New Windows and Doors advice 27 September 2017 at 11:38PM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 24 replies 4.4K views

bery_451

Hi,

We are on a really tight budget and looking for good windows and doors from good national companies or does anybody know any local good birmingham companies?

Specs required are:

- 17 windows including 2x3 section bay windows in upvc
- 3 composite doors
- pair of french doors

we would like them in irish oak and only gold fret georgian bars at the front and side of the house.

Is the plastic and glass materials expensive to manufacture or is the fitting labour charge nowadays?

Whats the money saving way of getting these windows/doors? Will I save money if I take measurements myself and go to a local factory to get them made then get the builder to fit them?

What do I look out for when buying new windows and doors?

glasgowdan

Very roughly you might be £500 fitted for a window. 700-1000 for a main door. Look for local window companies at people's houses then go and knock once they're finished to ask if they were any good. Get an established company that's been trading for years and has a local presence online

pollypenny

Certainly get a number of quotes and tell each company you're doing so.

We replaced an enormous floor to ceiling, wide window with a small bay, replacing soffits at the same time. A good local firm price-matched. Same for our conservatory, which we had in their down season, so had the patio at the dude included.

bery_451

glasgowdan wrote: »

Very roughly you might be £500 fitted for a window. 700-1000 for a main door. Look for local window companies at people's houses then go and knock once they're finished to ask if they were any good. Get an established company that's been trading for years and has a local presence online

Hi are those guide prices typically charged by branded national companies such as Safestyle/Anglian etc.?

bery_451

Ok for example if I was looking to do gas work I look for a gas safe trades person or if doing electrical work I look for nic eic trades person.
For windows what do i look out for?

societys_child

Fitters should be FENSA registered.

Problem with buying your own is, any slight mis-measure and it's your fault when they don't fit. Even experienced fitters do sometimes get the measurements wrong!

Friend of mine was a manufacturer of doors and windows, supplying the trade, and had an area at the back of his warehouse known as the "grave-yard" which was a big pile of mis-measured windows :rotfl:
I doubt you'd save anything buying them yourself as the trades will get better terms.

missprice

bery_451 wrote: »

Hi are those guide prices typically charged by branded national companies such as Safestyle/Anglian etc.?

Last time I had safestyle or the like near my home, they wanted about 17k for 8 windows (no bay windows)
I ended up at around 5k for a better spec from a local place been going yonks, still going in fact.

EssexExile

I wouldn't measure myself, buy them & get a builder to fit them. If anything goes wrong it's your fault! Get several long established local window companies to measure & quote, it doesn't cost anything. Then if anything goes wrong they sort it. With that many windows something will go wrong & need sorting.

bery_451

missprice wrote: »

Last time I had safestyle or the like near my home, they wanted about 17k for 8 windows (no bay windows)
I ended up at around 5k for a better spec from a local place been going yonks, still going in fact.

Wow thats a saving of around £12000 just by shopping around. Which company is this as I am interested.

bery_451

EssexExile wrote: »

I wouldn't measure myself, buy them & get a builder to fit them. If anything goes wrong it's your fault! Get several long established local window companies to measure & quote, it doesn't cost anything. Then if anything goes wrong they sort it. With that many windows something will go wrong & need sorting.

In order to buy them I gotta measure first yeah before handing over to the builder.

missprice

bery_451 wrote: »

Wow thats a saving of around £12000 just by shopping around. Which company is this as I am interested.

http://www.highviewwindows.co.uk/

Based in Leeds