There’s no second chance for a first impression
Adrian Gale, timber and composite door product manager at VBH, talks about the importance of good looking hardware when the time comes to sell a property.
The housing market got off to a subdued start in 2018; the number of sales, new buyers and properties joining the market has fallen in the first few months, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. Uncertainty over Brexit is also expected to affect both house prices and the growth, or downturn, of the market.
Property expert Sarah Beeny recently reminded homeowners that with the selling season approaching, upgrading their front door with new hardware gives their home the “wow factor”. Retrofitting new handles, a letterplate and knocker on a tired door can be a cost-effective solution. Equally, replacing an old door for new is an easy way to entice potential buyers who want a lot of ‘bang for their buck’ when it comes to quality, security and hardware suited to their home environment.
A new composite door and matching hardware gives properties an instant facelift and refreshes a home’s character. It’s an easy win for the installer, and a worthwhile investment for the homeowner. As Yogesh Gopal, managing director at Everglade Windows based in London, said: “We’re a large fabricator of PVCU, composite and aluminium doors, and the composite door market is a growing area for us. Anthracite grey composite doors with white on the inside is a particular trend we’re noticing.”
With premium composite doors, it’s important to have the right hardware. We’re seeing increased demand from homeowners looking for a matching suite that can be applied across a complete door and window installation. With five different core finishes to choose from, VBH’s greenteQ suite provides a premium hardware solution with products suitable for composite, timber, aluminium and PVCU doors and windows. So, whether a homeowner wants a traditional chartwell green door with suited polished chrome hardware, or a contemporary anthracite grey slab with subtle satin chrome or black furniture, they can have it with greenteQ.
“Our customers are spoilt for choice with colour options, door styles and the greenteQ hardware we offer – and every door is as unique as the customer who orders it,” Yogesh said.
We’ve developed a stainless-steel Coastline range specifically for those in coastal and other aggressive environments. With lever handles, pull handles, letterboxes, hinges and knockers passing the 1,000-hour neutral salt spray test, the range meets the requirements of BS EN ISO 9227:2012 for exceptional corrosion resistance. It also comes with a 25-year guarantee against failure and defects.
Security is the highest priority for homeowners on their new doors and windows. Most break-ins are through the door. With that in mind, we created the Q-secure guarantee, which is available on greenteQ products and selected partner brands. The guarantee is designed to cover any expenses resulting from a home intrusion. We’re so confident of our security, strength and performance that VBH will pay homeowners up to £3,250 compensation if they are burgled as a result of hardware failure on windows, doors or patios. Installers can easily sign up for the guarantee – and if the home is sold, the guarantee can be transferred to the new owner.
We developed greenteQ to suit a range of tastes and styles of properties, with the ability to colour-match all hardware. It’s also been developed with the installer in mind. Our newest solution for composite doors does just that. The Sigma Face-Fix Composite Door Hinge is designed to help an installer fit a composite door quickly and safely, in both standard and 1D-adjustable versions. It’s designed to be compatible with all composite doors and will fit directly into the frame prep of one of the leading door manufacturers.
This was a major factor in encouraging Everglade to switch and enhance its composite doors.