Sunroom in Cork

My wife and I have more or less decided that we're going to have a sun room built onto the back of our house. Though, I haven't confirmed it I don't think I will need planning permission.
I read that another user on this site has had trouble keeping his sunroom warm in the winter and this has made me a little worried that I could ru ninto problems down the line. I'm not in the construction industry and have a relatively limited knowledge of succecssful building projects so I was wondering if anyone out there had any basic tips on how to acheive a functional working sunroom (i.e. best window type to use, best insulation type, radiator size etc..).
Are there any pitfalls I should avoid (like using rockwool)??

Also, I'm in Cork - can anyone recommend a good builder who won't rip me off!!?
Thanks.

We are just on the verge of doing exactly the same. There are lots of builders who specialise in sun rooms. Have a look at www.shomera.ie. We plan on getting at least 3 - 4 quotes. Heating shouldn't be a problem if you get rads installed. Planning is exempt if it has a floor area of less than 40 sq.m. They say value added to house is 10%.Good luck.

Thanks Elphaba.
We're still waiting for some builders to come out and quote us. Can I ask if you went through an architect? I was going to give it a miss considering it's a one storey extension and doesn't appear to cover any drains or pipework. Architect prices will roughly come to around €600 and I'm thinking it might a waste of money for a guy to build a basic rectangle!! I've been in touch with the planning office and we won't need permission.

I can highly recommend 1st Choice Conservatories in Cork ..they did a great job on our sunroom in our home in Whitegate last Autumn. 18' x 14' rectangular sunroom with 4 velux skylights and a tiled roof. 2 electric radiators. Tongue and grooved ceiling . Dwarf wall dashed like the rest of the house. Vistatherm Elite insulated Glass used in windows and doors with low emissivity value to keep the heat out in the summer and retain heat in the winter. €25,000 all in which was way cheaper than other quotes for the same spec. Looks fantastic.

They also got the job done in about 6 weeks.

It would have been about €23,000 without the skylights.

Their number is 021-4824575. Ask for Michael Callaghan.A gentleman to deal with and does not give you the run around.