Flush fit vs Stormshield windows

[mynamechangemyrules]

I’ve had a national salesman type double glazing man round and then a locally based double glazing man round. National one recommended (or only offered) stormshield or what I would say are ‘normal’ UPVC windows where the window which opens is fatter around the frame than the others.
Local firm has to deal with our area strict regs on historic properties and so offers a range including flush fit which look all the same whether they open or not and look more like the windows my house would have had originally (it has old crap 70s DG at the moment).

I haven’t had the full pricing from the local firm but his initial estimate is double the national firm. He did say flush fit adds 8% so I suppose I could get their price down by making it also stormshield upvc.

but now I can’t ‘unsee’ that the stormshield ones look so clunky and plonked on to our little old houses and flush fit look like the original wooden ones (but with higher safety and insulation rating than the others).

I need another adult to decide for me 😆 I get too in my head about large decisions like this and my kids aren’t really interested in the discussion. I asked one friend whose house is lovely about it and she said ‘you never look at your own windows once they’re in’. Which is true. So the cheaper ones..?!

I don’t know the specific makes, but when we replaced the old double glazing on our house, we had ones in the style of what would have been the original 2 over 2 sash windows. And when they were installed they were set into the original sash boxes, so the outer part of the frame is hidden. They’re also set back , so they’re flush with the inside wall not the outside one - so like the 19th century house it is rather than a new build.
I’m probably not be describing it very well. But our next door neighbour on the same terrace,
so same style house etc had his old dg windows replaced, his were just put into the existing gap. So there is a big thick frame round the outside which reduces the window area. I expect we paid more for ours as the installation was more work (and caused more disruption inside the house. A small amount of re plastering and repainting was needed where the window had been put in). They were also more expensive because they swivel so you can clean them from the inside.

You could also look for another quote, now you are more aware of options, and see how it compares.

I had a larger, but local, business quote. They had a factory and made their own but also a showroom and salesmen.
(So more profit margin on the actual windows but higher overheads due to the showroom etc).

I also had a very small local business. The bloke & 1 employee did all the quote visits and fitting, his sister did all the quite paperwork, liaising and office work. No business premised. They brought in their windows.
(Less profit margin on the windows but minimal overheads).

The quotes were within a few hundred of each other so basically the same given the overall cost.

Both very well regarded in the local area, I went with the smaller one mainly because they seemed more interested in what I wanted, options etc.