How to curtain a newbuild from scratch?

[ThePug]

We’re (hopefully) exchanging on a newbuild in the next couple of weeks with completion due pre Christmas. We’re moving from a 2 bed period flat to a 5 bed detached house and the sheer number of windows and doors (inc big bay windows and two sets of bifold doors) that need curtains/blinds is stressing me out! None of our current curtains will be suitable to reuse.

We’re rubbish at DIY (and have 2 small children, plus dog) so I’m hoping to get somebody to install the curtain poles, curtains and blinds for us. The developers have said we can’t do anything before completion so going to have to try to book someone to come soon after. And I’m therefore thinking it’ll be cheaper to get them all done at the same time.

Just wondering whether I’d be better going to a national firm like Hillary’s or a local curtain maker with presumably separate handyman to fit the poles? Or go to ikea/Dunelm etc and hope they have suitable sizes then just pay someone to put them up?

I also have zero idea how much to budget for this - I want to do it once, nicely rather than buy cheaply and replace but equally don’t need luxury super expensive fabrics.

Has anyone done similar and can give any advice?

I'm a lowly woman and complete diy novice. Curtain poles, tracks and blinds are the easiest to install honestly. If it's a new build they've likely already put batons above the windows to fix any curtain poles to.
I personally like blinds (i have wooden) plus decorative curtains, you could pick a pale neutral or wooden blind/shutter the same each room and either install or get a company in. This offers privacy and light control and means you don't have to pick the curtains just yet.

Made to measure bedroom curtains 225 x 225 from John Lewis were £200 - blackout lining incorporated and engaged handy man to fix baton and pole.

I can recommend this company in Basingstoke here.

We bought a 5 bed place with no curtains just after I had had a baby. They came out to me with sample materials and did the whole lot for us from curtains to blinds.

We splashed out on made to measure curtains for our first house bay window in the lounge, it was £350 and they were nothing special, waste of money in my opinion, much nicer fabrics and choice ready made.

Blinds to go do amazing quality, affordable blinds that you can easily put up yourself (no cutting to size like blinds you buy in shops) but to be honest our local blind shop charges about same price and fit them for free (we've paid about £40 per large window for black outs) so we've said we'll just go with that in future as it's quick and easy.

A handyman round our way will cost around £80 a day and I'm sure they'd get all your curtain poles up in a day, like you it's easy enough to do but a faff, it's always taken at least an hour to fit a curtain pole when we've done it ourselves. If you've got say 8-10 rooms to do that's a long time!

But unless you've got money to burn don't rush it, as it depends on how you want to decorate, you may have to re do all again.

Get a local person , much cheaper or measure the windows and order from blinds to go and pay a handyman to fit .

Oh lots more replies, thank you.
Sadly we have no family local (not that any of them are particularly handy!) and with two little ones underfoot I can just imagine the arguments DH and I would have trying to get curtain poles up straight etc! I’ll almost certainly pay a handyman to come and fit them, which is why I think it’d make sense to get as many ready to do at once as possible.

As soon as we’ve exchanged I think I’ll go and measure every window, then order something suitable online for the main rooms. Complicating factor is we could be completing anything up to 20th December so might be difficult getting anybody out

I’d get curtain poles up (wider than you think if you haven’t done it before) then order cheap but lined curtains online. Made to measure if you have unusual sized windows or amazon otherwise.

A local curtain maker will often have a fitter (my mum owns a business making curtains, blinds and soft furnishings, and has an experienced fitter on staff, who will measure up, install poles and tracks and dress in curtains).