UPVC Replacement Windows – A Two-Minute Guide to Costs

Buyers guide for uPVC replacement windows cost

Asking specifics about uPVC replacement windows prices is a bit like asking how much anew car will cost. How much you end up paying is likely to depend upon the size, design, performance and build quality of the end product.

But much like the car market, high price is not necessarily a guarantee of high quality.

Potential criteria applied to prices

• Size:

Many manufacturers quote by multiplying the area of the window by their standard price per square inch (or centimetre)

• Performance

Not all uPVC windows have the same heat retention or insulating properties. If you want the windows that help to cut your heating bills the most, then you’ll probably find the price point is higher. If you are looking for ultimate energy efficiency, then there are triple glazed options on the market

• Build Quality

Poorly manufactured and badly fitted windows (or even good quality windows badly fitted) are likely to cause long term issues that cost money to rectify – such as condensation. Leakage, warping, jamming and general all-round annoyance.

• Design

The type of style is an important pricing factor. A simple casement uPVC window will cost far less than a bespoke timber sash window.

4 Top Tips for Driving Down the Price

1. Don’t be bullied by high-pressure salespeople, never make a decision “on the night” and always shop around for quotes & prices from at least 5 or 6 different sources.
2. Once you have several quotes (always in writing), haggle with the suppliers using the cheapest price against the best quality (if you are lucky you may get both in the same quote!). Always ask for a discount – at least 3 times, so they take your request seriously!
3. If you are exceptionally good at DIY, then fit them yourself. Supply only prices for replacement uPVC windows are competitive. It’s not that hard for a skilled person, but if you don’t fit them well then you could be building up an expense for later on to remedy any problems. Bear in mind that the windows have to meet building regulations for energy efficiency and will need to be inspected & approved by local authority inspectors and that will have a time & monetary expense that needs to be factored in.
4. Buy the windows “supply only” and find a local trades-person to quote for fitting them – you should be able to bargain on the labour costs. However, if the trades-person is not certified by FENSA or CERTASS, you will need to sort out the building reg’s approval yourself (at a cost). You could also try this “out of season”. During the winter months, available work for installers could scale back seasonally and they may do it for less than they would in a “peak demand period”

Two factors when you’re deciding whether to replace your windows.

You can recoup some of your investment from the savings on your heating bills. It’s claimed that for an average household that could be hundreds of pounds over the lifetime of the windows.

Thanks to: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/

If you have “A” rated UPVC replacement windows fitted and they last 10 years (for a detached house) that could mean as much as £1,750 using todays cost of energy. With the likelihood that energy costs will increase faster than inflation, this could work out to be even more.

There is evidence to suggest that a house with good quality double glazed windows will have a better resale value than an identical house fitted with single glazed windows.

This seems to make sense, in that a buyer may consider that they need to spend money on refurbishing the windows on the single glazed house and therefore be inclined to offer less than the asking price.

Which, whilst not an actual increase in value, it represents a potential better sale price for the seller. If they have good double glazing already fitted and can get the original asking price upon sale.

Replacement Windows Price Guides

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, costs will depend on a few factors. But on average you could expect to find prices similar to this in the market.

You can find information about door prices on these pages:

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