14 days to change our lives

When homeowners Sarah and Steven were looking to update their old, unused conservatory, the couple wanted a solution that would provide lots of light, a solid roof, a large expanse of contemporary bi-fold doors, and an open plan space that would be a comfortable temperature across the seasons.

However, when looking at the traditional ‘bricks and mortar’ build route, they were put off due to it being overly complicated and expensive.

They then discovered the lightweight hup! building system from Ultraframe, a solution that resolved all the issues that had previously put them off their conservatory project, such as spiralling costs, weather delays, multiple trades to coordinate, long build times, mess and disruption.

In contrast, hup! builds can be carried out by one small team, with Building Regulation red tape taken care of, and a build time that is said to be five times faster than building with bricks and mortar – one that is not affected by adverse weather.

Costs are confirmed at the point of order and because hup! is pre-manufactured offsite, there is minimal mess and disruption.

Sarah and Steven were said to be excited by the benefits offered by hup! and their chosen builder, MI Construction NW, was also keen to get started on their first hup! build following a training session at Ultraframe and with the help of the Ultraframe site support team.

According to Ultraframe, the new structure is 25% lighter than the old conservatory thanks to the lightness of hup! walls which meant that the existing base could be used, saving time and money.

Once the old conservatory was taken down, the core structure of walls and roof was in place by the end of day one and the structure was watertight within just a few more days once bi-folds and windows were fitted.

The build was carried out in November 2022 and there were frequent downpours – but as hup! can be built in any weather, the project took shape in just a matter of days.

The build continued to move quickly with the same small hup! team carrying out the electrical and other works. The entire project was fully completed in just 14 days.

Sarah commented: “Seeing the build take place in just three to four days was incredible. We both have busy jobs and so it was great that one small team took care of everything for us. Once our new space was built, we couldn’t believe how warm it was – even before our radiator was fitted it was already as warm as the rest of our home!

“We have removed the doors that used to separate the old conservatory from our kitchen and are delighted that we now have a stunning open plan extension that took a matter of weeks. This will totally change how we live in our home, and we are so glad that hup! has made our vision a reality in such a stress free way.”

The new extension features a lean-to Ultraroof with glazed panels, along with aluminium bi-fold doors and full-length windows in anthracite grey. The external white rendered finish gives a fresh, modern look.

In addition, hup! walls are 27% slimmer than bricks and mortar walls which means Sarah and Steven have 11% more floor space than if they had chosen traditional materials.

MI Construction NW who undertook the build as their first ever hup! are said to be equally delighted with the ease and results of using hup! for a transformation, with director, Grant Proctor, commenting: “Now that I’ve discovered hup! I can’t wait to ditch my trowel!”