Replacing windows in older house-WWYD?

[Thehoardernextdoor]

Our house is quite big (7 bedrooms), built in 1912 in Victorian style with timber windows, mostly sash. They mostly have secondary double glazing which is a pain anyway but in winter the house is freezing and the gas bill is enormous. Several of the windows need replacing. We couldn't possibly afford to have them all done at once so my dilemma is whether to start replacing the timber windows with uPVC or stick to timber and all the issues with maintenance, energy costs etc. we will be downsizing in the not too distant future so my question is what would you prefer if you were to buy my house- timber (which is obviously more aesthetically pleasing) or uPVC for practicality? (Actually it will probably be a mixture unless we win the lottery in the meantime).

Mooncupgoddess it was I Foster and Sons.

flow4, rats, I'm in Buckinghamshire! Oh well, back to the drawing board...

flow4 I am in South Derbyshire (between Nottingham and Derby)

Were looking at ours at the moment. We have a large double cronted victorian house in Worcestershire. No way could i consider PVC, its would break my heart....and in terms of re-sale....i think it would put buyers off. Weve been quoted just short of £10k plus vat to replace the inner sashes with 14mm double glazed sashes (keep the existing outer frames) thats for 28 window panes. Its still very expensive as they will then need painting as well (another £2k). Dont think the green deal is a goer as you have to use certain companies and this is a small local timber company.

That seems like a very good price Angie! We looked at green deal fr ours- the restoration company were looking into becoming accredited, but we decided just to use our savings anyway. Will be replacing horrible 1960s windows with timbers sash's- couldn't even consider uPVC!

I have to say (going back on my original post slightly) that timber does look better for sashes. Although our house is 1910, it never had sash windows so I don't think upvc is so out of keeping.

I think it's difficult when your house isn't in that posh an area (ours isn't either) and you'll never get the money back on resale. What are the neighbours doing? do their houses sell well?

Immediate neighbours have uPVC -next door sold recently after not too long on the market. But another rather nice Victorian house up the road with original features has been up for sale several times over the last couple of years and still not sold

£10k for 28 panes seems extraordinarily good: I was quoted £8.5k for 8!
I think george is right: in most places, you won't get your money back on resale and wooden windows are not an investment: if you spend the extra money it costs to get them, you have to do it because you want them.

flow in some areas you won't necessarily 'get your money' back on timber but if you use UPVC you will devalue the house on resale.
You need to balance this with the costs.
There is a multi-million pound place near our old house that has been up for sale. It's an area where stuff is snapped up dead quick but this one has been languishing on the Market for ages. Its owned by a former boss of my husband and when they were chatting (because we'd sold ours) he said that the feedback was always about the awful windows that 'his goddamn ex wife' replaced and the decor.
They are awful UPVC and look cheap and nasty and I guess people are put off my the expense of trying to rectify it.

It's a shame because in lots of ways it could be a lovely house and the windows are only a couple of years old (I remember thinking how shit they looked when they went in). He's now trying to sell because of divorce and because he wants the money he's laid out back he's being stubborn about the price which would be fine if you didn't need to do anything to the place.

Re wood vs UPVC - look at what everyone else in the street has done. I'm for wood every time though.

If your games room extension is freezing is it possible the whole thing is badly insulated - windows won't help but if the ceiling, floors and walls are rubbish then replacing the windows isn't going to make a blind bit of difference. If it's an old lean-to or a converted garage it's unlikely to have been built with warmth in mind.

When I rented and couldn't do any insulating i just stapled bubblewrap over the leakiest windows (north facing, huge victorian glass, kids playroom). Helped a lot and the kids really didn't care.

Sounds like it would be a good idea to downsize sooner than later!

If everyone else has done uvpc and they're selling ok, then uvpc isn't going to affect the saleability and vice versa. If you've got a house in an upmarket area then I think you really have to go for wood, but if not it isn't nearly as clear cut.

My sister lives in a Victorian terrace in a midlands city that is worth about £75k. Most of the neighbours are student lets. It would be silly for her to replace her wooden sash windows with wooden double glazing.

quodlibet could you recommend me your firm please? We are looking at options for our windows - currently old wooden sash - we're looking at secondary glazinf vs. refurbishment.
Thanks

Goodword the firm I used don't refurbish or add secondary glazing, they take the old windows out and replace with entirely new hardwood double glazed units. I named them up thread a bit.

Thanks, sorry, missed the name, will have a look.

Our house is edwardian and we have replaced all our windows with UPVC. A good company will advise you on the right type of frame, profile, etc not just stick any old thing in. Our house has stone mullions and lintels which means the windows don't catch the eye as you notice the stone first.

I would not cope with wood now. We did ours in stages, they are now 10-15 years old, need no maintenance and still look good.