Vantage Windows & Conservatories' Up-To-Date News
Move Or Improve
Because the housing market is continuing to stutter along, homeowners are increasingly looking at ways to invest in their properties with a view to living in their existing homes for much longer.
According to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors house sales fell in the second half of 2010 and the Nationwide Building Society has also reported that the demand for mortgages slumped in the last quarter of 2010.
Director, Rodney Grocock says: "Vantage Windows & Conservatories has never been busier because home owners are making the decision not to move but to improve their homes instead. Conservatories to create additional living space are an extremely popular choice and many of our clients are also changing their outdated uPVC windows with a much more modern up-to-date design that includes a high security and an energy efficient specification."
The Benefits of Double Glazing
All properties lose heat through their windows. Installing energy efficient glazing is an effective way of reducing your energy bills and keeping your home warmer and quieter.
The benefits of changing those tired old uPVC windows are:
- Smaller energy bills - replacing all single glazed windows with energy efficient glazing could save your around £135 per year on your energy bills.
- A smaller carbon footprint - by using less fuel, you'll generate less of the carbon dioxide (CO2) that leads to global warming.
- A more comfortable home: energy efficient glazing reduces heat loss through windows and means fewer draughts and cold spots.
- Peace and quiet - as well as keeping the heat in, energy efficient windows insulate your home against unwanted outside noise.
- Reduced condensation: energy efficient glazing reduces condensation build-up on the inside of windows.
Conservatory Facelift
What once was a desirable extension could now be viewed as a bit of an outdated eyesore. Compared with the technology, performance and aesthetic qualities of the modern conservatory, perhaps your conservatory isn't performing as it should. Conservatory refurbishment is becoming a key trend.
Director, Rodney Grocock says: "If you are interested in a conservatory facelift, then please feel free to give me a call and I will arrange to visit your property to advise how Vantage Windows & Conservatories will come up with a solution to upgrade your tired and outdated conservatory with a more modern conservatory that you will be able to enjoy 12 months of the year."
How much more are you willing to pay for an energy efficient home?
At one time saving energy was way down on the list of home owners' priorities. 
This is no longer the case because according to research carried out by the Energy Saving Trust this is changing with home owners/buyers now willing to pay on average £3,350 more for an energy efficient home and, in some cases, up to £15,000 more.
If you are looking to sell your home then you could see a return on your investment of at least £3,350 but, in the meantime, you will be able to enjoy the benefits offered by energy efficient windows, including reduced heating bills and a far more confortable home.
Director, Rodney Grocock says: "With a quarter of heat loss through windows and doors, the long term benefits of replacing your draughty windows and doors is not only an environmentally sound choice but could well prove to be a sound investment for the future."
Selling a House? Don't forget to mention the massive heating bills
According to Ben Webster, Environment Editor writing in The Times on Saturday, 16th April 2011, Estates Agents could be required to display a home's annual average energy bill alongside the purchase price , under a plan by the Government's energy efficiency watchdog to tackle Britain's 13 million poorly insulated homes.
Because the Energy Saving Trust - wants to make it much easier for home buyers to identify homes that are expensive to heat, it is recommending that home energy consumption should be as transparent and easily understood as the miles-per-gallon system for reporting the fuel efficiency of cars. The Energy Trust says that the combined gas and electricity bill for a four-bedroomed house ranges from £700 to £2,300 a year depending on the amount of insulation and the efficiency of the boiler.
Bills are likely to rise substantially to pay for the £200 billion of new energy infrastructure such as nuclear power stations and 10,000 wind turbines, that is needed over the next decade.
The trust is publishing a report this week on how home owners can be persuaded to contribute to reduced emissions and save money by investing in loft and cavity-wall insulation, draught-proofing and new windows and boilers.
More than a quarter (27 per cent) of Britain's carbon dioxide emissions comes from homes.
The Government plans next year to introduce "Green Deal" loans under which the cost of upgrading the energy efficiency of a home would be recouped efficiency of a home would be recouped through reduction in energy bills. The loan would be tied to the house, meaning that responsibility for monthly repayments would pass on to the new owner when it is sold.
The trust believes that home owners need extra incentives to take out these loans. It argues that displaying the cost of energy bills in estate agents' advertisements would prompt sellers to make improvements to keep the figure as low and attractive as possible. Faced with two similar properties, buyers would be more likely to choose the one with the lower bills.
Fraser Winterbottom, the trust's chief operation officer said: "Homes that are up for sale or rent should clearly show on average predicted annual running cost in the same way that new cards display miles per gallon in showrooms.
"It will make energy efficient part of the negotiation between buyer and seller"
Mr Winterbottom said that Energy Performance Certificates, compulsory for homes up for sale, were inadequate because they used A to G rating that was not as easily understood as the average annual bill. "The A to G sytem reslies on quite an educated buyer who knows the system. The information needs to be simpler and much more prominent."
The trust said that 12.8 million homes, half the total, had less than the recommended depth of loft insulation. There were 5.7 million homes with empty cavity walls, 5.3 million homes with uninsulated solid walls and 3.5 million homes with boilers rated G for efficiency, the lowest band.
The time taken to recoup the cost of improvements through savings in energy bills ranged from one year for loft insulation costing £150 to more than 25 years for external solid wall insulation costing £10,500.
The Government is reviewing the information provided to home buyers and is considering making changes to Energy Performance Certificates.
The National Association of Estate Agents doubted whether the Trust's proposal was practical, though, and said that it would be difficult to produce a reliable figure for the average annual energy bill. A spokesman said: "It is difficult to estimate because it depends on a number of variables, including the number of people in the house and which energy supplier is used."
