Thought about getting double glazing fitted in place of old, bad metal framed stuff.
Looking to replace front and rear doors, 1 full bay window and three bay windows sitting on walls about 3 ft high (whatever this type are called) and 3 4ftx 4ft, 1 4ft x 2ft and a 5ft x 4ft ordinary windows. Cat A rating for frames and glass (Pilkington K3). Good locks and bolts. All sills replaced and everything taken out taken away.
Had a quote for around £11K. (This is for a property in London). 3 days to do the job.
This year we did 3 bays, and 14 other windows same spec as you for just under £15k - and they were white but had the "looks similar to wood from a distance" fully-sculpted I think it's called. Also went for equal sight-lines. Those two extra features pushed the price up a bit but made the end result much better to look at.
So it may be a little high. I'd get three quotes from *local* outfits - the national boys charge substantially more and I didn't like their product.
Sounds high, though you did make the mistake of living in London :-) Our 3-bed semi got new DG windows (no doors though) about 4 years ago for £7k which we thought was a little pricey. Quality seems OK.
At this time of year I'd expect *big* discounts, since they wouldn't exactly have work piling up - but would still have bills to pay.
Have you waited for the inevitable call from the office offering to reduce the price? There's enormous scope for discounts so play hard to get. Best I did was £24K down to just under £6K from Everest by letting them chase me.
I have a bay that I need replacing - a lot of cost comes from opening lights. Reduce them to a min - within the regs and you will save money. If I racall an fixed light was about £200 and an opening one was £450. Ask for a cost breakdown and options.
Get them to measure up. Obtain copy of all spec. Punt several more local firms. If you are a D.I.Y er do all the straight fit stuff yourself and get a company or builder to fit the bay ones. (Unless you are worried about the guarantee etc)
7 straight type with top & bottom openers, fitted by me in cottage over 4 days £3200 3 yrs ago.
1 x DG top half glazed last year, £175 inc frame
I've just had a quote from Everest for 2x 6-window bays (with 6 small fixed light ones at the top including 2x openers) and a ~4' square window..... £21,500! The price reduced to £10,500 with various discounts before the salesman left but is still waaay too much in my opinion. I'm waiting for that call from their office...!
I already have an Everest conservatory which is well built, so have no complains about the product, only the price.
I may have been lucky and caught them at a slow sales time. In my case it was secondary double glazing for 3 x double windows and 2 x treble windows
- each nearly 10 feet high (the rooms are 13' 6" high). They fitted 12 aluminium windows, which were effectively patio doors, using hardwood frames and hardwood trim. I am very pleased with the work (they are virtually invisible against the oak window frames) but I reckon they lost a fortune on the job.
The best time to get a sensible offer is just before the end of their sales period (usually quarterly). Unless the salesperson is particularly good, or lucky, they'll be very willing to get a sale on the books at practially any price. Or at least at a substantially lower price than they'd normally be willing to offer.
I wouldn't buy anything from a firm that tried to rip me off in the first place, however much "discount" they subsequently applied. Leaves a nasty taste in the mouth somehow. "Customer's a c**t" company mission statement.
Round here local firms are very competitive and it seems a handful of huge manufacturers supply them all with frames and panels. It isn't economic to manufacture on a small scale, so quality is pretty good whoever you buy from IME.
Three days (seems reasonable) labour 2 blokes probably £1500 plus online quote for supply only windows/doors. Easy enough to get a rough idea
It's standard practice in double glazing, you just need to be aware of it. I asked a relation who is a d/g salesman why they do it and he said some people just accept the first quote.
Now I'd disagree with this. I myself am self-employed, and I know an whole lot more who I meet through work or at the pub. No-one I know charges any more for winter/summer work. It is the same all year round. If you are already busy, you cannot take any more work on, so you just tell the customer that you cannot do it. Doubling the price would not make any difference, you just dont take it on as you are already booked up. If they want it doing that evening ( a boiler fault/burst pipe etc), then myself and the people I know would go out, and charge them a little more, but it would be more like £20 rather than double the price - £40-50 usually, maybe £60-70 if in the evening.
Clearly workers with no morals could try it on, but IME there are very few people who would do that, apart from the big Companies (BG spring to mind) who require credit card details before you even get a quote, then charge £150 just to look at something.
Alan. [And, as an aside, I've been to a job today, man rang me up, " I have a leaking pipe" I get there, and the leak must have happened 3 months ago, as it was totally dry on arrival, just a brown stain on the ceiling. Further checking, and it seems rainwater had run into the open fireplace, then down through the floorboards, then onto the downstairs ceiling. He then asked about the radiators not getting warm, so I went round, made sure all valves were open, and all bled. It appears the pipes are sludged up, so I put him onto a mate who does boilers/heating. I was there for maybe half an hour, 20 minute drive there and back. Charge - nothing. I could have said that's a £50 call out charge, but no, I gave him some of my cards, and he'll be recommending me to everyone he knows as I didnt bullshit him, and reassured him that there were no leaks, and his radiators are easily sorted.]
£11k seems rather too much to me. Bays are expensive though, Get a few more quotes to compare. Also, make sure they are aware that the bays are supported on the window frames, and the price includes any extra work if the bay collapes. 2 houses down the road from me had their bays collapse - 1 was put in by cowboys who didnt support it, the other was done by a reputable Company who didnt support it in the right place.
I've just quoted for a window - 1180 x 750. 1 side opener, 1 fixed pane. £175 inclusive for supply to me, I'll charge £75-100 to fit it. Remember, these companies make in-house, and are able to significantly reduce the cost of frames, so the £175 to me, probably costs them £125, or less. Glass is £40ish for the 2 pieces, £85 for 6metres of upvc frame? Plenty of scope to reduce the prices I think.
The reverse is when I estimate for women of a particular ethnic origin. If you quote £85 they will always ask if you can do it for £70. If I did so, I'd be guilty of the 'double glasing discount' as well - so I don't accept the job.
This time of 'this' year people are getting jobs done to avoid the VAT increase in January. The guy who solicits (as it were) for a local company in the local shopping centre had a fisful of leads in his pocket when I asked him to get the salesman to call a few weeks ago. He, the salesman, said that I might have to wait until after Christmas such is the demand, and they will absorb the VAT if I do. I'm optimistic that the job will be done before the end of this month but we'll see. (My order: 11 windows (Pilkington's K Optiwhite argon filled, the latest spec apparently) for £3,500. In July the same firm supplied a composite front door and a back door for £1,300 and two years ago a pair of French doors for £900.)
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