Window Styles for UK Homes: Which Type Is Best?

Most homeowners are quoted for a style before they have decided anything. It is worth knowing the options, because two windows of identical quality can price very differently simply because of how they open.

The styles at a glance

Aluminium versions of the same styles usually cost 40% to 100% more. Timber is more again, and needs repainting or re-oiling.

Casement windows

The UK standard. A casement is hinged on one side and opens outwards, usually with a handle and multi-point lock. It gives the full opening width for ventilation, seals well, and is the cheapest style to buy in every material.

The main practical limitation is that on upper floors you cannot easily clean the outside from inside. If that matters, ask for tilt and turn or a reversible sash instead.

Flush casement windows

A flush casement sits level with the outer face of the frame rather than overlapping it. On elevation it looks more like a traditional timber window, with cleaner lines and no chunky outer lip. It suits cottages, 1930s semis and any home where a standard uPVC window looks obviously modern.

Expect £100 or so per window more than a standard casement. In our view it is the best-value upgrade in the whole window market if your house is older than about 1960.

Sash windows

Sashes slide vertically, one past the other. They are the defining feature of Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian housing, and many conservation areas require them in some form. Modern uPVC and aluminium sashes are available alongside timber, and they include the traditional proportions and often a run-through sash horn.

They cost more than casements and have more moving parts, so the quality of the balance mechanism matters more than the frame. Cheap sashes rattle and drop within a few years. See our full casement vs sash comparison before you decide.

Tilt and turn windows

A single handle controls two positions: a tilt that opens the top inwards for draught-free ventilation, and a full turn that swings the whole sash inwards so you can clean the outside glass from inside. Common across continental Europe and increasingly specified here in flats, new-builds and upper floors.

The inward opening does eat into the room at the bottom, so avoid them behind a sofa or a kitchen worktop. They also cannot be fitted with a normal restrictor, so child safety relies on the tilt function and lockable handles.

Bay and bow windows

A bay projects out from the wall, usually a three-sided canted bay or a square bay. A bow is a curved run of windows with no flat returns. Both add floor space, light and far more presence from the street than a flat window.

• A replacement bay is more than a window: the roof needs replacing or re-covering, and the structure sometimes needs repair.
• Bays are the most quoted style in Victorian and Edwardian terraces, so installers are experienced with them.
• A collapsed or leaking bay roof is usually the real reason the whole bay is being replaced, not the windows themselves.

Picture and fixed windows

A fixed pane does not open at all. It is the cheapest way to buy a large area of glass and it gives the slimmest possible sightlines, which is why contemporary extensions use it heavily. The trade-off is ventilation: you need opening windows elsewhere in the room, or a separate vent.

Which style is best?

• Standard family home, budget matters: white uPVC casements, flush casements if the house is older.
• Victorian or Edwardian terrace: sliding sashes to the front, casements or sashes to the rear.
• Flat or upper floor: tilt and turn for safe cleaning and ventilation.
• Modern build or extension: slim aluminium casements, fixed panes and sliding doors.
• Conservation area or listed building: match what the property was built with, and check before ordering.

What actually changes the price

Style is only one variable. Size, opening mechanism, glass specification, colour, and how much making good the opening needs all move the number. When you compare quotes, ask each installer to price the same style, the same glass and the same guarantee, otherwise you are comparing different jobs.