Source: Article written by Ben Webster, Environment Editor, The Times, Saturday, April 16 2011
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk
Warm Investments
| Improvement | Cost to install | Annual saving |
|---|---|---|
| Cavity wall insulation |
£250 |
£110 |
| External solid wall insulation |
£10,500 |
£385 |
| Loft insulation |
£150 |
£150 |
| Draught-proofing |
£100 |
£25 |
| Condensing boiler |
£2-3,000 | £225 |
| Double-glazing |
£2-6,000 | £130 |
Source: Energy Saving Trust
VEKA Recycling
This might be something that will be of interest to readers of the Vantage Windows & Conservatories' News because you will already know that the Vantage specification is VEKA.
VEKA Rycycling has launched a DVD "With The Future In Mind" outlining its global activities and urging the industry to join it in its objectives.
Customers can now see how over 50,000 tonnes of old PVC-U frames every year are recycled to a purity that enables it to be put straight back into new windows.
The VEKA Group is a global leader in PVC-U recycling and Europe's biggest recycler of PVC-U frames. It built the world's first purpose-built reprocessing unit, in Behringen, Germany, now supported by additional facilities in the UK and France, and actively encourages customers (meaning Vantage Windows & Conservatories) around the world to make use of the facilities.
Its UK plant, based in Kent, takes over 14,000 tonnes of old frames a year for pre-processing before sending onto Behringen, where even metal, rubber and glass are separated for re-use as well as white and coloured PVC-U.
VEKA Re-Cycling VideoThe DVD, which can also be viewed on www.veka-recycling.co.uk says with pride: "Let others talk about sustainability. We are actually doing something about it!" |
Beware The One Man Band
7 Good Reasons Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying Your uPVC Products from a “One Man Band”
With the credit crunch biting hard and prices for materials, fuel and, of course, VAT increasing at an alarming rate, it is just so tempting to buy from a “One Man Band”.
What might seem like a bargain at the time could well prove extremely costly. What’s the saying “If it sounds too good to be true?” then more than likely it is!
ACCOUNTABILITY
The “one man band” will more often than not be trading from his van and mobile. You need to know more information in respect of how you can get in touch with him. A mobile phone number is just not enough information when you are considering investing a considerable amount of money in your uPVC project.
If the going gets tough, he can move on the very next day, change his company name and any guarantee that you may have been given will be worthless.
A “one man band” will follow the money. If, carpenters, for instance, are needed in the building industry and uPVC jobs have dropped off then uPVC fitters will change their portfolio and carry out carpentry work because their trades are similar – in other words, they will go where the work is.
If you buy from a “one man band” you will have no means of retribution if something goes wrong because you will have no idea how to contact this person other than by his mobile phone which he can change at any time.
CONTRACTS
It is essential that you get a written, signed and dated contract, detailing precisely the work that will be carried out together with a detailed specification in respect of the product to be fitted. A timescale when the job will be completed is also something that needs to be included. The total price, obviously, is a MUST.
HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU PAY FOR A DEPOSIT?
Reputable double glazing companies will take a small deposit, say 10% or 15% of the total order amount then collect the rest on total completion of the job and when the customer is happy. A “one man band” will most likely ask for a very big deposit to cover the cost of the materials up front because he doesn’t have a trade account.
PAYING CASH FOR A JOB
Yes, in the first instance, it appears to be a good idea to pay cash for a job because more often than not it’s cheaper because there’s no VAT to pay. Nine times out ten a “one man band” doesn’t trade from an office, he could well be trading from his home or even his van so he won’t have to pay utility bills and business rates. All he’s got is his van expenses but, buyer beware, if anything goes wrong it could prove that what appeared to be a huge saving initially becomes a very costly mistake and extremely inconvenient when things go wrong and the “one man band” won’t come back to put things right.
GUARANTEES
A lot of people think that guarantees are not worth the paper they are written on. I do know that if a customer buys from a company with a registered office and registration that the company is bone fide and trading properly. Guarantees will, therefore, be valid and honoured.
FITTER’S MATE
Fitting uPVC requires, ideally, a team of two - a fitter and a fitter’s mate. It’s impossible for a lone fitter to fit, say for instance, a conservatory or a set of bi-fold doors. He will need a fitter’s mate. A “one man band” will take on someone for cheap money for one or two days’ work. On nearly every single occasion, this young man will not have any uPVC fitting experience and, in some cases, could be an absolute liability.
WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?
You have a problem – say, for instance, your front door won’t lock. This can happen to even the very best of fitters. The door will require what is called in the industry as “toeing and heeling”. It’s a simple procedure but not something that just anyone can do because the right tools and expertise are required.
You’ve rung the mobile number given to you several times and there’s just no reply.
There you are with a front door that won’t lock and you are incapable of contacting your “one man band” fitter.
This does happen, so buyer beware, think twice before going down the cheap route and buying your uPVC products from a “one man band”.
OUR ADVICE – GET REFERENCES
In any event, before placing an order, get references from people for whom the "one man band" has already done work for. Take some time out to visit and inspect the work. Most people will be more than happy to help.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE IS NOT AIMED AT DISCREDITING REPUTABLE FITTERS. THERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT uPVC FITTERS WORKING LOCALLY IN LINCOLNSHIRE THIS IS A GUIDE TO GIVE PEOPLE IN THE MARKET FOR uPVC GOODS AN IDEA IN RESPECT OF WHO TO BUY FROM & WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES.