Renovate or expand?
Monday 10 March 2025
Renovate or expand?
How to future-proof your garden centre
Without closing the doors
Expanding or renovating your garden centre can feel like a huge challenge. Will you have to close during construction? Is it worth the investment? Will customers experience inconvenience?
The short answer: it's easier than you think. With smart planning, you can create more space, improve energy efficiency and enhance the shopping experience - all while staying open for business.
Why expand?
More space, more turnover
An expansion means:
✔ More room for customers to shop comfortably
✔ A bigger product range to boost sales
✔ Space for a café or additional services to increase customer dwell time
A well-planned expansion ensures that the new space integrates seamlessly with your current store layout. This enhances the customer experience while also maximizing operational efficiency.
At Longacres Garden Centre, the UK's largest independent garden centre, we expanded their retail space without disrupting their day-to-day operations. The result? A better shopping experience and increased sales.
Why renovate?
Smart upgrades for a bright future
Renovation is often a smarter and more sustainable choice than rebuilding from scratch. It allows you to:
✔ Improve comfort for customers and employees
✔ Enhance energy efficiency with better insulating materials
✔ Save costs compared to relocating or rebuilding
A great example is garden centre Ruxley Manor, where we recently replaced their aging polycarbonate roofing.
Managing Director Andrew Evans summed it up perfectly: “Looking back, I wish we had renovated earlier.”
Why? Because their new roof:
✔ Allows more natural light – improving plant quality
✔ Creates a fresher shopping environment
✔ Maintains their existing structure – reducing costs
This renovation improved the light transmission, ensuring better growing conditions for plants while enhancing the overall shopping experience.
Can you renovate using our existing structure?
Absolutely!
Many garden centres don’t realize they can renovate using their existing structure. We specialize in working with almost any construction type, ensuring minimal disruption.
At Smiemans Projecten, we have more than 50 years of international experience in the design, construction and renovation of garden centres and botanical greenhouses. Our expertise in various glass constructions means that we can offer tailored solutions for any existing structure, helping you to future-proof your business in a cost-effective way.
Cut costs and boost sustainability
With energy prices rising, better insulation and modern glazing can significantly cut costs. Many of our clients, like Van Hage, have seen major savings after upgrading their buildings with improved materials.
Some of the energy efficient solutions we offer include:
✔ Highly insulating glass to reduce heat loss;
✔ Where necessary, more daylight in the building;
✔ Intelligent ventilation systems for a better indoor climate;
✔ Flexible daylighting to reduce the need for electric lighting;
✔ Lightweight yet durable roofing materials for longevity.
Recent studies highlight these benefits
Investing in building renovations offers significant financial and environmental advantages. Recent studies highlight these benefits:
Financial Returns:
Renovation projects can yield substantial financial gains. A Danish study by Ramboll Group found that renovating properties can be more cost-effective than constructing new ones, depending on the renovation's extent. The study emphasizes that the level of renovation determines the reduction in carbon impacts from operational energy. Source: eea.ramboll.com
Energy Efficiency and Sustainability:
Implementing energy-saving measures during renovations can lead to long-term financial benefits. The European Environment Agency notes that renovating buildings improves energy efficiency, reduces emissions, lowers energy bills, and enhances indoor comfort. In most cases, renovations are more sustainable than demolishing and constructing new buildings. Source: eea.europe.eu
Environmental Impact:
Renovating existing structures is often more sustainable than new construction, as it extends the building's lifespan and requires fewer new materials. This approach conserves resources and reduces construction and demolition waste. A review in the *International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health* highlights that building renovations are effective for energy saving and emission reduction with low economic costs. Source: eea.mdpi.com
In summary, investing in building renovations can be financially rewarding, especially when incorporating energy-efficient measures. Additionally, it offers significant environmental benefits by conserving materials and reducing waste.
What are your plans?
Future-proofing your garden centre
Whether you need:
✔ More space;
✔ A fresh and more pleasant shopping experience;
✔ Better energy efficiency;
✔ More outdoor sales protection;
✔ A complete transformation
Renovation or expansion is the key to future-proofing your business. And the best part? You don’t have to close your doors.
Want to explore your options?
Let’s talk.
As an expert we would love to help. Contact us for free advice.