We are lucky enough to have an actual Spa. Hand constructed obviously given the nature of what i do for a living. It sits in a corner of our garden only a hop from our back door. We have a two stage raised deck with sunken hot tub, a Sauna, fridge freezer with ice dispenser for entertaining etc. The whole thing has a tile and glass roof with pine & full length glass doors. Oh yep, and a Chiminea with a chimney! It also has a cat flap, and the cat totally thinks it's her own room, she scowls as soon as you open the door and walk in!

We got ours from Apple Blinds which is local to where we are in the North West. They are battery powered so didn’t need to be wired in. They operate by remote control which is attached to the wall with a discrete bracket and looks a bit like a smart home monitor I think. They need charging only once every few months. They charge by plugging in to charger for a few hours. The blinds when open are also very discrete but you should check whether they can be attached around your window frames. I agree with others that open glass is nice but I think for security purposes it is a good idea to have something for when you are away or over night etc

I think a flat roof with a terrace above would be amazing! Flat room materials have really moved on and such good quality now. Or you could do a flat roof with skylight or roof lanterns which will give lots of light. My sister has done this. Her extension is flat roofed and it looks really smart. Also I think if the extension is no higher than 2.5m it can come under permitted development? There are other criteria but your local council planning portal should have all the info you need. Pitched roofs would be more expensive. My garage cost £15,000 but with a pitched roof and tiles it would have been nearer £25,000 and I would have needed planning permission. Here’s some ideas for you

Hi Fiona, How exciting. The specification of the glazing is what will really impact its heat efficiency and your glaziers should be able to advise you further on this. One small note about lanterns is that they technically add volume to the space, which needs to be taken into account when calculating the BTU and heating requirements of a space. Once you have made your decision make sure to update your plumber regarding the BTU requirements.