I waited 10 years to make this one change at home — here are 4 reasons I wish I'd done it sooner

Ever since I moved into my 1970s detached house in 2015, I have wanted to change the conservatory roof.

Added by the previous owners, the south-facing conservatory was around 20 years old(at a guess) and had a glass roof, which made it unbearably hot in the summer and freezing cold in the winter. Beyond those wild temperature fluctuations, it meant the conservatory was unusable for around eight months of the year. And when not used as a room, it quickly became a dumping ground for my laundry pile or items waiting to go to the charity shop.

After grumbling about it for more than a decade, I finally took the plunge and replaced the glass conservatory roof with a lightweight solid alternative, and even just a handful of weeks in, the results have been game-changing.

1. I wouldn't have wasted money on stuff that didn't work

When I inherited my conservatory from the previous owners, there were no blinds in there, which was another huge problem for me and my super sunlight-sensitive eyes.

But buying a house is an expensive endeavour, moving house is full on and the idea of modernising the conservatory with a new roof at that point felt a step too far. And so I spent £3,000 on conservatory roof blinds, which were great for the brightness issue, but not very successful on creating a more comfortable temperature in there.

However, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and given how thrilled I am with the results, I wish I hadn't waited.

2. The temperature is much more consistent

Granted I have only been living with the new conservatory roof for a few weeks at this point, but that's definitely been long enough for me to tell that the drastic temperature fluctuations I was dealing with are now a thing of the past.

Heatwaves tend to trigger some hot weather anxiety for me, and the conservatory has always been a source of stress during the summer. On the hot days we've had recently though, it is now noticeable cooler inside the conservatory than out (with the glass roof, it often felt hotter inside than out during the summer), which is a major win.

While winter is a long way away, some cooler nights when the new roof was first installed have demonstrated that it's going to be much cosier in the conservatory when temperatures drop.

3. The sound reduction is impressive

The pitter-patter of gentle rain on a conservatory roof can be really lovely to listen to, but during heavy downpours, having a glass roofed conservatory can sound like you are sitting in a carwash.

No longer an issue with the new roof.

4. I know I can now use the space all year round

Over the last decade, I have tried to use the conservatory as a living room, reading nook, dining area and home office, but the issue of temperature has meant that none of those uses ever really stuck, and the conservatory became a no man's land that I never used.

But now it's going to be a much more comfortable temperature in there, regardless of the season, I'm so excited to use it more. In fact I've already used it more in the last few weeks than I have in the last 12 months.

Tips if you are planning on changing your conservatory roof

If you're tempted to change your conservatory into more of a conservatory extension by adding a solid roof, then here are my top tips:

• Choose a reputable specialist. With conservatories largely made of glass, you need someone with bags of experience to tackle changing the roof. They can also sort the other trades you'll need light electrician and plasterers, as well as Building Regulations.
• Have a look at your neighbours conservatories. I spotted so many conservatories with solid roofs while out on dog walks, and I can even see a couple from my garden. And so when it came time to choose the roof tile colour for my new roof, it was really helpful to be able to see real-life examples when making my decision.
• Incorporate window blinds for ultimate solar control. While they were removed during the building work, the window blinds in the conservatory are still as worth their weight in gold as the day they were installed.
• Opt for pelmet lighting. It might be included in the scope of changing the roof, but if not, I highly recommend you opt for pelmet spotlights in your conservatory. I had a wall light before, and I hadn't realised how inadequate that was until I turned the pelmet spotlights on for the first time.
• Mist coat the fresh plaster. Your solid roof will be plastered internally, and when you paint it, you'll need to do a mist coat (which is when you water the paint down for the first layer). I'm not always the most patient decorator, but I was very glad I didn't skip the mist coat.

While this new roof has made a huge difference to my home, it's not the only change I've made that's had a big impact. This small structural alteration turned out to be a gamechanger.