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Home insurance - Tips & Advice - Home improvements

If you’re thinking of renovating or updating your property, what you do with your windows can directly affect its value - and impact on your Direct Line Home Insurance policy. It can also have serious implications on your security. Here’s how to avoid some of the common mistakes and make your windows work for you…

Protecting your assets

Property experts agree that what you do with your windows can seriously improve or depreciate the value of your home. While improving the maintenance of your windows is vital to keeping your home weather proof, sound proof and secure, installing the wrong style of window can be disastrous – and in the case of listed of protected property, it can also have costly legal implications. In any event, before you decide to restore or upgrade windows planning is key.

Practical do’s and don'ts of new glazing

Expert advice from online site's such as www.windowstoday.co.uk can help you deal with the technical and aesthetic implications of installing new windows. Points to remember before you buy include:

• Style matters
  Don’t compromise on style for a cheap deal. Look at properties similar to yours to compare the effects of replacement window types. Some period properties – if you live in a listed building or Conservation Area, for example – have certain legal requirements. For more details on Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission, contact your local planning department.
  
  
• Safety first
  For health and safety reasons, you should also make sure you have adequate numbers of opening windows, that include specially designed ‘easy escape’ or ‘fire escape’ features.
  
  
• Be secure
  Always enquire about the type of locks and security features being fitted. Many modern double-glazed replacement windows feature multi-point type locking, which may also ‘lock’ partially open in a ‘night-vent’ position. As an extra incentive to get adequate window locks, remember, there may be compulsory requirements on your home insurance policy to have certain types of lock fitted, without which cover will not be provided.
  
  
• Think long-term
  With PVCu windows it's a good idea to ask your supplier if the windows are fully welded or if parts of the window are mechanically fixed, which while cheaper and neater for wood grain finishes, can have a tendency to split through wear and tear, weakening the frames and reducing performance. In most cases, fully welded structures are a better investment in the long run. Plus try and get your supplier to ‘make good’ around your windows as part of the deal to cut out extra work and cost.
  
  
• Sound things out
  If your primary motivation for fitting double-glazing is to reduce sound then secondary glazing, where you fit a new single glazed frame in front of the existing or prime window frame, is generally better - the greater the ‘air gap’, the better the sound insulation.
  
  
• Do your sums
  Double-glazing can reduce heat loss through your windows by an estimated 10 - 12 %, which can save on heating bills and your exposure to pollution. However, it can take a considerable time before you save enough money to ‘pay for the windows’ so don’t fit double-glazing for this reason alone.
  
  
• Shop around
  Research also shows it’s wise to get at least two or three estimates if you have the time, researching all of the alternatives in terms of product and style - where practical, try to visit a showroom, view other work carried out by the company, or speak to other customers on the phone. Try to get an unbiased view.
  
  
• Maintain and repair
  While modern PVCu and Aluminum frames are virtually maintenance free, hinges and mechanical parts such as locks will need regular lubrication and cleaning. For timber frames you will need to paint every 3-5 years or, if you are using hardwood, oil or varnish as appropriate. In both cases, experts also recommend an annual spring clean.
  
  
• Cover yourself
  Check out the guarantee and what it covers – a guarantee in writing always helps if you need to make a claim with Direct Line. Your Direct Line Home Buildings Insurance will cover your windows in case of accident, fire, theft or malicious damage but not if you neglect to keep windows in a good state of repair. If something does break, Direct Line’s Home Repair Network or Emergency Response 24 scheme can help direct you to a qualified tradesman 24 hours a day through their emergency helpline. Plus any change in the value of your home through the addition of windows can also change the premium of your policy so let Direct Line know.

A special case for period properties

Protecting the aesthetic features of your period property is vital to maintaining the value of your home. If renovation is done well and with care, it can also increase the worth of your property. However, period properties are also part and parcel of the UK’s historic heritage and therefore certain rules and regulations apply. The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 requires owners to seek permission before any work is undertaken on a listed building – and this includes windows. Your local Planning Department may have their own Conservation Officer who deals with applications and can give an early indication as to whether your proposal is likely to be acceptable.

Remember, Planning Permission applies regardless of whether the building is listed or not - if you’re thinking of an extension to your listed property which includes windows, then both Listed Building Consent and Planning Permission are required before alterations can start. Organisations such as English Heritage, The Society for Protected Buildings (SPAB), the Building Conservation Directory and online sites like such as those listed below can help with practical and design advice on restoring and upgrading period property including Victorian, Georgian and Tudor windows.

More ways to help work your windows:

www.windowstoday.co.uk

www.spab.org.uk

www.periodproperty.co.uk

www.maintainyourbuilding.org.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/homes

www.english-heritage.org.uk

www.buildingconservation.com