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Preparing your home for window fitting

A little preparation makes fitting day faster, cleaner and less stressful for everyone. None of it is heavy work — mostly it is clearing space and giving the crew good access. Use this room-by-room checklist a day or two before your installers arrive.

Clear the windowsills and surrounds

Start at the windows themselves. Take down curtains, blinds and poles, and remove anything on the sills — ornaments, plants, photo frames and electricals. Fitters need a clear run at each opening from inside, and delicate items are safest packed away. If you are keeping your existing blinds, set them aside somewhere clean so they can go back up once the new frames are in.

Make space to move

Pull furniture back at least a couple of feet from every window that is being replaced. Beds, sofas, wardrobes and bookcases only need to move enough to give the crew room to work and to protect them from dust. Lift anything valuable off the floor nearby. The team will lay dust sheets, but covering large items with your own sheets adds peace of mind.

Sort out access, inside and out

Fitters work from both sides of each window, so clear the outside too. Move bins, pots, garden furniture and anything leaning against the walls, and cut back overgrown shrubs near the openings. If upstairs windows need ladders or a tower, make sure there is firm, level ground to set up on. Keep the route from your front gate to the work area clear so heavy units can be carried through easily. The same access points matter at the window survey, so if that went smoothly you are most of the way there.

Alarms, pets and parking

• Alarms and sensors: if you have window contacts wired into an alarm, tell your installer in advance and have your engineer's details handy in case sensors need moving.
• Pets and children: plan to keep them in a room away from the work, or out of the house for the day. Open doors and power tools are not a good mix.
• Parking: try to free a space near the house so the crew can unload frames and glass close to the door.
• Power and refreshments: the team will need access to a socket, and a cup of tea never hurts.

On the day itself

Once you have prepared, the rest is straightforward — our installation day guide walks through the hours ahead. Be around at the start and end so you can answer questions and check the finished work. A well-prepared home is one reason jobs run quickly; it also helps the crew focus on a neat finish, which is what most people praise in our customer reviews. If you have not settled on a company yet, take your time vetting your installer first, and if windows are part of a bigger refresh, a wider home improvement quote comparison helps you plan the budget.

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