Buying advice

Extending house, need new doors and windows and thinking of either ordering PVCU windows/doors either online or from local or national company.

Need some advice please............

Online prices seem much lower?

Looking for reasonable quality, internally glazed etc....

You get what you pay for. I wouldn't buy windows online for the simple reason you dont know what you're getting for your money.

What profile are they supplying and what security features do their windows have?

National companies make their money buy selling finance packages and probably won't sell windows on a supply only basis.

Are you thinking of fitting the windows yourself? If so, you'll need a FENSA certificate which can only be issued by a FENSA registered company AFTER they have fitted the windows. Or you can spend £400+ for a certificate from your local building control office which states that yours windows and doors comply with Doc L (Assuming that they do?).
Apparently "the powers that be" can actually stop you from selling your house in the future if you fail to do this.

If I were you I'd find a local reputable (Private) window company for advice.

Fitting your own windows and doors on the cheap has become a right pain in the backside. You need certificates for everything these days.

I guess you fit the windows and keep quiet, when you sell, you say the windows were fitted before 2002, i don't think it will prevent a sale.

If you fit replacement windows/doors the work is notifyable unless you use a FENSA registered company. If you DIY, inform you need to submit a Building Notice to your Local Council (LABC) who will inspect & issue you with a Certificate of Compliance; LABC do not issue FENSA certificates. The chage for this service is around £100 not the £400 stated by Glassman (where did you get that from?).

There is nothing to prevent you DIY fitting your windows but unless you’ve done it before, the cock up factor & agro may not be worth the £50 -£70 extra per window you will pay a decent local (FENSA) company to supply & fit; especially if you install incorrectly or start breking glass units!
Buying advice; use small local companies not large nationals; get at least 3 quotes & make sure your comparing like with like & read through the the archive posts, I did a rather long one around 3 years ago about buying windows.

wolfman1 said:

I guess you fit the windows and keep quiet, when you sell, you say the windows were fitted before 2002, i don't think it will prevent a sale.

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That’s really bad advice; apart from the fact that most glass units have the date in them & even if they don’t, you would have a pretty difficult job convincing any surveyor those new windows were over 7 years old & the onus will be on you to prove it, not the other way around. Changes to HIPS as from April 2009 have also tightened up procedures & virtually now rule out indemnity insurance. You WILL need either a certificate of compliance or a FENSA certificate for the windows/doors when you come to sell up or you WILL have problems.

I think this is rubbish, i didn't have to prove to anyone when my windows were fitted, despite the EPC man thinking they were post 2002, i just said no they weren't and no one else was bothered, i have just sold in the last few weeks, honestly is anyone really that bothered and is your buyer really going to worry, i'm buying a house at this time, the windows have been replaced, owners represetative says she doesn't know when, i don't care and no one else is bothered, so who would look so closely to the date, and if some one did, what is the real effect this would have?
Bad advice it may be, but i doubt any real come back.

wolfman1 said:

I think this is rubbish,

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You may think its rubbish & I may even agree with you but it’s factual; you just appear to have got away with it.

wolfman1 said:

i didn't have to prove to anyone when my windows were fitted, despite the EPC man thinking they were post 2002, i just said no they weren't and no one else was bothered, i have just sold in the last few weeks,

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As I said, I think you were lucky but you’ve lied on your HIPS questionnaire; this could have future consequences if you get found out!

wolfman1 said:

honestly is anyone really that bothered and is your buyer really going to worry,

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The buyer may not be bothered their solicitor should be as he requires a “Certificate of Title” to get the lenders cash released, he can’t do this if any of the relevant paperwork is missing. Without this, the lenders Bank or Building Society are increasingly reluctant to advance the purchase money if unauthorised building work is suspected. But, as we know, you’ve lied on your HIPS questionnaire.

wolfman1 said:

i'm buying a house at this time, the windows have been replaced, owners represetative says she doesn't know when, i don't care and no one else is bothered,

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I would be bothered if a new window installation in a house I was buying had been bodged & it could potentially cost me thousands of £££ to put right. There are, of course, many certified crap window companies around but at least you may have some comeback through the registration body. Equally there are many excellent DIY installations, it’s not rocket science & not that difficult but for the sake of a 110 quid & to save the chance of any hassle, why would you not follow procedure & get a compliance certificate.

wolfman1 said:

so who would look so closely to the date, and if some one did, what is the real effect this would have?

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A surveyor acting either for the lender or the buyer themselves; the energy assessor completing the energy survey for HIPS which you now have to have complete putting the property on the market. This is a specific question on the questionnaire & getting found out in a lie in the future could mean you’re liable to civil courts action where your buyer could claim significant damages by way of a reduction on the purchase price.

wolfman1 said:

Bad advice it may be, but i doubt any real come back.

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Potentially there is; you’ve been lucky but not everyone will be.

You misunderstand, i didn't lie, the windows were fitted before i even bought the house, but i didn't have to prove it.
As for the one i am buying, i am sure the windows were fitted many years ago any way, fensa certificate means virtually nothing if company disappears (other half is working a case at the moment).
Compliance doesn't guarantee quality.
I admit. I don't like regulations, especially ones with no meaningful purpose, things that take away our rights to make our own decisions etc. most of these are designed in a way that costs the general public money and serve no purpose what so ever. Take the hip for instance, the epc is very vague, the searches end up out of date (and you have to pay again or take out insurance) the questionaire you would do anyway and the title docs are there for anyone to see.
As for the compliance certificate, if i was replacing one window then £110 would be a lot to pay.