To buy windows online, you swap the sales visit for a configurator: you put the windows together yourself and see the price straight away, after every change. Then you get a quote with transport, approve the drawing, pay and wait for delivery to site. Below we go through every step in order and point out where orders most often need correcting.
Before the configurator: what to prepare
1. Opening sizes. Measure each opening in three places (top, middle, bottom) and note the smallest figure. Deduct the fitting gap, because the configurator needs the frame size, not the size of the opening. 2. Opening sides. For each sash, note where the handle goes and which way it opens, always seen from inside. 3. List of extras. Roller shutter, fly screen, external sill. Decide now on a top-mounted roller shutter, because its box makes the whole window taller.
How to buy windows online in the configurator: five steps
4. System. You choose the profile: uPVC (VEKA, Kömmerling, Salamander, Gealan) or Aluprof aluminium. You can later price the same project in another system. 5. Glazing. Double or triple glazing and the type of glass. 6. Colour and extras. White is included in the base price. In uPVC you choose colour outside with white inside, or the same colour on both sides, one colour for the whole order. 7. Windows. You add each window separately: type, sizes, layout and opening. The configurator checks the limits: an opening sash is at least 450 mm wide, a door leaf at most 2300 mm high. If a size falls outside, it suggests a fixed pane or a top light. 8. Summary. You check the list and send the enquiry. The configurator also suggests fitting materials: foam, tapes, fixings and packers.
Each step is covered in detail in our article on the online window configurator.
After you send it: from quote to delivery
9. Quote within 3 working days. A person who knows these systems prepares it. Transport to your address is included, charged per place on the rack by delivery country. You get the quote in your language. 10. Drawing and specification to approve. Before anything goes into production, you get a drawing of every window. We check sizes, opening sides and descriptions on every quote, but you know your house best. Read the drawing line by line. 11. 100% payment. The payment is the order, and from then on the sizes are fixed. Made-to-measure windows are excluded from the 14-day right of withdrawal across the EU (Directive 2011/83/EU, Article 16(c)). 12. Production in 3–8 weeks. Timing depends on the system, colour, shutters and season. Before dispatch you see photos of the finished windows on the order tracking page. 13. Delivery on racks. The windows arrive on site. Unloading is up to you: a forklift or 2–3 people. Check everything in front of the driver, write any damage on the delivery note and take photos. 14. Storage and fitting. Store the windows upright, under cover, away from sun and damp, and remove the protective film no later than 4 weeks after delivery. We don't offer installation. You fit them yourself or with a fitter you choose. The declaration of performance and CE documents come with the delivery, and the GALI guarantee runs for 2 years.
The most common mistakes
We have worked with windows since 1997, and across more than 5000 orders the same mistakes keep coming back:
- Opening size instead of frame size. The window won't go in, or the gap ends up too big.
- Opening side described from outside. The handle ends up on the wrong side. Always describe it from inside.
- Deciding on a roller shutter too late. The box changes the height, so after approval it means a new drawing and a new quote.
- Two narrow sashes in a narrow window. If a sash would be narrower than 450 mm, one sash plus a fixed pane works better.
- A single window in the order. Transport is spread across the whole delivery, which is why we recommend at least 2 windows or 1 lift and slide door.
Rather send a drawing than click?
Got a window schedule from your architect or a list in a spreadsheet? Send it through the contact form (PDF, DWG, XLSX and more), and we'll prepare the quote just as we would from the configurator. If you want to see prices first, open the window configurator and add your first window. All systems are listed under uPVC windows.