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With big glazing brands such as Safestyle going into administration, and the UK economy still finding its’ post-COVID feet, it has never been more important to choose carefully when selecting a company to fit your new windows and doors.
When Habify was first created, it was in part a reaction to the general reputation the glazing industry had at the time. With a background in residential construction, our founder Hugo had experienced first-hand everything negative about the industry, from aggressive sales tactics to ‘fake’ discounts and poor aftercare. Habify takes a fresh approach, doing our best to raise the bar for quality, honesty and customer service within the glazing industry.
With this in mind, here’s our ultimate guide to picking a great glazing company for your project.
1. Do your research.
In today’s digital world, you don’t have to look far to find out about a company. If you are going to be making a big purchase, which let’s face it
most home improvements are, you need to know that your hard-earned cash will be safe. Check out their accounts on Companies House – a quick Google search will do it – and if you are not finding anything, or the company is in poor financial health, this is your first red flag.
2. Reviews.
Word of mouth is a powerful thing, and these days people don’t tend to hold back if they have had a poor experience with a company! Read each potential
supplier’s online reviews, the positive and the negative, and most importantly, look at the responses to negative reviews. The way a company responds when things go wrong can tell you a lot about how they operate, and how they treat their customers.
3. FENSA accreditation.
FENSA accreditation is a must – you do not want to be cutting corners with this one for three reasons. 1. Being FENSA accredited means the installer who fitted your windows or doors has complied with Building Regulations. 2. It also means that your installation(s) will be registered with the Local Council –
proof of this is essential when selling your home. 3. FENSA accreditation means the installer’s warranty (if they offer you one!) is valid and will be honoured should the company go under.
4. Aftercare.
It should be clear from the outset how a company plans to respond should something go wrong with your installation. Do they offer a guarantee? How long
does it last? You may also want to consider how easy they are to contact – do they get back to you quickly? Do they have complicated telephone systems / is it tricky to get through to a human? There is little more frustrating when you have a problem than not being able to get hold of someone who can help you.
5. Aggressive pricing strategies.
A company offering pricing that is too good to be true, is probably too good to the true. Particularly in today’s market where wholesale
prices are on the increase, if a price is drastically lower than your other quotes it is likely a corner is being cut somewhere. Equally, if when pushed, your salesperson
can pull big discounts out of nowhere this should also be a warning sign. It’s likely that their base-level pricing is merely an inflated price so that the discount looks like a great deal. Look for clarity and honesty, every time!
We hope this list is helpful in your search. As always, get in touch if we can help you with a project or query at support@habify.co.uk or speak to one of our live chat agents.
