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Original poster

Double glazing/central heating

18 replies

JumpingJackSprat · 22/09/2013 10:47

DP and I live in a 2 bed house, and at the moment wondering whether it would make a massive amount of difference in value to the house to install double glazing and central heating compared to the cost of doing so. We are getting someone round for a quote for double glazing but they aren't coming for a couple of weeks - has anyone got any experience of having to make this decision and how much it could end up costing us? We had the house valued last year before we did some minor improvements to it, and other houses in the area with central heating and double glazing are around the same as ours was valued at - unfortunately DP didn't ask the estate agent what it might be worth with these things installed!

Does the lack of central heating and double glazing really make a house hard to sell?

OP posts:
QueenBoudicea · 22/09/2013 10:51

Not having central heating would put me off buying somewhere. Double glazing not so much.
I'd rather have both though :o

nightshade · 22/09/2013 11:01

may not raise the value but would help with the selling. unless a house was a complete doer upper, I wouldn't buy without central heating.

peggyundercrackers · 22/09/2013 11:02

we bought a house with neither however the house was nearly derelict and needed everything so it wasn't a big deal. However if I went look a house and it was walk in apart from windows and heating it would make me think twice as I wouldn't want to deal with the mess and redecorating. If it needed redecorating then I wouldn't mind doing it as long as price was right.

DG isn't a lot of money - we were £3k for 9 windows which were 800x2000 and that was fitted.

TallulahBetty · 22/09/2013 12:24

We bought a house with no central heating (otherwise perfect) and had it put it. It's not recouped its value now we're selling, but we couldn't have cope without it while we've been here.

TallulahBetty · 22/09/2013 12:24

Put in

specialsubject · 22/09/2013 12:44

it doesn't recoup value for many years, but makes the place a) nicer to live in and b) more saleable.

DG salesmen deserve their reputation so choose with great care.

MrsTaraPlumbing · 22/09/2013 13:37

Get at least 3 quotes for both if not more.
You will have to give a deposit but window companies seem to go out of business often so try to give deposit close to installation date.
I think it will hep sell the house - you could just ind your house hard to sell without.
You migt be looking at a little less than £4,000 for central heating - may be £3k - heating should all be installed at one time and if you can only afford one or the other i would invest in heating.
Windows, on the other hand, you can do bit by bit, window by window. With budget and selling in mind if you could afford to I would at least get front of house done.

BrownSauceSandwich · 22/09/2013 14:40

Totally agree about the saleability. I wouldn't worry about buying a house without DG, but I would expect serious money knocked off one that didn't have CH... Be aware that the estate agent might not have considered that in their estimate.

LilMissSunshine9 · 22/09/2013 16:08

I agree with most people here. I bought my house and it didn't have double glazing but has central heating - didn't bother me that the windows weren't done because the house was fab but if it didn't have heating I would not have paid what I paid.

Original poster
JumpingJackSprat · 22/09/2013 17:27

thanks everyone - we arent looking to stay in the house more than a year or two so we wont see any physical benefit to having this put in now so i think thats what put us off spending the money. its not a doer upper ... its pretty much a move straight in.

OP posts:
ShatnersBassoon · 22/09/2013 17:31

I agree with those saying that it would put me off unless it was tip of the iceberg type stuff. If it was all that needed doing, the thought of the upheaval and hassle of redecorating etc would bother me.

OliviaBenson · 22/09/2013 17:34

Central heating is a must for me. It's quite a lot of work to put in, and so to me, the decoration could be really nice, but I'd just be thinking that it wouldn't matter as it would have to be redone after installing CH.

Windows, if they are period windows such as sashs, it would actually put me off if they were replaced.

aggyfurboots · 23/09/2013 08:58

Can i ask how you heat the place? Is it an old house?

PigletJohn · 23/09/2013 09:40

Is there something wrong with the existing windows?

Or do you just like plastic?

Original poster
JumpingJackSprat · 23/09/2013 19:08

they arent sash windows or anything special and theyre drafty. the window frames are wood and need some attention. we have storage heaters but they dont work - electrician is coming to have a look at them in a week or two. we have a gas fire in the main room and we have some convector heaters which we use mainly at the weekends. it does get pretty cold!

OP posts:
PigletJohn · 23/09/2013 23:59

if it was me, I would try to find a competent local joiner to look at the existing windows (assuming they are wood) and weigh up the cost of new draughtstrip and paint, possibly replacing any damaged hinges or catches, and compare it to the cost of a heap of ugly plastic.

if you have storage heaters that don't work at all it might be that someone has smothered them in clothes or washing, causing them to overheat and the fusible link to melt. Domestic electricians are usually familiar with that, it happens most often in rental homes.

steppemum · 24/09/2013 00:23

I am not sure you will get your money back, but your house will definitely be easier to sell if you do one or both. (heating priority for me)

As to ''heap of ugly plastic'' windows. That really depends on the house. Victorian terrace, plastic double glazing is a disadvantage, and looks wrong.
1960 housing estate, probably what buyers are looking for. People are snobbish about them, but in certain houses, they are what buyers want.

Easiest way to tell is to look round at the other houses in the street. See who has what, and what looks right.

For a buyer, heating is much more disruptive to install that windows. Windows can be done without even needing to repaint.

If you do get windows done, ask your neighbours who did theirs (within last 5 years) and go with a recommendation.

WafflyVersatile · 24/09/2013 00:27

Which would you rather have for the next couple of years until you move?

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