http://blog.diy.org/ is a site dedicated to enabling just that and we think it’s a great idea!
Here’s a snippet of what they have to say:

Our ambition is for DIY to be the first app and online community in every kid’s life. It’s what we wish we had when we were young, and what we’ll give to our kids. Today we’re releasing a tool to let kids collect everything they make as they grow up.

We’ve all seen how kids can be like little MacGyvers. They’re able to take anything apart, recycle what you’ve thrown away…

So, you never know, encouraging those DIY skills at a young age could lead to your little one growing up and helping you to install that lovely new DIY Conservatory from Conservatree4u you have always dreamed of!

 ”With more than half of UK householders planning DIY projects over the forthcoming Bank Holidays, a new survey by HSBC has revealed that the potential increase in property value as a result of home improvements has dipped in the past year.”

BUT here’s the good news for our DIY Conservatory Customers:

“The only major home improvement work to increase the relative return-on-investment in the past year is a new conservatory. The work will increase property value by on average £9,420 – a 14% increase since 2011.”

Source: http://www.newsroom.hsbc.co.uk/press/release/diy_fanatics_warned_as_home_im

I’ve recently managed to get hold of an original cutting of the article, as I thought it was a nice example of how I guess I was always destined to end up linked to Trees.  After all, our world’s beautiful species and, in my opinion, most needed plant-life are my namesake.

Tree for a Tree at Conservatree4u News Article Image

If you can’t read the article from the image, then it was taken by a photographer from the paper who happened to be at the plantation in Cannock, Staffordshire doing a piece on real Christmas Trees. When he found out that my name was indeed Tree, Chris Tree no less, then as the story goes, he couldn’t believe his luck. So here I am only 4 or 5 years old, dragging our new Christmas tree back to the car.

There is a bit of an underlying reason for this post though, other than to get you all going ‘ahhhhh’, and that is to urge you all where possible to do your bit this upcoming Christmas period and ditch the fake tree this year. Go out and but yourself a nice real one. Get one with roots and after Christmas simply go outside and plant it. If you don’t have room in your own garden, then see if you can donate it to a local school, community center or park even (do make sure you get permission from whoever owns the land first though). That way, you can do a little bit to help in our campaign for a better environment.

Trust me, you’ll feel a real sense of purpose, and who could resist this face? Thanks all and merry Xmas.

So, what is A Global Day of Doing. Well, read the paragraph below, which I have used straight from the 10:10 Facebook page, which incidentally you could go and become a fan of too:

On October 10, 2010, thousands of individuals, families, schools, businesses and other organisations will take simple steps to save energy and reduce emissions. These ordinary actions, combined with a series of bold, iconic stunts, will make an extraordinary difference. Not only will they cut carbon directly; they will also send a powerful message to world leaders that people and organisations everywhere are ready to tackle climate change.

I think that sums it up quite succinctly.  So whether you’re an individual, a business or any kind of organisation, please get behind 10:10 and do even just a small act to help A Global Day of Doing

For our business, I’ll be making sure all computers and equipment is switched off for the full 24 hours (sorry all you Sunday DIYers, we won’t be contactable). Not only will it help just a little but it should ensure we all take a day off.

On a personal note, I’m going to propose that as a family we leave all TVs, PCs and Game Stations turned off for the day too, so we can help a little more (but shhhhh, don’t let on as I’ve not told the family yet).

My Lean To Conservatory arrived on the Thursday and offloaded expertly by the Driver and his mate.

Started laying the sills Friday morning with my son (with gallons of tea via the wife) ..and by Sunday evening, the whole thing was erected – and roof on.

We were pleasantly surprised by the ease of construction – and the quality of the materials. It made us glad that we were so particular over the measurements – a point that Conservatree4u stressed many times. We now know why…

All the family have been around….nosin’……and were all impressed. All asked where it came from – ……’On line.. ‘Conservatree4u’……..artic lorry etc. “Wow!”

Thanks again for the excellent service – and a quality product.

Many Thanks,

Harry from Devon

This isn’t uncommon for us, or indeed many businesses just like us, but this is why we believe that the service you provide is paramount. Some would say, ‘well, what does it matter. You sell a conservatory, a one off purchase, they’ll never buy again’. Well, this may be true, but I would answer this with two points.

Firstly, a customer is a customer, whether they buy from you once or a million times. Every time deserves a level of care at least equal to the last.

Secondly, you never know who the customer is going to speak to after the service or product you provide. Treat them badly, they will speak badly of you. Treat them well and, well you can guess the rest….

So, onto Chris (the customer) and John (the fitter).

Firstly, we received the following email around 4 days after delivery;

Hi Chris,

 

             well John has all but finished erecting the conservatory, and I have to say I am very pleased with the out come, there are a couple of little issues that have arisen which I’m sure can be sorted out quite easily. I have taken some photographs so you can identify what I’m talking about.

