Today’s spotlight is on Stuart Wright, one of our sales managers who works out of our Romford Double Glazing and Conservatory Show Centre.

How long have you worked for SEHBAC?

20 years! Prior to this I worked for another Double Glazing company in Enfield. Originally I was based in Palmers Green, but now I work out of the Romford show centre.

How did you get into the industry?

Like Chris, it was by accident really. I met a guy at a wedding, and he suggested that I go and work for him. Initially I did leaflet distribution, then I got trained up to do sales.

Which towns / areas do you cover?

My patch covers North London, Hertfordshire and Essex. Funnily enough I’ve sold double glazing to many customers more than once - we get a lot of repeat business and referrals which is nice. A couple of weeks ago I went to meet a new customer. At the time I thought the address seemed familiar; it turns out I’d sold the previous owner of the property double glazing about 18 years ago!

Which products do you sell?

Windows, Doors, Conservatories and Roofline.

What is Roofline?

Essentially it’s where the roof meets the brickwork of the house. People sometimes refer to roofline as the fascias, soffits and guttering; or sometimes the bargeboards - it’s all the same stuff.

In some properties the fascias are made of wood, which without regular maintenance can decay leaving your home open to the elements. At SEHBAC we offer a full range of PVCU fascias, soffits and guttering which don’t require maintenance - unlike the wooden versions. It’s a pretty popular line - people often get them replaced at the same time as having their windows or conservatories done.

What do you think consumers are most interested in when it comes to purchasing windows and conservatories?

The price! That and how quickly we can get the job done. Quality of product and workmanship is also really important, as naturally people are interested in how the end result is going to look.

Have you seen a trend towards people being more interested in window energy ratings?

Well I think that consumers understand the energy ratings on white goods such as fridges, freezers, washing machines etc, however I think that there’s still a job to be done in terms of raising consumer awareness of the window energy ratings.

The government’s targets to reduce carbon emissions mean that it’s likely that by 2016 all new build homes will need to have A rated windows, and all replacement windows will need to be B rated or higher.

As such, I think it’s important to make consumers aware of the options open to them, so I make sure I explain the window ratings and what they mean in order to help customers make the right choices when they’re replacing their double glazing.

If you weren’t in the double glazing industry, what would you be doing?

I’d be a pro golfer. I beat former Essex Amateur Chris Phillips at the SEHBAC golf day… He claims he was nursing an injury

Who would you get to play you in a film of your life?

Joe Pasquale - people say I look and sound like him.

If you could have lunch with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?

It would have to be Steven Gerrard as I’ve been a Liverpool fan all my life.

Your house is on fire, you can only save one thing - what would you save?

My girlfriend.

How has the industry changed over the past 20 years?

In many ways it’s stayed the same, as people are still looking for value for money and excellent workmanship. That said, I guess technology has made everyone’s life a lot easier - we’ve got an excellent bit of kit which lets us upload a picture of the customer’s house, and we can show them how various conservatory designs will look. It makes it much easier for customers to choose the right conservatory design.

I think we’re also seeing some changes in the products people are asking for. This tends to change dependent on the area and prevalent architecture style. For example - in Chigwell and Loughton we see lots of requests for Black UPVC windows; whereas in North London the double glazed sash windows are more popular.

What are you most looking forward to in the next six months?

Like Chris I’m also eagerly awaiting a new arrival as my girlfriend’s daughter is expecting a baby later this month, so I’m really looking forward to that.

In this, the first of our ‘Spotlight On’ posts we’ll be introducing Chris Phillips, who manages our South East team and works out of our Romford Double Glazing and Conservatory Show Centre.

How long have you worked for SEHBAC?

4 years; prior to this I worked for a couple of other Double Glazing companies in Essex.  

How did you get into the industry?

By accident really. Originally I was a builder, but when the last recession hit I decided to change trades.

Which areas do you cover?

I manage the teams which cover London, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, and Essex. My area also extends south to Sussex, West to Oxford and North to Northampton. Day to day I’m based in Romford.   

What do you think consumers are most interested in when it comes to purchasing windows and conservatories?

People are most interested in a company’s reputation, and want to have confidence in the sales person. it’s all about trust really. We’ve very lucky at SEHBAC as we get a lot of business as a result of existing clients recommending us to their friends and family.

