Inspired to replace my windows - go local or national?

[NinaRose]

I was inspired by a recent thread on single vs double glazing and decided to get some quotes in for the replacement of our windows. Have had a small local company and one of the big national ones round to quote. Small one is yet to provide their quote but I was impressed by the national one's quality (saw samples of their windows) and guarantees. Their quote, however, was mega£££. I suspect the local one may come a lot lower.

However, we are planning on staying in this house for a while and hence price is not the only consideration in our decision, a 30 year guarantee really appeals to me. The local firm will guarantee their work, too, but for a lesser period (10 years) and if they go out of business (which I guess is more likely than the national one that has been going for a long time) the guarantee will have little value.

How much haggle room is there nowadays in glazing prices? The national company's sales rep was not in the least pushy and overall a pleasant chap, and I wonder whether it would be worth trying to get their quote down a bit but how?

And for reference, what would be a reasonable price for a big double glazed Victorian sash in hardwood timber?

Definitely local, I never trust someone that quotes 7k then eventually goes down to 2.5k (National company after a very long sale process). We got local company in 2.2k straight off, came down £50 if we paid fitters cash.

Try a local company, some people seem too scared to use an independent company and think if they use a large national company like Anglian windows they will be protected and get a good product/service.
My friend was like this and lets just say she regrets using Anglian windows, she used a large local company the 2nd time and had no problem and saved a fair amount.
I use a local 3 man company and get brilliant service and pay a very good price.

Local independent, but ask around for recommendations, and choose one that has been around for a few years and has a real-life address that you can look at, not an accomodation address, and a landline telephone number with a local code.

Not just a website and a mobile number.

You can look up companies on www.companieshouse.gov.uk and the basic report showing date of incorporation, directors names etc is free. Well worth doing. Companies that go out of business owing money, and restart the next day with a similar name, can be spotted.

Go local - but largish local. And check that they are FENSA registered. If you can stand the hard sell it's worth getting a larger firm in, as it gives you a bench mark for cost (and it's very funny watching them bring down the price 'as long as you sign today', then phoning up next week to offer a better deal).

Go local and get recommendations from neighbours.

Find out who your local window manufacturers are so largish local independents. They will be the most competitive but you still need to haggle them down. My builder sourced my glazing from a local manufacturer/supplier (whom I had already received quotes from in the past when I was considering sourcing it directly myself) . The major lesson from that experience was that as an individual, even with a house with 4 x the windows of the average house, there was no way I had the same haggling power as my builder who used them for ALL his projects. Keep that in mind when you are haggling.

Try local joiners for wood windows if they are Victorian sash. UPVC or wood will probably cost you far more than energy saved. If you have traditional windows I'd try and refurbish them first.

To be honest,in don't think the guarantees are worth the paper they are written on. I know of no uPVC window that has lasted 30 years either....

I would also say local. There seem to be thousands of window companies (in my area anyway) so perhaps go for one with a long trading history and yes, good reputation.
I like to know not ust that all went well - but did they come back to fix problems that were discovered months later.

Local. We found our window company on Checkatrade. We got quotes from a few local companies, there was no hard sell and the job was done really well.

I have always used small local companies with good reputations and years of experience and been pleased with the results. They can be contacted and available to sort out any problems.

I go for ones with low outgoings, no expensive showrooms, or fancy salesmen or fleets of vans which ultimately the customer pays for in the end price.

why not international? wooden sash windows can be much cheaper on the continent. ... (most uk cie gets their windows from abroad, just ask the provenance when you ask for a quote).

I would just like to warn everyone in this situation against using Anglian Windows, AKA Anglian Home Improvements. Some people say their product is good, maybe it is, but their customer service is appalling. Once they've got their hands on your substantial deposit they will treat you like you an insignificant hindrance to the important business they are involved in. Insignificant, in the sense they don't return phone calls as they promise to, or respond to letters, and a hindrance, in the sense that they will make you feel like you are getting in the way.

If you feel you must go with them please agree a timescale for the work and have it written down on their official documentation and signed by both you and them. Make sure it is written down that 'time is of the essence' and if the work is not started or completed within your timescales you are entitled to cancel without penalty and receive your deposit back in full. Otherwise they will fit you in at their convenience which may be many many months after you have your survey. Unfortunately, many people are wary of small window businesses (with good reason at times) so they go with a big company that has been around a while, so Anglian do seem to struggle with doing the installations in a timely fashion.

And they will break the contract with impunity, thinking you won't read it, or you won't understand it, or you won't have the confidence to go against them, which is probably true in many cases. But if you try to pull out of the contract, even if you are able to according to the contract, they will come down on you like a tonne of bricks when their offers of discounts fail to woo you back.

I would just advise you to proceed with caution if you want to use them, and ideally make sure you have a lawyer family member or friend to hold your hand along the way.

NinaRose - I was just thinking about this and looking online after the other thread. As another poster said checkatrade might list companies local to you. I try to go with local recommendations as its always worked out well for other services. Try Mumsnet local or a local Facebook group of you have one.