Consumer Guide

If you’re looking to buy new windows and doors, then here a few hints and tips to make sure you choose the best company to install your new home improvement products.

1. Recommendations. Picking a company to install your windows and doors requires you placing your trust in a company you may never have used or even heard of before. That is why it is a good idea to use a company that has been made aware to you by recommendation or by word of mouth. This generally shows that the person doing the recommending is happy with the service and product. If you are looking online for companies, look for any positive/negative comments away from their company website. A business is never going to publish negative reviews on their own site!

2. Company history. With the industry having a reputation for companies not sticking around longer than they guarantee their products for, it’s important to choose a company with a long and clean history. Guarantees in this industry usually range between 10-15 years, so a company older than that has honored their guarantees from day one, providing they haven’t been bankrupt or changed their company name within that time! If they have, you have to ask yourself why!

3. Cheapest isn’t best! Speaking as a sales rep in this industry, you really do get what you pay for. The general rule is that the more you pay, the better standard of product and installation you get. There is the odd exception for this – email me if you want further info. If you buy cheap, the quality of product and standard of fitting is going to suffer severely. There is a gulf of difference between a £500 door and a £1000 door!

4. Visit their showrooms. It’s always a good idea to see what you’re potentially buying in the flesh – as it were. This way you can be absolutely sure of the quality of the product before you sign any contract. It gives you chance to alter any details to the specification of the installation before ordering goes ahead. It also allows you the chance to get a feel for the company you may be about to deal with. It’s a test of their customers services and attention to detail.

5. Beware of ‘sales’ and ‘discounts’. A discount is money added on to the price or worked into the sales rep’s price book, which can then be removed to make it look like they have given you a discount. It was never a discount. Sales also work in the same way. Remember the sofa adverts? Look at the white scribbled out price in the bottom right hand corner, that two seater sofa was never £1099, the sale price is £399, that’s the ACTUAL price. This same principle can be applied to windows. Make sure you ask for the best price possible in the first place, or deal with a company which makes a point of offering their best price first time round.

6. Don’t cave to hard-sell tactics. There are some companies that will give you a highly inflated price in the home, then suddenly reduce it by thousands to try and force you to sign on the dotted line that evening. Well it’s worth bearing in mind that if a price can come down by thousands that night, it can do next week or next month. It’s a hard-sell tactic to force you into a decision when you may not be entirely comfortable deciding that same night. Use a company which doesn’t use hard-sell techniques, one that asks you what you want and listens to your needs. One that doesn’t ring up every evening asking for your business. You don’t want your phone ringing every time you sit down to eat!

7. Get everything in writing. Don’t agree to a price written on a piece of scrap paper. Make sure you get a quote in writing, stating the exact specification of window, what type of window you are buying room by room, the price, what deposit amount is expected etc. There are a lot of details to be considered when replacing your windows and doors, so you need everything clearly down on a contract to avoid confusion.

8. After sales service. Not every installation goes perfect, so it’s important that the company you deal with has a good after-sales service to make sure any wrongs are put right ASAP. Ask the company about the service they provide, but also ask someone who has dealt with that company. Remember that company isn’t going to admit it has got a rubbish after-care department!

9. Fitters. It’s always good to deal with a company that uses installers which have experience, and even better if they’re their own fitters! Ask if they are qualified joiners and if they only work for that company. Ask about how they go about installing. How they keep their house clean and how they tidy up after themselves. There’s nothing worse than having a great big mess to clean when workmen have gone!

10. FENSA/Certass. These are two self-regulation bodies that all window and door companies must be associated with. These organizations make sure that installation companies install your new windows and doors to the correct quality standards and building regulations. It is up to the homeowner to make sure that any home improvement works done are carried out to the right standard. So by choosing a FENSA or Certass registered installer, you’re going down the right path.

Those are just some of the hints and tips to consider when thinking of buying new windows and doors, there are probably more, but these are the main points!

If you would like any further information, please feel free to email me at: info@doubleglazingblogger.com
Avoid The Cowboys