Try to be balanced; the conservatory needs to be in proportion with the house. A massive glassy atrium stuck on the end of a small terraced house will look a trifle odd and don’t squeeze the garden into oblivion.

Try to picture what you use the extra space for before building, a breakfast room, home office, dining room, play room? Each will have different requirements.

Check the building regulations for the thermal quality of the glazing, the ‘U’ value determines how much heat it will let in or out. Also consider the direction the conservatory will be facing, this will inevitably influence internal temperature. South-facing conservatories should be glazed with solar glass, it really keeps the interior cool, but north-facing ones need ‘low emissivity’ or ‘Low E’ glass, to keep the heat in. Finally, don’t forget about good quality blinds, they’ll reduce both heat and glare.

Planning permission is not normally required if you follow these guidelines

1. A detached or semi-detached dwelling may be extended without planning permission by up to 70 cubic metres or 15% of the volume of the original house, whichever is the greater to a maximum of 115 cubic metres.

2. A terraced house or a house in a National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, a conservation area or other specially designated area may be extended up to 50 cubic metres or 10% of the volume of the original house.

3. The conservatory is used solely for domestic purposes.

4. The overall height of the conservatory must not exceed 4 metres when the conservatory is less than 2 metres from any boundary, the height of the conservatory may equal the height of the house.

5. The roof and walls are glazed with translucent or transparent materials with safety glazing at low level.

6. No part of the conservatory should be closer to the highway than the nearest part of the original house unless there would be at least 20 metres between the house and the highway.

Always consult with your local planning officer and wait for planning consent (if required) before commencing any building work, failure to follow this advice could result to your new conservatory having to be demolished