Millions of homeowners admit to never using their conservatories, with a lack of energy efficiency, uncomfortable temperatures and unusable wall space revealed as the main reasons why.
In new research, more than a third of conservatory owners in the UK said they don’t use the room at all. Over half (53%) said it’s because the room isn’t energy efficient, with 45% saying it’s an uncomfortable temperature during the year. Additionally, 39% said they get annoyed at the lack of usable wall space, while 37% say their conservatory is old and outdated. More than one in ten admitted that they can’t use their conservatory because instead they use it as a dumping ground for household items.
Of those who said they don’t use their conservatory, 55% said they wish they could convert it into a room they could use every day, with the same percentage of people saying they’d prefer to have a room that was more integrated to the rest of the house. Expanding further on conservatory refurbishments, 57% said they think their conservatory would add value to their house if it was more modern, comfortable and energy efficient.
Alex Hewitt, Marketing Director for new building system hup!, which undertook the research, said: “We know that there are some great examples of modern, well-designed and comfortable conservatories which perfectly meet people’s needs. But the reality is that many people with an outdated conservatory in the UK are living uncomfortably, with old systems that don’t offer the benefit of year-round, usable space. Thankfully, hup! offers a solution to these challenges.”
Dubbed ‘the future of home extensions’, hup! consists of a patented, lightweight wall system that is compatible with a choice of five roofs – including flat, sloped, and vaulted designs – all of which can be customised with rooflights to flood the room below with natural light. Most hup! builds are watertight in just two to three days and as cement isn’t required, building can continue in any weather – even heavy rain or low temperatures – making it five times faster to build than a traditional bricks and mortar extension.
The hup! system is so lightweight that those converting their conservatory to a hup! extension can reuse their existing base, saving further time and costs. hup! walls, along with windows and doors in any style can be placed anywhere in the design and externally, any wall finish can be used – including brick mesh, render, or cedar, to offer homeowners complete design flexibility. The hup! system is also five times more energy efficient than the average UK home, allowing homeowners to create warm, comfortable living spaces. The system is 60% more carbon efficient than a brick wall, and has zero waste in production or on site, making it one of the most sustainable ways to build an extension.
Designed and manufactured in the UK, the hup! system has been created by Ultraframe, the market leader in extension and roofing technology. Since the company was established in 1983, over two million Ultraframe roofs have been installed on homes across the UK. The hup! system is fully Building Regulation compliant and has been pre-approved by independent Approved Inspectors.
Alex added: “Where previously, homeowners with an old conservatory only had the option of updating the roof, with hup! they can completely transform the entire space, with walls, windows and doors placed wherever they choose. And while outdated conservatories can detract from the value of the house, hup! can be used to create comfortable, attractive, energy efficient extensions which can add value, in just a matter of days. With hup!, there is complete design flexiblity, so whether someone wants to create a bigger kitchen, add a home office or simply bring extra light into their property, hup! enables them to quickly convert their conservatory and achieve it, with a whole host of other benefits too. Unlike anything else on the market, hup! really is the better way to build.”
CASE STUDY – Couple transform outdated conservatory with new hup! System, and add £35k to their home
Homeowners Sarah and Steven from Rossendale had an unloved and dated conservatory that was in urgent need of attention to transform it into a beautiful and usable extension. Their old conservatory featured dwarf walls and a polycarbonate roof, which didn’t suit the couple’s modern taste and it had become little more than a dumping ground that was permanently closed off from the rest of their home.
While the couple had explored the idea of simply replacing their roof, what they really desired was a full transformation to create their dream of an open plan extension. They wanted to get rid of the dwarf walls and introduce larger expanses of wall, and create an area for a TV. They wanted a solid roof but to also have the benefit of natural light, and a set of contemporary bi-fold doors topped their wish list. In terms of how the space linked with the rest of their home, they wanted to lose the doors that had separated the old conservatory from the rest of their home and create an open plan space that would link the new extension with the kitchen and be a comfortable temperature across the year.
When they had explored doing this with bricks and mortar and a timber and slate roof, the idea always seemed too expensive and complicated. Their main concerns were spiraling costs, weather delays, needing to project manage multiple trades, and all the mess and disruption that a traditional build would cause to their home across an extended period of time. Then, Sarah and Steven came across hup!.
The couple chose to change the roof style from a Georgian style into a steeply pitched lean-to Ultraroof which added extra height, bringing a sense of drama and space to the new extension. It took just a day to build the core structure of Sarah and Steven’s hup!, with the walls and the roof quickly put in place, and it was made watertight just a few days later with the addition of doors and windows. The build took place in November and despite frequent downpours and very low temperatures, the couple’s dream living space took shape in less than a week.
The new tiled roof glazed with two full-length panels brought a wealth of natural light into the new room below, as well as the adjoining kitchen, and when combined with bi-fold doors and a full-length window, the space became light, airy, and spacious – just what they had imagined. The couple opted for their doors and windows in anthracite grey, paired with a white rendered finish on the outside to achieve a stunning, modern finish.
The build continued to move quickly, with the same hup! team carrying out all the additional works. From start to finish, including plastering, electrics, and plumbing, the entire project was fully completed in just two weeks. hup! walls are 27% slimmer than bricks and mortar walls, and as a result, Sarah and Steven have 11% more floorspace than if they had chosen a traditional building method. The couple also had their house valued following the project, and found that they had added £35k of value to their home.
Sarah said: “We knew that building with hup! would be fast, but seeing the build take place in just a few days was incredible. 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. We both have busy jobs, so it was great that one small team took care of everything for us. Having a hup! will totally change how we live in our home, and we are so glad we could make our vision a reality in such a stress-free way.”
For more information, visit: https://hup-home.co.uk/case-studies/sarahs-hup-story/
