An extension of the conservatory market
According to Ian Sims, managing director of Double R Glass & Roofing Systems, there is still a huge amount of renovation potential in the conservatory market, but only with the right innovations, both new and established.
Conservatories have had their fair share of bad press, most recently taking the blame for devaluing properties. But these criticisms are leveled at old conservatories that need updating.
Almost any home improvement that is out of date and ill maintained will chip away at a property’s value, whether it’s windows, guttering, garden landscaping, kitchens or bathrooms. The difference between all of these home improvements and conservatories though, is that conservatories are perhaps perceived to be the hardest to rectify and so get left for longer.
In reality, installers have a plethora of quick and simple solutions for homeowners looking for an upgrade, including the latest innovation, an easy to install, prefabricated home extension.
While we are seeing continued demand for traditional glass and solid roof replacements that affirm this tendency to upgrade conservatories, there is also an emerging trend for consumers to replace their existing structure with an extension. This market potential is now open to installers thanks to the Guardian Home Extension System from Double R.
Keeping it simple
The Guardian Home Extension from Double R keeps things simple for installers and for homeowners. We design the structure with our in-house software and put all the elements, including the Guardian Warm Walls and Guardian Warm Roof, together when they arrive, to make sure it all fits together perfectly and there are no issues with the structure. We then deliver the complete extension to site in one delivery.
Once on site, the Guardian Home Extension from Double R is quick and easy to install. The system can be installed directly onto an existing conservatory base, so it doesn’t require any builders, keeping everything within the installer’s control.
This means it can be installed in as little as three weeks – a great selling point when compared with traditional extensions that can take months to plan and book in a builder and then months to build. While every extension is different, the average construction time of the Guardian Home Extension from Double R is 60% quicker than a traditional extension.
This quick and simple home extension is available in different shapes and sizes, and there are different roof types and finishes to choose from. Regardless of the shape of the extension, the system also delivers 20% more interior space because the highly insulated walls offer excellent energy efficiency (U-value of 0.18Wm2k) without the need for the layers of bricks, blocks, cavity, insulation, and plasterboard found in a traditional build.
Horses for courses
As a supplier that is often the first to introduce new products or machinery, we believe in the power of being an early adopter on behalf of our customers, to keep them ahead of the competition. But of course, as with any sector, it’s horses for courses.
There will always be a market for conservatories with glass roofs because people love glass in their homes, just as there will always be a market for solid roof upgrades that transform existing conservatories into rooms that are more comfortable to use all year round. But there are now also people that want to replace their conservatory with an extension and would love the opportunity to do so more quickly and cost effectively than waiting for a traditionally built structure.
The market may be continuing its challenging run, but there is still potential for installers with a portfolio of products that match what the market wants and needs now, and who have a strong supply chain behind them that can quickly adapt to changing demands.
We are pleased to be able to offer our customers a range of conservatory upgrade options as well as a head start on the competition with this modern, sustainable, rapid build technology that delivers the perfect solution to a growing need in the market today.