 

There where two sets of R handed doorhandles sent (looking at it from the outside) IE the screws are on the outside of the left hand door.

One of the end caps for the roof supports didn’t have a screw cover

there are 6 white plastic covers for screws missing although screws and plastic inners where all there.

And finally if you look at all the window panels, all but one has a raised pattern on the lower panel (to the left of the door) new panel required

If you can arrange for these items to be send down I would appreciate it.

 

Unfortunately with all the contact numbers you sent there is no emailed address, I will be away until the 24th but if you can liaise with John I would appreciate it.

 

He will be contacting you shortly reference the door I enquired about on the phone.

 

Once again Chris thank you in anticipation, you can be assured you will be recommended by me to all

 

regards

Hi cris

Thank you for your prompt response

We where both very pleased with the product-first rate, from your help first help on the phone, to the delivery boys and to the final erection-thank you for your help

 I will email you door sizes for the one off door between the garage and the utility room next week

 Looking to see if I can generate any business using your services as we did with cris do you have any pricing guides , point of sale information etc that could help

Thank you

john

So, two very happy customers. Even when things haven’t gone absolutely perfectly. I have made a point of not editing any of the emails even though they pointed out issues to do with the product.

The reason? Well simply this, most of us appreciate that when we buy goods, particularly a manufactured item with hundreds of components, sometimes issues arise. It’s how we deal with the issues that matter.

• If you made an enquiry to the company, how long did it take them to make contact with you. A phone call, email, anything simply to acknowledge your enquiry.
• When discussing your DIY Conservatory requirements with the company, how simple did it feel (to you) to describe what you needed. Any representative with knowledge will make it feel easy to you even if you’re not sure how to explain things.
• How long did it take the company to come back to you with your conservatory quote. If you have waited for more than a couple of days, have they made contact to explain the delay?
• Has your quotation been provided in writing, or did the company simply want to only give a verbal price.
• Is the potential supplier quick to enter into a ‘discount’ discussion. Often, companies with a greater integrity will offer a fair and reasonable price first time and not just be interested in massive discounts just to win a sale.

1. Speak with your local planning department before doing anything. Most Conservatories will be classed as permitted development, but usually a quick phone call will clear up any issues that may cause problems later on.
2. Keep an open mind with regards to specification. DIY Conservatories suppliers are mostly very experienced, often they can suggest ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of.
3. Ensure you understand particular Conservatory Designs which each supplier is referring to. Check their website for a styles guide or ask for a visual layout. There are often different names for the same style of Conservatory.
4. Take photographs of the proposed site and save them to your computer. It can be invaluable when trying to explain the arrangement of your property to a supplier. An email attachment takes no time to send in the grand scheme of things.
5. Measure the size by staking it out on your site or even by using some lining out spray paint. You may be surprised how much smaller (or larger) it is when you see it laid out in front of you and not just written down sizes.
6. Think about the internal floor space. Not only from the point of view of fitting furniture in, but also to ensure (particularly on Dwarf Wall models) that the conservatory will sufficiently span any exisitng doors or windows. There is normally at least 254mm of cavity wall to deduct from each face of your overall base sizes.
7. When setting out, consider items such as rainwater guttering. Don’t position your base exactly on a boundary as this could lead to disputes in the future.
8. Consider any height restrictions or limits. Your finished conservatory should be measured from finished floor level (usually DPC) NOT ground level.
9. Try and wait until you receive your chosen supplier’s plans before you commence construction of your base layout. A supplier will design your conservatory to fit their base layout perfectly, you will find that the final conservatory design will be aesthetically much better.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If a proposed supplier doesn’t want to help you before a purchase, is it likely they will want to help after?

Read the full article from the link below.

Buckeye Tree Container Growing Tips | DoItYourself.com

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• 100% recyclable
• A thermally efficient material
• A Low maintenance option
• Often a more cost effective option than alternative materials

On the final bullet point listed though. Cost isn’t everything. As consumers, particularly in these uncertain financial times, we are all too quick to buy cheap. How effective is this really in the long term from both a cost and environmental aspect. Even with DIY Conservatories, Windows and Doors there are many energy efficiency options available that will reap benefits for both your pocket and the planet. Lets face it, if you can save on your bills time and time again, surely that’s better than saving just a few quid right now.

Bringing it back to the point of oil usage, if more is done now to tackle issues such as reducing energy output, recycling materials and using alternative sources for manufacture of the base product, this in turn will result in a reduction in oil usage, thus extending it’s term (whether it truly be 42 years or 100 years).

Contrary to popular belief, the Double Glazing Industry isn’t all bad and more and more of us want to make a difference for the right reasons. Hopefully as people become more aware of the facts it will help to combat the misinformation which exists. We are doing our bit to help (see recent Blog post) and you can read more about our environmental and ethical business ethos on our website.

As always please feel free to comment or get in touch if you’d like to help in any way you think you can.