Double Glazing Replacement Windows – Finding an approved supplier in Bedfordshire
Is double glazing really worth it?
Until we actually took the plunge, or to be honest, circumstances twisted my arm, and we actually bought double glazing for the house, I was very cynical. I had seen the various adverts for fitting replacement double glazing and replacement windows and couldn’t see the point of all that investment.
About 6 years ago we thought I would have to move jobs so we needed to put the house on the market – I wanted to know that we had a buyer for the house before taking too drastic action about changing my employer.
I looked in estate agents and looked at houses similar to mine so “knew” what to expect or so I thought. I am not the greatest decorator but I had filled the window frames where it looked bad and repainted where paint had flaked, but I had not expected three different agents to give the house such a low valuation. When I asked (or perhaps exploded) why my house was worth so much less they pointed out that it would be difficult to sell and would not be attractive to potential buyers as they would have to do lots of work, plus the HIPS thing was just around and ours would score badly on energy ratings.
It turned out that people today expect that a modern house is going to be:
- Warm and comfortable
- Draught free
- Low maintenance
- Energy efficient
- Quiet in terms of road noise
- Look modern and have “clean lines” (whatever they are)
- Be fully double glazed
- Have loft insulation and have cavity wall insulation
When you live with something, you get used to it and if feels pretty normal – so it was only when we really started to look at friends houses that we started to grasp why we seemed to be out of step.
With a fair bit of pressure from my partner, we decided we had better see about getting some work done fast, but with things being monitored it wasn’t going to be a “cheap and cheerful job”, it seemed that it “had to be double glazed properly”, and would be pointless spending the money if it wasn’t going to make a significant difference to the valuation.
I have read enough of the horror stories not to want to get ripped off or get a half completed job and I didn’t know enough to want to get into sorting building regulations and planning permission so I made sure that I started by finding FENSA members to sell me the double glazing and also to install it – at least this way I would get decent quality windows and installation, get my deposit protected and get my all important certificate at the end.
We talked to both national and local companies and I was pretty strong on demanding to know what the annual savings were likely to be on things like heating bills. I got a spread of answers and of course it depends upon what we choose for glass and frames, and if we do the other stuff like draught-proofing and loft insulation (for which there are grants) but it is clear that it is somewhere between £150 - £250 per year. So not the brain of Britain to work out that if this is just about recovering costs on heating bills this is not a short-terms investment – however the other advantages needed to be taken into account.
Well – as you would by now have guessed we did go ahead – I didn’t want to change the overall style of the house and has we already had casement windows (L/Hand or R/H hinged opening outwards) we opted for double glazed casement windows. We were advised about the window frames and replacement double glazed doors and we went for UPVC on the basis that:
A) It is popular,
B) Its a good insulator and works well,
C) It is often the least expensive option because of demand but is not a compromise, and
D) It is virtually maintenance free and looks good for years
We didn’t go the whole way on the energy rated glass but went for a B rated which on a scale of A-G is the second highest – bear in mind the idea was that we were going to move out anyway.
Looking for Double Glazing Installers in Bedfordshire
So what was the final result?
To both of us the installation of double glazing was a big success – no I know that I am going to be waiting a long time if all I wanted was for it to pay for itself by reductions in the heating bills – but to us, that is not where its real value came into its own.
- The valuation of the property when up – almost as much as total cost of replacement window installation
- Lots of viewers came to see the house and a few made good offers
- The house is comfortable
- The house is quieter
- The condensation has gone especially in the morning
- I am not forever having to maintain the paintwork
- I feel better about the house – it looks better
As it turns out we didn’t have to move and I am still in the same job which is just as well that I like what I do. More importantly, we are still in the same house and it is hard to describe, but we like it and enjoy it more than we did. I know it sounds a bit pathetic but it is now nicer to be in, it feels more prestigious and we enjoy it more – priceless
Search for an approved supplier in Bedfordshire – We cover all the following areas:
Ampthill, Barton-Le-Clay, Bedford, Biggleswade, Beeston, Bletsoe, Clapham, Clifton, Clophill, Cranfield, Dunstable, Eversholt, Felmersham, Flitton, Flitwick, Gravenhurst, Harlington, Harrold, Henlow, Hockliffe, Houghton Regis, Kempston, Langford, Leighton Buzzard, Leagrave, Luton, Marston Moretaine, Maulden, Millbrook, Milton Ernest, Oakley, Odell, Old Warden, Pavenham, Pertenhall, Pulloxhill, Radwell, Ravenstone, Riseley, Renhold, Sandy, Sharnbrook, Shefford, Stewartby, Stotfold, Studham, Silsoe, Thurleigh, Toddington, Turvey, Whipsnade, Woburn and Wootton.
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