Windows and doors can be sexy things. And you know what they say, sex sells. Not sure who “they” are, but everyone knows that saying. But can windows and doors really be looked at as sexy items? Or at least beautiful? Ten years ago I would have said no. Ask me now and every single day I’ll tell you yes.
Aesthetics. The way windows and doors look and feel is by far the most attractive part of new windows and doors for home owners. So much so that it’s pretty much the only thing that matters.
Does the technical stuff still matter?
Most of the time you can see a home owner’s eyes start to glaze over when you start going through the details of a PAS24 test. We as an industry understand it’s importance. But it’s not exactly a detail that is going to get Mr & Mrs Home Owner excited and inspired.
You can get the same emotionless reactions when you start talking about other technical aspects such as FENSA certificates, threshold heights and egress hinges. Yes we all know they’re all important, but again, they’re not aspects of a purchase that are going to get buyers excited.
For many things in life, you buy with your eyes and your heart. This is a point raised by Roy Frost, MD of Deceuninck. He is a big believer in sexy windows and their attractiveness being the main reason why people would buy such a product.
On a personal note, I can say that much of the time I spend either in the showroom or in people’s homes during a demonstration is spent discussing things like colours, hardware styles, glass designs, frame options and so on. All things which contribute to the overall look and aesthetic appeal to the product.
So does the technical stuff still matter? To us yes. To the home owner, not so much.
Catering for style
The long and short of it is, home owners expect a certain standard of security and safety in their new windows and doors. And because they expect that level of security as standard, they spend little time focusing on it. On the most part anyway.
So it is now the job of installers to become designers and consultants. The vast array of choice on the market means home owners are awash with options. This means they require guidance, not hard sales techniques. Inspirations and ideas, not pressure.
As an installer, we feel like our jobs are to work with the home owner, to show them the variety available, and with their ideas and input, help guide them to style of new windows and doors to suit them and their property. Home owners do genuinely get excited and invested when it comes to picking colours, door styles and hardware. And that is something as an industry we should definitely be making the most of.
Thanks for this valuable insite DGB. I put an alternative viewpoint in the trade press recently that selling purely on beauty was undervaluing what has become a highly technical product. However I did also say that I was no salesperson! You are at the sharp end dealing with potential customers who are in the market for new windows and ready to part with their cash. If you are observing that aesthetics are the primary reason for purchase, I take this onboard. Ultimately we have to give the customer what they want or they vote with their feet. We are in… Read more »
Thanks for your comment Mark
When it comes to security and the finer technical details, there is of course some degree of interest there, but a small degree. As I mentioned in the post, we’re finding more and more that home owners now expect a certain level of security and quality built in. It’s how we as an installer can make their windows and doors look better than everybody else’s that matters.
I suspect designers at syscos and fabricators are going to be kept on their toes big time over the coming years!
DGB
As you might guess, I hold a bit of an issue on this one . If beauty is considered above all else, it is largely dependant on fashions , and the persuit of fashion is wasteful and unsustainable.
By all means have style , style is good and will last, it will eke out all the value and quality of a product , but beauty and fashion is fickle , it will be disposed of well before its end of life , why , just because it is not ‘in’ at the moment.
I dont like waste !!