How to get over decision fatigue and get new windows?

[WonderingAboutThus]

Almost two years in our new house. New roof, new balcony, new electricity, asbestos out, toilet renovated.

We need new windows. We have the renovation loan. We have had the guy come and do measurements.

... but we are at an impasse because I have just hit the wall and I cannot do it anymore. My decision-making capacity is tapped out. I don't know what colour to pick for the frames, and I don't know how to snap out of it.

We had the money to have them done last fall already but I couldn't face it then either (we were still renovating others parts of the house), so we paid a winter of higher-than-necessary utility bills. I don't want that to happen again next winter because the windows still haven't been replaced! But... how do I snap myself out of this decision fatigue?

My DH can't take over this part, he does half the mental burden of everything and half the work and he is as tapped out as me.

Can chatgpt or Claude help you make the decisions? Upload photos, quotes and options then ask it for the best recommendation.

I know how you feel, although I don’t have a partner to bounce ideas off.

Do the window frames need to be coloured? Can you go with whatever they were before?
ETA: Can you think of it as ‘this house has x colour window frames, that is the colour that belongs to the house, it is not our place to change it’

Would you consider posting a picture of the front or front and back of your house and I or other posters might be able to help?

Assuming you are talking wood frames. Off white is timeless, just need the right undertones for your bricks/render. Grey/green always looks smart but is a bit of a dated look now. What do other similar homes in you area have and what works to your eye, what doesn’t and why?

Can you drive or walk round your local area and take pics of all the houses similar to yours with different window types. Then start sorting those photos. Kick out the most hated ones. Put the remainder in order. Kick out the bottom one. Then review that order the next day. Continue until the order doesn't change or only one is left!

I love these ideas and will try and take a picture later when I am home.

I like the idea of "this house has these windows". Unfortunately it was aluminium (so silver) and now it will have to be PVC so I think I do have to pick something.

It's complicated because the house has two colours.

But thank you for your replies, I feel better already that I have lovely people helping me. Might get this done after all!

If it helps, I much prefer white frames to the coloured ones. If you have a modern house especially. I'd do the neighbourhood walk as PP suggests. That's how I chose my front door colour. Too much choice makes things harder, I find.

It's really not complicated. Just pick white PVC and have done with it.

Agreed we need to see your house and we can help!

I got a slightly off whiteupvc from residence collection which I am happy with for what it’s worth.

Or if your immediate response to this is 'Ew, no!' then you have some idea of what kind of windows you'd like!

I don't know, OP, this is a bit mad. We just finished a kitchen extension before Christmas, and the one thing it left me with is retrospective amusement about how much we sweated minor decisions at the beginning. By the end we were just going 'This flooring, these cabinets, those tiles!' without a second thought.

Decision fatigue in renovations is real but is this a decision that actually deserves brain space or can you just go with the default option ie standard white?

Two identical red brick houses in our street have had double story extensions and fully refurbished. The first one has put in white PVC windows and they suit the house (1950s). The second one has put in dark grey PVC which look terrible against the red brick .
there is also a refurbished house around the corner which has been fully rendered on the outside and painted white. They have put in dark grey windows which look good against the white render .

@WonderingAboutThusnot to make this any harder, but windows can make or break the look of a property! It really is a considered purchase!

Do they have a showroom or a place you can go and look at samples? You might just get a gut feel for something. I've got flush sash upvc in cream (ral 9001) which look lovely but I wouldn't have chosen them if I hadn't seen them in the flesh.

Thank you all so much. I wrote back, said I wanted the closest thing to what we currently have (white), and confirmed that we wanted to accept their quote.

SORTED.

You were right, I was overthinking it. Just paralysed with the thousands of decisions.

Now my windows will be done before next winter for sure.

THANK YOU.

Well done!

It is a double edged sword that we have so much choice these days.

We had the same. Went for wooden ones in end and love them