Changing the colour of our windows to not match neighbours

[Goldiefawn]

We live in a road with a huge variety of houses all built at different times - we have modern semis, older detached, new build terraces - all completely different. We live in a semi built in 1982 along with 6 other houses all in the same brick colour and window colour. The neighbours have all updated their windows but retained the same brown colour of frame. We hate the brown windows and need to change all of our windows, doors, soffits, fashias and guttering now. The brown colour is more expensive than the white that we want. We own our house and dont really want to spend such a large amount on something we don't like.
Are we bu to choose what we like? Would you be annoyed as neighbours if someone did this?

Who would even notice?!

I couldn't even begin to describe how little I'd care if one of my neighbours changed window colour...

No I wouldn't be annoyed.

I think you have to get planning permission.

However you can get frames that are brown on the outside but white on the inside, if that helps?

YANBU. I also hate brown windows. We're just having our exterior redone and have opted for white woodwork while our neighbours (we're end of terrace) all have black but I think white will look better and anyway, it's better than the rotten Windows we have at the moment.

You never know, if you change yours maybe they'll all realise white looks far better and start to follow suit.

We live on a street of all brown Windows and it would look weird if we did ours white. Instead we have done white on the inside and brown on the outside. Worked really well.

IMHO go with white

Its none of your neighbours' business what you decide to do. If they don't like its their problem.

Personally I don't like the brown frames popular in the 1980s so I would probably go for white too. My neighbours have painted their house a colour I don't like, that I don't think suits the style of house (period property) but I appreciate it is their choice and none of my business!

Thank you for your replies. We have brown outside with white insides atm.
Would we really need planning permission? That hadn't occurred to me!
Someone said to me that we could replace ours with brown and one of the neighbours do theirs in white and that would be annoying! Trying to please people unnecessarily.

Why do you need planning permission to change the colour of your windows frames? People do it all the time around here. I did it at my old house, went from brown to white. There's a few on my current street that have got grey and some with cream recently.

Just do it. I never even considered the neighbours.

I know it's our house and we can do what we please, but I just don't want to ruin the look of our little row of houses. But I also hate the windows and it's such an expense to buy something I don't like. Maybe we will start a trend and they all change to white?!

I think it can look messy but, brown frames are so horrid, I'd want everyone else to change to white.

I think I'm over sensitive as we have had vocal neighbours before regarding changes we have made - removing a hedge at the front, replacing a fence on a slope leaving an inch gap underneath etc which all seemed really petty. I just don't like confrontation!

You would only need planning permission if the house was listed or you were in a conservation area I think

We were informed we needed planning permission to change the colour, and we live on a big standard 70s estate - definitely not a conservation area!

Can you find any kind of online tool where you can upload a photograph or photoshop your window frames to give you a better idea of the overall look?

You don't need planning permission as new windows usually fall under permitted development rights. Check you aren't in a conservation area though.

You do need building regs unless your fitter is Fensa registered. If they are Fensa registered, you will not need to go through building regs. They will sort a certificate for you.

I did exactly what you suggested, very recently OP. I LOATHED the brown/faux mahogany frames and switched them to white.

They look a million times better, inside and out and they don't look odd next to our neighbours, at all.

I couldn't even begin to describe how little I'd care if one of my neighbours changed window colour...
^this

You might find you start a trend. We changed our pathetic and tiny front wall, when someone ran into it and knocked it down, to a hedge. Our neighbor in our matching terraced houses were not that happy (to be fair they share the front garden with us - but wanted us to pay for a new wall). A couple of years on and another neighbor has done the same.

Ok thanks all - will go for it - white is cheaper and will look better on its own - here's hoping the neighbours will follow suit!

Windows are a permitted development, and don't fall under planning permission, unless you live in a listed building or conservation area. This tends to apply to heritage buildings with beautiful sash windows, though!

Also, check that your house doesn't have a covenant - this can be found in the deeds to your home, and details any restrictions to changes made to the property.

The options for replacing are much better nowadays, with 'wood effect uPVC' frames that don't look like plastic - see the attached colours from the Elitis range.

If you just want to change the colour but not the frames, it's also possible to re-spray the frames a new colour: www.procoatingsonsite.co.uk/

If I were you, though, I would definitely get rid of the brown!!

Go for it! A friend of mine has replaced her brown frames with white - it looks fab, completely transformed the look of her house. And she can't believe how much lighter her house is inside.

Your neighbours might be v jealous but hey!

You absolutely don't need planning permission - my next door neighbour has hideous brown windows and we have white.

Go for it. And tell them to wind their necks in.

We changed ours in our last house. Within a couple of years almost all the neighbours had followed suit - far better looking and brighter too!