Since the second World War, the UK has benefitted from a wide range of council housing. Some of these properties have now been sold off, but many still serve the community in the south east of England. For district and borough councils, maintaining these ageing houses can consume huge resource.
As well as supplying private and trade customers, Your Price Windows supplies a huge number of district and borough councils. Read on to find out why we’re the right company to supply windows and doors for council houses.
Types of Housing
In the south east, council houses come in three main types: brick built houses, concrete houses, and towering apartment blocks. Each type of housing brings its own benefits and drawbacks.
Pre-fabricated concrete houses have a poor reputation for rot, although many properties still stand from the post-war era, including Airey and Parkinson pre-fab buildings. Tenants were encouraged to keep their new homes in better condition than the slums they had occupied before, but naturally, over time, some properties have been neglected.
Many council homes are now approaching 100 years old. The original windows may have been long since replaced. But keeping council homes well-maintained is critical, since neglect can quickly cause more problems. Many of these homes originally had metal and timber windows, but in modern times, councils have moved almost exclusively to uPVC because of its longevity and low price.
London and Surrey
In Dagenham, the Beacontree estate is famous for being the largest council estate anywhere in the world. The estate eventually consisted of 25,000 houses, and was a model for the many estates that sprung up around it.
While many of the houses have now been resold under Right to Buy, councils still own the majority of their flats. It’s critical that the windows in flats comply with modern safety standards, since a fall from a high-rise block can be fatal.
Many councils survey their housing stock every 5 years to identify problems with windows and doors, as well as other structural items. If the windows in a property are rated poor, or very poor, it’s a clear cause for concern for the people who occupy it.
How We Help
Your Price Windows allows local councils to acquire windows at doors at very effective prices. And because we have our own factory, our overheads are low. We can transport windows very efficiently, and supply replacements in incredibly short timeframes.
From our base in Surrey, we offer local councils an express service, which can be used to acquire new windows within one or two days. This is ideal if there’s a safety issue, or a broken window, and the council cannot afford to wait for replacement glazing.
If you are planning a window replacement programme at your council or housing association, contact Your Price Windows for a chat about our services. Whether you need express turnaround or a regular supply of replacement council house windows, we’ll help you to achieve the cost savings you need to balance tight housing budgets.
