How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

New windows, talk to me. I'm doing a full house refurb and am doing new windows. Got some quotes for Alu windows , and whilst not silly expensive I'd like to save some cost off. So I'm looking to see if there are any nice looking uPVC windows about. Any suggestions?

Wood.

PVC will have better thermal insulation, require less maintenance and have better security ratings. Wood will allow you to wank on about your wood windows. Modern spenny PVC is nothing like the super plasticky looking stuff from a decade or so ago (better joints, gloss etc). So it depends on your preference. I definitely wouldn't go with Alu if it were me. They make heat sinks out of that stuff.

Saying that, my PVC sash windows go in next week so I reserve the right to totally regret that and come back here to bitch about my shit plastic windows

Thanks Both- wood needs too much maintenance tbh- it's for a 1960s townhouse, so materials are not a concern as they would be for a victorian/Edwardian period house . I get Alu is nowhere near as thermally efficient, but it does look nicer..... @stevo_com, who are you going with for your uPVC?

What id like to find are uPVC windows with an Alu like profile and look (i get the frame will be thicker due to the properties of uPVC), welds that are close to invisible, flat fronted as opposed to the opening windows protruding when closed, and frames that are very black , not some shade of anthracite

Oh thats a total different ball game then... if its not a Victorian property go nuts!
I have as real bee in my Bonet about PVC windows in Victorian/Edwardian terraces.
3 houses on our street are getting theirs replaced atm which is nice (to wood).
Off for a wank.

It's not exactly what you'd call a character property...... but it'll be good once done.
Lived in Edwardian house previously and had new wooden windows there. It looked great but was tedious maintenance wise

And a pic, because why not

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who are you going with for your uPVC?

Everest. We are getting uPVC sash windows. The frames are thicker, yes, but the surveyor has assured us that the profile will only be a few mm different to the existing TOTAL DOGSHIT single glazed alu windows. With all the other maintenance that comes with this house (built 1902), we didn't want to add anything else. Plus, warms and quiet. Heating this gaff is not easy, so anything to also offset that. Everest also do what they call a constant line of sight, so the frames are the same thickness on all panes, whether they open or not, so it's not so visually jarring (another thing I don't like about PVC, it's really obvious which ones open and which don't by looking at the thickness of the frame). We are getting 11 windows replaced, most nearly 2m tall, for about £14k. Wooden sash (from Everest, so would have likely been cheaper elsewhere) was £24k.

Thanks. Did you have to engage in much discussion on price with the Everest salesperson?

That is amazing.
I love that era of houses.
I'd prob still go wood for that.

Yeah I talk the talk but faced with 24K compared to 12K I'd prob go with the cheaper option.
TBF our wooden sash replacement came in at "only" 7k as we didn't replace boxes and our house is small.

Yeah, the boxes where the previous owners had put the alu windows in 30 or so years ago, would have needed completely renovated. The one remaining timber sash is completely fuckoed. It is currently being propped closed by a large clamp with the jaws revered to be a spreader bar.

No, thankfully. Timing helped. I spoke to them at the end of December, so I'm assuming end of month+end of quarter+end of year means I got ALL the discounts. Plus Jan sale. No idea what the RRP would have added up to but when it was starting off it was eye watering. Local firms will undoubtedly be cheaper for RRP, but I wanted the big company with an easily identifiable arse to kick. The sales guy also quoted on the cautious side so that the surveyor ended up actually reducing the cost (well, not adding anywhere near what the sales guy insinuated might be needed for scaffold), which I was happy with.

I also spoke to Anglian, but the sales guy was a cunt so they lost me straight away.

Thanks, I've always had a thing for 60s townhouses. Its a big job all in. Ground floor extension , new windows, new stairs, new floors, re-plumb with new boiler, move kitchen from 1st to ground floor, new bathroom in the spare room on the top floor, driveway.

As such I have some value engineering to do and need to shave some costs to come in to an acceptable budget

Heres the back of it

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Sounds like a reasonable experience. I need a couple of uPVC quotes I think to compare against the Alu

Thats just a dream... love it.
You're not extending further are you?

We're extending the ground floor 2m further back, currently the room isn't quite big enough for a decent sized kitchen diner for a family. We'll have sliding doors across the full width of the ground floor

However, not extending further would instantly fix my budget woes.

Extension as below, red lines over the table show the approximate current rom size

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That does look great but beware of making the middle of the house too dark. You could achieve the same with a smaller island.
Obvs each to their own, and I love light spaces and gardens so biased towards them.

go for the TTL look imo
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKcBlFdH1F_/

Yes-lack of light to the back of the room is a concern. though there are two full height windows to the side to mitigate this, though this light wont reach the very back of the room. The garden is loooong, so theres no major impact on outside space. I do wonder whether I've got too hung up on the island, and thats its dictating size and therefore cost too much

That looks great! way more colourful that our current plans. We're in a conservation area, so what we can do to the front is limited, rear is fair game though

lots of good inspo here too
https://www.themodernhouse.com/collections/span-housing/

I have spent an unhealthy amount of time looking though the modern house listings. I've always liked Span houses and Eric Lyons designs