<b>Andrew Leech finds that housebuilders are using conservatories as part of their home buyer sales packages.</b><br><b>In less than two decades the conservatory market has more than quadrupled from 40,000 units a year to nearly 180,000 in 2001. According to several leading housebuilders, last year more house buyers than ever before put conservatories near the top of their new home priorities list alongside special bathroom and kitchen options.</b><br><b><b>individual designs</b></b><br> Ian Chisholm of the Glass &amp;&amp; Glazing Federation, who has special responsibility for the Conservatory Association, says: &amp;“It&amp;’s one of the biggest growth areas. The trend, however, seems to be moving away from the basic modular construction to more individually designed solutions.&amp;” <p></p><p> Indeed &amp;“personalising&amp;” conservatories has been made more feasible and economical for several reasons. Materials technology has advanced in leaps and bounds and so too has fast, effective and economical construction techniques.</p><p> The numbers of manufacturers and suppliers has proliferated too, so that currently The Building Centre&amp;’s product selector can provide contacts for nearly 80 PVCu, 35 hardwood and softwood and 42 aluminium off-the-shelf suppliers. Plus there are around 60 companies offering bespoke buildings.</p><p><b><b>major influence</b></b><br> The higher density demands of PPG3 is also a major influence on the conservatory phenomenon. …