you start shopping for conservatory furniture or planning your first soiree for your newly added garden room, you need to design and plan the space. This step by step process breaks it down to the smallest detail, a process that will give you a fantastic conservatory. But where do you start?

What is your Plan and Budget?

A conservatory can be what you want it to be – an extra living room, a dining room, a gym, home office and so on – with its use a determining factor in type, style and size.

It is important that you set a budget right from the start and are realistic about what you can achieve for the money you have. It is probably better to have a well-designed and built conservatory with underfloor heating, for example, than one that is bigger but poorly designed and finished.

Photo: Within Home

What is your Style?

There are variations of style when it comes to conservatories too. Most people choose a style that is in keeping with their home. If you have a modern, newly built property, for example, a modern conservatory would make more sense than one finished with Victorian detailing.

Which way will your Conservatory Face?

A south-facing conservatory sounds idyllic – all that sun! – but in the height of summer can be unbearable unless you fit air conditioning etc. A north-facing conservatory will need heating (as will most conservatories).

As well as sun, consider what you will be looking at from the open conservatory doors, as well as where the door should be too.

Photo: Forves Rix Design

Which Materials will you Choose?

As well as uPVC conservatory frames, you can also opt for aluminium, as well as half-built brick walls and so on. Alongside your choice of style, you will find your budget plays a big part in this decision. You will also have to consider if  you opt for framed windows or do you want a vast expanse of glass for uninterrupted views of the garden?

What about Planning Consents?

Most local authorities allow conservatories as a consented addition to a home providing they don’t take up more than 25% of the garden. Make sure you have the right permit for your remodelling project. It is always wise to check before building work starts and certainly in the case of old or listed properties.

Photo: Conservatory Craftsmen

What Roofing Style will you opt For?

A conservatory is a room that is mainly glass and this has traditionally included a glazed roof. But to increase energy efficiency, many people are opting for either part glazed/part tiled roof or all tiled roof, complete with insulation. That said, there are examples of energy efficient glass that make for a great roof on a conservatory.

How will the Conservatory Connect to the Rest of the Home?

Many homeowners take the opportunity to use the addition of a conservatory to build an extension to their home. Imagine adding a stylish conservatory and creating a magnificent open plan kitchen/diner. It can be done with the correct planning permissions in place, and a build that meets all current regulations.

Have you Considered Energy Efficiency?

Gone are the days when a conservatory would be a draughty, plastic box fitted to the back of a property. They must and need to energy efficient in order to be a useful addition to your home but to also meet current energy efficiency requirements.

From sleek modern to the sumptuousness of traditional design, Rattan Direct appreciate the importance of the right conservatory furniture. Connect with them on Twitter.

Photo: Feedly

DIY projects are an increasingly popular way of remodelling your home. With all the online tutorials and videos, there are a lot of things the regular homeowner can do on their own. Before you get started and make a ton of mistakes, it’s important to get down to some basics. We asked the experts to weigh in on some DIY tips to help your remodel from becoming to worst mistake of your life. Take a look:

Don’t Forget to Make a Layout

The design of the house or room you plan to remodel is important. Often people have an idea what they want but when it is different when it actually conceptualizes. So it is important to make a layout so that while remodeling you can revise the layout as and when erequired.

Set Your Budget

Investment matters a lot during remodelling as the floors have to changes, raw material, equipment, tools, etc. will be required. So it is essential to make a budget and stick to the budget. The market is full of new and unique accessories that will allure you and you might exhaust your saving. But if the budget is set one knows the extent of purchasing power and will make a list before going for shopping.

Do Not Look for Cheap or Inexpensive Options

Often people who prefer DIY look for options that are less costly but they don’t realize that it might not be of good quality. There are definitely ways to renovate and decorate your home without breaking the bank, so it’s important to do your research and compare different options. Opt for premium quality things as remodeling is not a short term process and cannot be done again and again. Also one should research before going to shop in order to know what kind of material is required to fix the problematic areas.

Shop Like a Professional

Professional or experienced architects or construction companies and even DIY people shop at the best of the places in town. Rather than finding a wholesaler who sells everything, they opt for specialized shops that sell lighting equipment, furniture and fixtures, etc. They also shop online as best of the brands are available online at reasonable prices and promo codes are also available at sites like By Discount Codes.

Start with Small and Try in Small Spaces

Now most DIY enthusiasts take samples with them to the shop and buy floor or tiles in bulk. But when the whole thing is installed, it does not really look good. Rather than making this mistake, it is advised to start small and try if it suits two-three blocks, if it does suit then stick to it else change but do not get all aboard without trying a sample first. Try your first DIY in a bathroom or kitchen remodel to gain some experience before continuing with the rest of the house.

Invest in Quality Tools

A DIY person should have a toolkit equipped with best and all the tools needed to be required to install and remodel the place. From cutting to chipping the floors to installing switching everything needs special tools and a DIY should be equipped with those tools.
So if DIY is your passion and your own house is your first project then opt for tried and tested things as there are bound to be mistaken for the first time. Also, follow these pointers to ensure that you don’t make obvious mistakes and learn from the wisdom of others.

Have you checked you furnace maintenance date? Did you take photos of your most valuable possessions for your insurance company? These are probably things you’ve most likely forgotten about or had no idea you had to do! I have to admit, I’m super guilty when it comes to home management and this year I’ve decided to get on top of things to help save money, time, and most importantly keep my home safe this New Year!

I recently discovered an INGENIOUS home management app called Home Zada – it’s a lifesaver for busy families with jam-packed schedules and even for new homeowners that may not know exactly what they have to keep track of in their new home. You probably have a ton of house-related info in a big mess of disorganized files, envelopes, boxes, and even on your computer. Home Zada basically takes away the mess and acts as one big folder keeping track of EVERYTHING and sends alerts when things are due or need to be done.

You may not realize it, but it’s super important to have all this important information regarding your home at hand and fast! Imagine if you need to make an insurance claim, an appliance maintenance fix, or a mortgaging refinancing and you can’t find your information – this can mean thousands of dollars lost just like that!

It’s super easy to use Home Zada – with the tap of a button all your info is there in one convenient place.

The app also has a few other great features like the remodelling module. Here you can manage your landscaping, design projects, and kitchen reno project. It helps you save money and stay in control by tracking your budget, costs, photos, and documents.

If you are planning on selling your home, the app let’s you build a professional digital profile where you can publish your own Zada listing. Great if you want to add more information and photos for your buyers to view.

There is also an inventory section, which is perfect for insuring you against fires, burglaries and natural disasters. All your photos, documents, receipts and videos are in one safe place!

Home Zada is really an essential tool that I would recommend to ANY home owner. It takes a few minutes to set up and then your worry free! It will send alerts to your computer or phone whenever something needs to be done, letting you focus on more important things in your packed schedule. You can download the app right here or sign up on the website to get started!