- first impressions count
- it can maximise your favourite views
- you want it to compliment your design scheme
- you can incorporate and benefit from your house's aspect and the surrounding climate
- it brings the outdoors in, by opening up your home
When we bought our home we had no intention of changing the windows and doors (besides the front colonial styled door). I remember our words were 'for an older home, the windows and doors slide really easy, its great!'. Then we lived there for 6 months and felt imprisoned by our doors and windows. Why? Because they had terrible security screens on them. They were brown aluminium, fitted with security screens. When inside our home your eye naturally got stuck on the timber brown frame and screen and the outside living didn't flow from the inside living. The solution? The windows and doors had to go! We fitted doors and windows with a brushed white aluminium frame to match the white internal walls, now our eye flows straight from the inside to out. But do you know the best bit?
There is now no way to tell the age of our home! We have shaved at least 10 years off its life, simply by replacing the doors and windows and modernising it.
A progress photo, removing the rear sliding door
A before photo
An after photo
We decided that to be able to afford to replace all of the windows and doors of our home, we would install the standard sliding option. There was two things we did change however, one was the large fixed pane window you can see in the photo above in our lounge room. This took up valuable wall space and also gave us minimal privacy being at the front of the home. We also had two bedrooms at the front of the house which had sliding doors leading out and onto the front verandah. As the bedrooms are small in size, it made sense to replace the windows with doors, as once again it provided more wall space and privacy at the front of the house.
They look fantastic and as we had to remove the colonial styled architrave, we updated them with a modern splay finish whilst we were at it...goodbye 1980's home, hello modern home!
You have to agree, the difference it makes is Amaaaaaazing! :)
Front Verandah & Entrance to Our Home - Before
Front Verandah & Entrance to Our Home - After
Guest Room - Before
Guest Room - After
Rear of house - Before
Rear of house - After
But do you know one of the best best about this whole project? I was able to recycle all of the old windows and doors. If you know me, you will know I hate waste. Once all of the windows and doors were replaced I put the old ones up on Gumtree (a buy/swap/sell site) and within FOUR MINUTES (no joke!) I had a phone call saying they will come and pick them all up and reuse them in their home renovation, leaving two very happy reno'ers and more money in our pocket after saving $100's of dollars on tip fees :)
Thanks for reading, I would love to know your thoughts on our door & window makeover, please post a comment below...
Xx Ashlea
WOW! They look a million bucks....I am so green... We have been talking about replacing our windows and doors for ages but $$ means it keep getting put back. It looks amazing tho. Your house is as cute as a button. I also love the mirror above ur bed. Can i ask did u self-install the windows or get it done by someone?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment :) We never intended to replace all of the windows and doors, however we had a leaking window frame that damaged all of the skirting and plaster and also floor boards in a storm we had. So we claimed it on home insurance, then had one new window and all the others old. It was enough of an inspiration to save up and spend the big bucks to get them all replaced. It honestly now feels like a new house! The mirror is from Masters Home Improvement, I really love that place :)
DeletePop me an email and I can send through the costs and breakdown of the windows and doors it you like, it may give you an idea of price! We did all the prep work to have them installed to save money (removed sections of exterior cladding and brickwork) and then again replastered sections and did the skirting boards etc internally. Where the doors were removed and replaced with windows we had a lot of frame work, plastering etc which we did to save money. However a qualified licensed builder installed them, as after having so much damage from the poorly installed and leaking window we didn't want to risk it! X
What an awesome upgrade! It's crazy what a different something that seems so small actually does make. So lucky to have the old ones sell so quickly too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I know it really feels like a new house now! Gumtree is fabulous, I have had a few good scores and sells on there now :)
DeleteA minor window replacement did an amazing job in giving your house a new appeal! Hiring skilled contractors to do the installation was also a good decision. I hope that you'll no longer experience any inconvenience with these new windows.
ReplyDelete-Lenore Rushford @ Cooley Roofing
“…best about this whole project? I was able to recycle all of the old windows and doors.” – What a score! This is one good thing about home renovation: we are able to determine the things that can still be used and those we cannot. And by the looks of your house, the recycled pieces are worth it. >> Li Ayers @ Renewal by Andersen®
ReplyDelete