HOW TO CHOOSE A RETAILER FOR CUSTOM MADE WINDOW TREATMENTS
Purchasing custom-made window treatments can be a daunting but necessary task for homeowners. They are an important investment for your home that can have effects on the décor, acoustics, temperature and lighting of your home, and the options are seemingly endless! Choosing the wrong retailer can have dastardly results, so we’re offering our tips for finding the right dealer for your needs.
CUSTOM MADE vs READY MADE
Ready-made window treatments are a low cost ‘one-size-fits-most’ solution. They aren’t made to the measurements of your particular windows, resulting in too-long curtains or too-short blinds. They’re also limited to a small selection of styles, fabrics & finishes that may or may not be suitable for your home décor.
On the other hand, custom made window treatments have limitless choices for fabrics, styles & finishes & are made to fit the exact dimensions of your windows. They do come at a more premium price (find out why curtains are so expensive in this blog post). But for that cost, you’ll get expert knowledge & advice, beautifully made products, professional installation which complies with child safety legislation & inclusive warranties.
WHAT COMPANY IS BEST?
Do your research; especially if you’ve never purchased custom made window treatments before. Family & friends will always be happy to recommend a business they’ve had a great experience with, but if this isn’t possible, look for online reviews. They are a great way to determine the expertise, quality and service of a potential window treatment provider. Look at the website. Are there more reviews on the site? What do the images look like? Are the images their own work?
IN-STORE OR IN-HOME
Stores are great for browsing displays, fabrics & styles. However, it’s important to note that fabrics & colours look very different in the fluorescent lighting of a store to in your home. (If you’ve ever tried choosing paint colours at Bunnings, you’ll understand the conundrum.) Seeing your selections on-site will consider the colour scheme, décor & lighting of your home. Employing a mobile service will organise the whole selection process into one easy in-home consultation.
THE APPOINTMENT
It is imperative that you allow the retailer to discuss your requirements. An experienced professional will advise you of what will and won’t work on your windows. They will also pare down the selections, to those suitable for your home and budget: your valuable time can be greatly reduced by an expert guiding the selections, as there are usually thousands of options. A good retailer will have options at most price points and an extensive range of hardware and heading options to choose from.
THE FINAL DECISION
Once you’ve narrowed down your options & have your quotes, it’s decision time. Ask yourself the following about the companies you’ve met with:
- How did they manage your initial contact?
- Were they on time for the appointment?
- Did they listen to you?
- Do you trust their expertise?
- How do their warranties compare?
- How quickly did they provide a quote?
- Did they provide their company Terms and Conditions?
- Do they provide options for payment?
Sometimes budgets will get in the way of going ahead with the retailer you liked best, and that’s ok. If you can stretch the budget, it will be a worthwhile investment. But if you just can’t justify the spend, let the retailer know; there may be a chance to revisit the quote & make amendments to reduce the cost (such as reducing curtain fullness to use slightly less fabric).