Shutters, will I regret the cost?

[Hellovation]

We are slowly renovating. We have huge privacy issues, due to road proximity and massive windows.

although the road is not busy, we are closely set and it’s feeling goldfishbowl-like.

we can’t use normal blinds because they’re just open or shut / up or down and we need the natural light.

without sounding dramatic it really feels like shutters are honestly our only real option is shutters (so we can have the top half open and bottom shut etc )

but the cost is huge (wooden blinds come in about £700 vs shutters £6000)

this is a forever/long term home.

Are there other alternatives I don’t know of and should consider? And beyond the practicality of it which I think is perfect solution, do they really warrant the price and are they as aesthetically pleasing and house value improving as everyone seems to say?

putting it to mumsnet for the final word before I pull the trigger and give up the next two years holiday budget for them 😅

Surely the one way film would be a better option and block out less light?

why arent blinds an option? Weve just had faux wood venetian blinds done in kirchen and bedrooms x 2, worked out at £90 per window all inc. theyre just as lovely as wooden and look like white wood but wipe clean

Your window must be huge for that price!!

Every other house round here has shutters, we got them in our bay window and they weren't more than £2000

You won't regret it. I love them and clearly everyone else round here does too!! 😂

With shutters you have more control then blinds over opening and closing. You can close bottom panels and leave top ones open for example.

Have you looked at PerfectFit shutters from blinds 2go, OP?

You can have blinds. The ones that fit into windows can open at top down or bottom or both. They are called pleated blinds or plisse

Sorry I should have specified that’s for five windows along the bottom floor of house 😅 but two are particularly big.

I’ve seen the no drill perfect fit ones that go onto the frame but we get a lot of condensation and so popping them off constantly to wipe down on the morning would send me up the wall so realistically it needs to be traditional shutters that I can just fold out the way to clean and fold back,

We absolutely love our shutters and haven't regretted them for a minute. BUT we only have them on the downstairs bay window and on the large, but single, window on the landing that overlooks our neighbour's driveway. I had them done about 5 years ago so the cost was a lot less but it was still a shock . I think we paid about £1500.

That's a very long winded way of saying that if you CAN afford it, I would absolutely do it.

The other option is a “bottom up” blind- a roller blind that comes up from the bottom (the strings go upwards and onto pulleys)

you could get a sheer white linen one (maximum light) and use curtains as well at night (for privacy).

I love my shutters and don’t regret them at all but yes, they are extortionate. We literally did one window at a time as and when we could afford them until the whole of the front of the house was done

Had our shutters fitted 18 years ago, still look as good as new, no regrets and would consider in our next house.

I’m very happy with mine, no regrets. they’re very flexible, nice and clean, no dusty curtains, and no annoying bay curtain rail.

I think maybe you could shop around but we absolutely love our shutters. They are the best thing we have done to the house. So easy and it feels lovely to shut the outside away. We have all of the front done but will continue with the back/side as and when we can afford it!

No regrets here, have had the whole house done, not a curtain in sight!
Didn’t do them with a view to adding any value to the house, not everyone likes them and someone might move in here after us and have them ripped out, we had them fitted because we hate curtains and they just look neat and tidy, easy to keep really clean and ‘go’ with every decor really because they’re very plain and simple.
They cost a lot for the whole house to be done with some very big windows in some rooms but it was money well spent for us.

We have these and I really like them - they're white and let light through. We usually have the top half down and keep the bottom up for privacy.

Shutters are timeless.. and add so much character. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

I love shutters and have had them in my last three homes. But you negotiate heavy on the price! I’ve used Thomas Sanderson a few times and they come in with X price, then there’s the ‘manager’s special’, the ‘we’re in the area today’ discount, the ‘if you sign today’ incentive… after all usual are exhausted and it’s near what you feel is fair I always ask for another 5-10% off. Always works.

Our quote is from TS - they supposedly gave us 40% off (I did laugh out loud)

I’ve been trying to convince myself I can live with nice wooden blinds with the thick ribbon but i think it’ll bother me forever.

i also cannot for the life of me understand why they cost so much?! Is there something I’m missing about the making of them which is so costly?

We found Sanderson were 3x the price of a local, independent business. They all use the same factories in China. It’s exactly the same product. I’d advise you to shop around.

We had shutters fitted on our front windows in a Victorian terrace. We have two windows at the front - one up, one down - and had them fitted about 3 years ago. We used a local company and they worked out about £1500 all in. Luckily our next door neighbours had them fitted before us and had done all the research with the various companies and so recommended the company.

It was one of the best decisions we have made. Great for adjusting light and for privacy as we’re on a main road as well.

Privacy film is a nightmare to apply (unless you have the patience of a saint), but brilliant for privacy in the day-time. Unfortunately, if you switch your lights on in the evenings, people can see straight through the film and into the house.

That's where the shutters come in handy! Yes, they're expensive, but they're brilliant for both privacy and insulation. They're also brilliant if, like me, you have trouble sleeping when it's light outside. I would recommend Shutterly Fabulous, if they cover your area, as they measure up, supply and fit your shutters for you.

Thanks all. We’ve booked and paid, @TheeNotoriousPIG sold it RE daytime sleeping- hubby is a nightshift worker so that’s pipped it to the post over alternatives.

do any of you layer with a curtain? I do like a soft furnishing option.

Are they a nightmare to clean?

I love mine, but will say if you have cats don’t get them in your bedroom, the noise of them trying to open them at night is awful! For that reason when we move I’ll get them in living spaces but not bedrooms