Location, location, location

Deborah Beeley, sales and marketing manager at Yorkshire fabricator Kingfisher Windows, talks about how trends have driven the huge range of products homeowners want, and the support they give installers.

Yorkshire is an impressive county. From rolling hills to glorious beaches, modern metropoles and charming market towns, it really shows off the very best of Britain. The residents of Yorkshire benefit from an impressive range of homes too: country cottages, Victorian villas and sprawling country homes are as prevalent as modern high rises and sumptuous new builds.

So, when it comes to windows and doors, there are lots of different styles that need to be catered for. That’s how Kingfisher ended up with such an extensive product range. With almost 30 years’ experience, we know how vital it is to choose the right windows and doors for a property.

One top trend in refurbishment we’re seeing is to maintain the traditional styling of properties from the front but go modern at the back. It’s especially good when homeowners are extending their homes to create the popular open plan living. Aluminium bifolding or lift and slide doors are perfect for creating a wall of glazing. This looks perfect in any setting and offers big benefits of increasing the amount of natural light entering the property.

Window design has become more important to people replacing first generation double glazing, especially where the first designs didn’t suit the house. A local estate agent told us that having windows that aren’t sympathetic to traditional properties can reduce their value and make them more difficult to sell. It’s easy to see why choosing the right design makes so much difference. Design options like Georgian bars, colour foils and premium hardware can completely change the look of an entire Yorkshire home.

It’s not just windows that can make a difference. Replacing PVCU panel doors with composites can also give the same kerb appeal.

Trade customers need to show these options. Often they are asked for pictures and ideas of what windows and doors will look like when they’re installed. That’s why we created brochures to show off the range; we worked closely with our suppliers to get the best photography and the final 44-page brochure includes more than 100 photos.

We did the same with the composite door brochure. It shows both the Classic and Contemporary ranges and includes the full choice of surface finishes featuring traditional woodgrain, deep grained or a smooth appearance. It also includes the ultra-modern Inox glazing designs. We find that where a door is pictured in full, some customers choose that exact style, colour and glass. It’s also because in the brochure we show combinations that look really good together. To make it even more personal to customers, we have named the doors after towns and cities in Yorkshire.

Our location, and the huge range of housing stock we have in Yorkshire, means we had a lot of products to include. Our local knowledge and experience over almost 30 years has helped us choose the very best options for our new range of brochures. It also really helps our customers to stand out from their competitors.

We are passionate about supporting installers with excellent marketing materials and they have told us how much they and homeowners like the new brochures. Having everything in one place makes it much easier for them to show the options. Homeowners don’t know everything that’s on offer but as they flick through they can see properties like theirs and see how the designs will complement their homes.