What do people most ask you most often when they are looking to buy double glazing?

Price! Particularly in the current climate people are being careful with their money.

However, we do get asked a lot about the various of styles of double glazing - so people are also concerned about how the finished product is going to look. We’ve also had a lot of interest in our new coloured PVC frames - they are really starting to take off. We offer a range of colours - blues, greens, greys, white, reds etc. Obviously they’re not going to suit all types of houses, but on modern flats they look really smart.

What do people ask you most often when they are looking to buy conservatories?

Conservatories are particularly popular at the moment, as many are electing to ‘improve rather than move’, and the extra space a conservatory provides is really handy.

Conservatories have changed a lot over the years. I remember my Nan had a conservatory - it really wasn’t a usable room - freezing in Winter, boiling in Summer - not good. Now we can build conservatories which are usable all year round - people use them as dining rooms, living rooms, play rooms for the kids. Plus with modern self cleaning glass they’re much easier to maintain, keep clean and looking good.

Some are worried that they’ll be tied to a particular design - but it’s really not the case - you can pretty much have whatever you want. I guess some might also have concerns over planning - but again, most don’t require consent, and we’re happy to help guide them through the process. 

Have you seen a trend towards people being more interested in environmental issues / savings on heating bills?

Yes I’d say people are more aware of green issues than before, and we’re now able to offer A rated windows which is excellent news.

PVC or Hardwood?

PVC - it’s maintenance free.

What do you do for fun?

I was going to be a pro golfer, I played trials for England, and used to play for Essex Amateur. Unfortunately I got injured in a car accident and so couldn’t continue to play competitively, but I still like to play. 

Who would you get to play you in a film of your life?

Well, people used to say I looked like Steve McQueen…

If you were a superhero - what would your superpower be?

Invisibility.

What’s the biggest misconception you face in your line of work?

There is a stigma attached to the double glazing industry - pushy sales people, etc. At SEHBAC we don’t do that, we’re happy to quote for a job - but we’ll come in, measure up, go back to the office, pull together a quote and then send it on to the client. Our motto is ’no pressure, no hassle, no fuss’.

What industry improvements do you think will come about next?

Well, I’d really like to see tighter regulations on the double glazing industry, particularly with regard to selling practices. I think it would kill off the rogue traders, which could only benefit the industry as a whole.

How has the internet changed your job?

Well I’d guess we get around 60% of our enquiries via the web now - it just makes it so much easier for customers. They can book appointments online, view the range, etc. I think it’s made life a lot easier for everyone.

What are you most looking forward to in the next six months?

Well, we’re going to be having our new hardwood windows and doors range fitted in the Romford show centre. It’s already the best PVC double glazing and conservatory show centre in the South East; but now people will be able to compare PVC and Hardwood side by side in the same show centre. It’s going to be great for the customers.

Work stuff aside, I’m over the moon as my lovely wife’s expecting our second child on 19th December. We’re taking bets on whether it will be a boy or girl, so watch this space…

Steve McQueen image wikipedia

Back in May, I wrote a post about conservatories adding around £7,000 to a property’s value - this figure was based upon a survey commissioned by HSBC.

However, last week the Daily Mail ran a story about a couple who have added a massive £200,000 to the value of their home by adding a conservatory!

The home belongs to property developers Paul and Denise Sewter of Woodstock, Oxon. Now, clearly this is by no means a ‘regular’ conservatory. Installed at a cost of around £42,000, it was a serious investment, but clearly one that has paid back - almost fivefold.

Food for thought, eh?

Poor Sir Cliff Richard!

The 68 year old singer’s local council have demanded that his conservatory (which cost more than £30,0000) must be demolished.

Why?

Well it seems that he neglected to seek planning permission for the conservatory, and as such it should never have been built.

Sadly, it seems he was unaware that he needed to seek planning permission, until he decided to sell his home. Although he has tried to apply for retrospective planning permission, this application was rejected.

To be fair to Cliff, this does seem to be a somewhat unusual case.

Cliff demolished the bungalow which was originally on the site, and elected to build a brand new home. At the time he was told quite clearly, the maximum size that it could be.

It seems that the original build complied to these guidelines. However, when Cliff later decided to add a conservatory to the property - this took the size of the property over the maximum size allowed.

