[sloegin]

hello all,
going to purchase greenhouse when is best time of year for getting one?

[Paul Plots]

When there's a sale on.... (unless you are in a rush)

I think a greenhouse can be an asset all through the year and, if I was buying a new one, I'd decide what size and specs I wanted and how much I had to spend then search for a bargain..

[sloegin]

£500 my budget. I've heard to go for the biggest what else do i look for?

[lmpd]

my advice would be, to work out what size you need..........then double it

[Paul Plots]

£500 my budget. I've heard to go for the biggest what else do i look for?

If it were me I'd want to consider good ventilation (a side louver window as well as roof vents) and I would try for one that had a good cross-braced frame. Having lost two 6'x8's on two separate occasions due to very high winds (and one of these erected by the manufacturer) the stronger the better! 

You might also want to consider the base?

I gave up with free-standing greenhouses in the end although we live 1.5 miles inland from the beach and it is not normally a windy area I simply could not face clearing up another heap of glass splinters from the flower-beds and lawns.

Now I have a 10’x 6’ lean-to with very large, strong panes of safety glass… had it for years since the children were little – wanted something “safe” as it is on the side of a large garage that the children often passed on the way in and out of the back garden. It has taken some knocks (i.e. wheel barrow falling onto the glass) without harm. Being a lean-to it gains heat from the garage wall and is so much stronger than previous free-standing models as the garage wall helps protect and brace it. Works well for me.

[sloegin]

Thank you all very much for your replies