Shutters

[vinnymurray]

Hi All,

Has anyone used Hillary's or a similar company for shutters?

If yes, what was your experience and was it expensive, also have you got any recommendations please?

I have two large windows (one bay) and I wanted to put shutters in as I love the look of them.

Thanks.

Vanessa

[minipie]

Hillary's gets very mixed (many godawful) reviews online.

I used the Traditional Shutter Company to make our shutters and our local handyman/carpenter to install them (as we have a very tricky curved bay window). We are v pleased with the shutters. I've also seen good reviews for them from people who used their installation service as well. However I don't know how wide an area they cover - we are in SW London.

Shutterly Fabulous and Shaftseburys are other names I remember seeing good reviews for.

ps be careful about giving away your real name online

[Herhonesty]

shutterly fabulous have done work for me twice and I have been very happy with them.

[vinnymurray]

Thank you so much for the recommendations and for the advice.

I will follow up these companies.

[MummytoMog]

I had Thomas Sanderson. Expensive but was very pleased with them and they installed three massive bay windows and some bathroom shutters in one day.

[Cruze]

We used Hilary's for shutters a couple of years ago. We had them fitted in our upstairs and downstairs large bay windows and another street facing window. They were the third company to quote for us. On reading all the reviews I was adamant that I didn't want them to even come for a quote but DH arranged it.

They reduced their quote (quite a lot) after we showed them what we had been quoted elsewhere, both others were local independent companies that people on our street had used. The quality of the shutters were like for like (in our eyes) but ultimately the reason we went for them was the 6 months interest free option.

I can't fault them at all, they still look and work like they did on Day 1. I think we paid around £1700, sales man was not pushy at all and the fitter was really friendly, quick and cleaned up after himself. I am so glad DH contacted them as for us they were the option that suited us and we have not regretted it.

[vinnymurray]

Thanks so much all.

Cruze, I was quoted £1700, then it was reduced by £200.

That was only for one large bay window and another large window in the lounge - just seemed a bit steep to me.

[MummytoMog]

Ha. I think ours were more like £5k. I mean they are gorgeous, and so well made, but good grief they were expensive! Still , the toddlers hang off them all the time and they haven't broken yet. They do kind of look like they're worth £5k apart from the bathroom ones, which do not. I keep meaning to call up Thomas Sanderson and grumble at them.

[happyon]

I had a hideous time with Hillary's and will NEVER use them again. They were the most unprofessional company I have ever dealt with. They finally agreed to refund my money for shutters that never appeared, but it took months. AVOID.

In the end, we went with Thomas Sanderson. They are lovely and the service was very efficient. Had some trouble with follow up service but v happy over all. Not the cheapest mind ...

[DaisyBD]

We used the New England Shutter Company as they looked the most well-made and paid through the nose for them. They were absolutely awful - the guy who came and measured up was charm itself and very friendly, but the service was terrible. He really messed up the fitting, they look cheap and badly made, they cost an absolute feckin fortune and they still haven't come back to fix it or give us a refund nearly two years on.

Which reminds me I must speak to their London office again. The actual man who did the work has long since stopped taking my calls, and it seems that the company outsourced the work to him and our contract is with him, but we can never get hold of him. Arghhhhhhhhh! I hate it. I can't believe how much we spent to get utter shite shutters with horrible cheap plastic screw covers and bits of screw sticking through the wood. Awful awful awful, never ever ever use THE NEW ENGLAND SHUTTER COMPANY. Please excuse me for shouting

[vinnymurray]

Daisy, I can really understand your frustration and fury.

That is totally unacceptable and unprofessional, there is nothing worse than spending a fortune expecting quality and getting total rubbish for your hard earned cash.

I really hope you get it sorted - don't give up and good luck.
xx

[hotbot]

We ad horrendous experience with Thomas Sanderson , eventually got our money ack, the sub contracted work out but didn't tell us they had done that. Be very careful.

[Cruze]

Have checked with DH and he has also said that we paid around £1700. There was an 'offer' on at the time, a % off, we can't remember what it was though. Your windows may be a lot larger than ours!!!

[MummytoMog]

As an update, I emailed Thomas Sanderson today and they called back within a couple of hours, very keen to get things sorted. I'll let you know what happens, but they're winning my vote at the moment...

[minipie]

Sanderson are known for starting very highly priced then rapidly dropping the price. So if you go with them do negotiate and do get a comparison quote from someone else too.

[CointreauVersial]

Interesting what you say about Hillarys - we have a guy coming here on Saturday (but quoting for blinds rather than shutters).

I would love shutters, but it wouldn't work with the windows in question.

[alcibiades]

After faffing about shutters, which I really wanted, I followed some recommendations I'd read here, and eventually went for The House of Shutters. Although I thought their website could do with the help of a good proofreader (!), I did realise that their expertise in fitting shutters was more important. The guy who came to quote was a fitter, not a salesman.

The bay window and the side window cost just a little over £2k. For comparison, the dimensions are:

Bay: 180h x 60w, 180 x 114, 180 x 60.
Side: 185h x 115w.

It's an old house, so nothing is a standard measurement. The bay was also problematic in that it's not a true bay - the wooden frame meets the brick wall on the outer edges at an angle and is very narrow. It was also complicated by the fact that the bay has slumped over time, and the bottom rail of the side windows had to be chamfered to fit.

I've put up a couple of photos of the bay on my profile. The side window has the same kind of shutters.

I love my shutters. They were not that much more expensive than custom-made curtains, but are so versatile in screening out the sun/glare/nosy neighbours. Plus, they go with any colour scheme should I decide to redecorate.

[happyon]

Sorry to hear that Daisy. It sounds like what happened to us with Hilary's. I was beyond livid but at least got my money beak ... Eventually. I think the fact that so many of these companies outsource means that service varies hugely across the country.

Also want to second the price thing at TS. They quoted me a very high price but dropped it to almost half with not much encouragement from me. Give it a go.

[vinnymurray]

MummytoMog - I really hope you get it sorted, keep us posted.

[ggirl]

[[http://www.justshutters.co.uk just shutters on south-coast are fab}}

[ggirl]

sorry here

[MamehaSan]

Another zombie thread, people!!!

[hollyisalovelyname]

What's a zombie thread.
Is it trolls resusitating a thread ?

[TheBakers258]

I note Daisy BDs message above also having problems with New England, sounds similar to what we have experienced, good to know we are not alone, has been all rather stressful for my other half! Should have been a simple thing to organise and deal with!