However, at the time the conservatory was built, a homeowner would not need to seek planning permission as long as the cumulative floor area does not increase by more than 30%.

It looks like Cliff might have a bit of a battle on his hands.

So, how can you avoid getting into a similar situation?

First and foremost, remember that ultimately it is your responsibility as the homeowner to ensure that appropriate planning permissions are granted prior to any work being undertaken. That said, a reputable conservatory company should be able to advise you on what you need planning permission for, and what you do not.

New planning permission guidelines came into affect in October of last year. Interestingly, as you’ll see below, the maximum volume restriction (i.e. the cumulative floor area must not increase by more than 30%) is now no longer applicable.

Broadly speaking, if your conservatory conforms to the guidelines below, you do not need planning permission - however, there may be some exceptions, and if you’re not sure, it may be best to check before proceeding.

Typically planning permission is not required as long as:

1. Your conservatory is not at the front or side of your home if this faces a public highway.
2. If your conservatory is at the rear of your property, the maximum depth should be three metres for an attached house and four metres for a detached house.
3. If your conservatory is at the side of your property it must be single storey with maximum height of four metres and width no more than half that of the original house.
4. If your conservatory is within two metres of the boundary line, then the maximum eaves height should not exceed three metres.
5. No verandas, balconies or raised platforms form part of your conservatory’s development.
6. No more than half the area of land around the “original house” should be covered by your conservatory.
7. Maximum height of a conservatory at the rear of your property should not exceed four metres.

If you’re interested in a new conservatory, then of course we’d be happy to help. Check out our range of conservatories, or pop into one of our show centres to talk through the options with our staff.

Image credit eggybird

In the current climate, many homeowners are electing to improve their property in the hope of adding to it’s market value; but sadly, it seems that many are making expensive mistakes.

Homeowners looking to make improvements - specifically with the aim of increasing the value of their property should think about practical, functional improvements which will have broad appeal - rather than putting an ‘individual’ stamp on their homes.

Below are our top five home improvement blunders, which are likely to detract from your home rather than adding value:

1. Outdoor Hot Tubs - whilst this might seem like a nice idea, they’re rarely used. They also take up space in the garden and require maintenance. They’re also expensive, and not likely to add anything to the value of your property.
2. Extravagant Kitchens - whilst a kitchen can really sell a property - rather than choosing something ‘bold’ - go for a clean unfussy design that is likely to appeal to the broadest audience.
3. Crazy Bathrooms - again, if you’re looking to sell your property a clean, unfussy white bathroom suite is what you need. ‘Individual’ touches are not required (you might love the barbie pink floor tiles, but others might not).
4. Eccentric Decor - buyers look for high quality finishes, not gimmicks. Neutral colours often work best - you can always add splashes of colour via furnishings, cushions, rugs, artwork etc. These are easier for buyers to see past if they are not to their taste. 
5. Unsympathetic Renovations - stripping a Georgian cottage of all it’s character to try to create modern open plan living is a definite no-no. Likewise a period fireplace in a new build is probably not the best way to spend your money. Be sympathetic to the style and character of the property you own. 

So what should you do? 

Nationwide Building Society suggests that home owners should focus on functional renovations in order to stand the best chance of boosting the market value of their home:

1. A 10% increase in floor space (i.e. square footage) adds between 5%-7% to the value of a property. However, the additional space needs to be usable - e.g. add a conservatory, home office or similar.
2. Adding an extra bedroom and en suite bathroom via a loft conversion or by extending over the garage can add 11%-20% to a property (for those homes that are expanding from a two bedroom to a three bedroom, or those that are expanding from a three bedroom to a four bedroom).
3. Energy-efficiency measures such as double glazing can also boost a home’s value and make it easier to sell. If you are selling or renting your home, you’ll need to provide prospective buyers / tenants with an energy performance certificate; undoubtedly homes which are more energy efficient are likely to appeal more. 

Other top tips:

1. It’s worth spending money making sure your home has curb appeal - make sure your front garden and driveway are presentable and your front door is well maintained - you don’t want people to be turned off before they’ve even entered your property.
2. If you do have an extension make sure that you get the necessary planning consent. If you don’t have the consent, then a buyer is unlikely to go ahead and purchase your property, as they may be asked to take the extension down.