The Cost Of Double Glazed Sash Windows

It depends… But if you’re rushed for time skip to the bottom of the page.

Like most consumers you’ll be approaching your window purchase with your own goals and needs. So let’s start by asking

What’s the reason for investing in your sash windows?

• Is it because you can feel the cold breeze against your back as you sit near the window in your favourite reading spot?
• Has your conversation with your shaken neighbour about her break-in left you wondering about your own home security?
• Are you about to renovate and create the home you’ve dreamt of?
• Will your rotten windows block the sale of your home?
• Can your children hear the loud obscene language of the drunk pub goers at the kebab shop across the street at 1am? Or is the never ending wurrrrrr of London traffic giving you sleepless nights?
• This the last straw! Are you tired of the cost of maintaining your windows every 3 years? Is the headache of arranging for a decorator and scaffolding to be put up around your house every 3 years when you have a million other more important things going on in your life looming on you?

When investing in new windows (to a lesser extent when repairing) have many options available to you and each will improve one aspect of your life. It depends which one, or more than one, of the points above really matter in your life.

• Innovative draught seals can stop that breeze.
• New lock systems can hold back those burglars. Disclaimer: It’s highly recommended to have a security system in place to deter any would-be burglar.
• Beautifully spray finished windows can invigorate your home whilst keeping the original character.
• Newly installed windows and the accompanying FENSA certificate will make your home sale smoother.
• Acoustic double glazing can dull the noise of cars and people outside.
• Newly engineered timber materials can drastically increase the time between paint coats – in some cases up to 10 years!

Just like when buying a car, you can incorporate additional features on a base model at an additional cost to create a truly bespoke window. Once you’ve decided on this you’d need to ask yourself…

How will the sash window be constructed?

Construction and material play a big roll in the initial cost too. In an ideal world every business would produce the highest quality product, at the lowest price and delivered next day but we all understand that’s not how it works.

Cheap & Fast!

If you’re looking for cheap windows and a quick turnaround then you can’t expect the highest quality. This will mean that your window will likely have;

1. A high maintenance cost over the coming years (you’d need to repaint them often)
2. Have problems with the functionality.
3. Not look like the original sash windows in terms of style and will typically be much thicker as large scale automated window manufacturing lines need thicker material to operate without skilled workers.

Quality Craft

In contrast if you’re looking for the highest quality window possible with the little to no maintenance over the years, long guarantees from a company that’s been in business for a while, great customer service and aftercare then you’d expect to wait a little longer and have a higher cost.

There’s no right answer and there’s a huge scale from the bottom to the top so you’ll need to do your own research and find which values mean the most to you.

Design of the Window

Last point, remember that the design of the window is important, features like arches, glazing bars and bespoke mouldings make a big difference.

So, how much does a sash window cost?

Answer: It depends… but here’s a rough guide.

Disclaimer: The prices below are based on my own 8 years of experience and should be taken with a pinch of salt. Also, they don’t include the cost of installation but that needs a whole article of its own. All prices are based on current estimates when writing this in 2021 and include VAT.

Timber sash window costs

£600-£900 is about as low as they go.

£900-£1,200 is when you’d start seeing a window that isn’t quite as thick and is more in keeping with traditional British windows.

£1,200-£1,500 is the range of a higher quality base window

£1,500-£2,200 is on the higher end of the spectrum and typically includes quite a lot of the key benefits along with a low maintenance cost.

£2,200+ is rare and would likely be a high spec window along with a level of difficulty that makes it labour intensive to make.

I hope this was helpful, especially if you’ve not had much experience with replacing sash windows remember with this information you can discuss your specific needs with a company’s sales rep.

If you’d like more information visit our blog where we go into much greater detail about many of the points raised above.