Dan Atkinson

Changing the windows in your home is one of the best ways to add value to your property.

It’s easy to be daunted by a sash window that’s not behaving. Sash windows have a reputation that lurks somewhere between the tricky and the deadly, with behaviour more suited to a French guillotine.

Shutters tend to be associated with either European homes or grand stately houses in England, where they were an extra layer of draughtproofing and sun resistance to stop fading on fabrics and furniture.

Windows are the eyes of the house. Window choice affects how the property looks from the outside and what each room feels like on the inside.

Security is always a big concern for homeowners.

Sliding sash windows are a design associated with period homes. However, looking around at some of the better new developments, you’ll see that more construction companies are using sash windows alongside other traditional features like chimneys and Georgian-style front doors.

You would be surprised at how common it is to encounter sash windows which have been painted shut.

No one can resist a classic Georgian sash window in a period property beautifully finished in Old English white.

New windows increase home value by improving appearance, insulation and energy efficiency. The average return on new windows is 70%, so it’s a worthwhile exercise for any homeowner.

Homeowners with properties in conservation areas will have restrictions on the type of new windows and doors they can fit to their houses.