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	Everything you need to know before buying Windows, Doors or a Conservatory

Cash

Cash is King. The obvious way of paying for those new windows, this gives you quite a lot a bargaining power and give you access to the best deals. In my experience for 80% of all window companies, cash in the only option they have as they do not have credit card facilities or a consumer credit license. The disadvantage of this is there is not protection if the company goes bust either during or after the installation. One final benefit, although I am not condoning this you may be able to negotiate on the VAT.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are not just for you grocery shopping, if you don’t want to use cash or need short term credit using a credit card is the perfect solution especially with some very attractive 0% APR deals. Around 20% of double glazing companies have a credit card facility which means the option on companies is smaller however these are normally the more trustworthy as they have a consumer credit license and have been trading for some time. The other major benefit is that if the window company goes bust before, during or after the installation any purchase on a credit card is covered by the Consumer Credit Act and therefor protected by your credit card supplier. Remember that some companies charge upto 3.5% for using a credit or debit card. Also if you do not intent to pay it off in a short period of time it will end up costing you more than a low rate loan due to the high interest rates of credit cards

Interest Free Credit or 0% APR

Some larger Window firms offer interest free credit or 0% APR this can be very attractive for a number of reasons however it really narrows options of companies to use. Firstly window companies that offer interest free 0% APR normally have a turnover in excess of £2million a year as finance companies only offer this facility to the most stable companies. Secondly you have the same protection from the Consumer Credit Act as with credit cards. Some people like interest free credit even if they have the cash because of the protection it provides and money left in the bank earns them interest. Remember however that it may be illegal to offer a different price for interest free credit to cash but it usually cost the window company 10% of installation figure to offer the facility.

Financing New Double Glazing

What options are available to pay for new windows, doors or a conservatory

Unsecured Loans

This can be in two different ways either arranged by the double glazing supplier or through an independent finance company. This can be a cost effective way of spreading the cost especially if you have a good credit history, it also le+aves you with a structured repayment figure. Also remember that home improvement loans arranged by double glazing and conservatory installers are often higher APR and will cost you more in the long run.

Increasing mortgage

Another very popular method of financing new windows or a conservatory is extending the mortgage on a property. This can be very cost effective as the repayments are offer spread over a longer period with lower interested making them much more affordable and as you are generally increasing the value of the property banks and building societies are happy to lend the money.

Grants

Grants are also available for some or all of the cost of certain home improvements depending on you circumstances. For more information please see the page dedicated to double glazing grants

The Green Deal

You may have heard of the green deal, it is a government initiative and although still under negotiation the general idea is homeowners can have new energy efficient products fitted to their home and then it is repaid through their energy provider offset against the savings from energy cost via the new energy efficient products. This may take a few years to full setup so I wouldn’t hold you breathe.

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As with any large purchase, especially one involving home improvement products that can add value to your home, there are many different ways of financing the installation of new windows, doors or a conservatory. With the advances in new energy efficient windows that can cut down on you heating bills this can also be viewed as a long term investment into your property. There is no right method of paying for double glazing however I will outline the pros and cons of the major options available in the UK. It is also worth taking into account how much money you may save on your heating bills in to the equation before making your decision.

As with any finance look at all the benefits and true costs not just how good the deal appears to be. Also remember that choosing one option may limit the number of double glazing firms that you could use and all of these finance options depend upon your circumstances, ability to pay and credit rating.