Advanced options
Plantation shutters price per window by material: MDF (heaviest, cheapest, fine for most rooms), hybrid (MDF frame + hardwood louvres), and full hardwood (lightest: the only choice for very wide panels and the best for bathrooms is actually waterproof PVC). Bays price at 2.5-3x a flat window. The lead time surprise: made-to-measure means 8-12 weeks from survey to fitting (they're mostly made abroad): order in summer for winter cosiness. They're the one window dressing that survives toddlers, adds at valuation, and never needs washing like curtains.
What The Window Shutters Calculator Works Out
- Estimated cost: the number of windows multiplied by the per-window price for your material and route, plus bays at 2.75x a flat window. DIY-fit MDF kits run about GBP 180 a window, fitted MDF and hybrid GBP 280-380, and full hardwood GBP 420-550, so four windows and a bay land at GBP 2,200-2,900 fitted.
- vs the alternatives: the same openings dressed in quality curtains at GBP 150 a window or decent blinds at GBP 90. Shutters cost 2-4 times either but last 20-plus years without washing, re-hanging or sun-fading, and are the only one of the three that appears in estate-agent photos as a feature.
- Buying them right: get both the DIY-kit and the fitted quote, since the kit saves about 40% on square modern windows, while bays and out-of-square period openings want the professional survey. Allow 8-12 weeks from survey to fitting.
- Shutter style (advanced): cafe-style half-height shutters cut the price about 30% and suit street-facing rooms wanting privacy below and light above; tier-on-tier adds roughly 20% for maximum flexibility; solid panels add about 30% and are the period-property blackout and insulation option. The style adjustment card shows the amount against full height.
- Bay window multiplier (advanced): override the 2.75x assumption with the multiple your quote uses; three-panel box bays sit nearer 2.5x and five-panel splay bays nearer 3x.
- Shutter life and alternative life (advanced): shutters are joinery and realistically last 20 years or more; curtains and blinds are typically replaced every 6-10 years through fading, fashion and wear. Both figures are editable.
- Curtains and blinds per window (advanced): edit the GBP 150 and GBP 90 comparison prices to match the rooms in question, for example GBP 380 for made-to-measure curtains or GBP 35 for ready-made rollers.
- Per year and the saving over the shutter life (advanced): each dressing's upfront cost divided by its life, and the total cost of re-buying curtains as many times as their life fits inside the shutter life. The table below the results sets all three out side by side; divided by twenty years the dearest dressing in the shop often becomes the cheapest one on the window.