A budget-conscious option that has many other advantages – including, increasingly, good aesthetic appeal – PVCu windows shouldn’t be overlooked until you’ve done all the research, says Emily Brooks

The Residence 7 window can be mechanically jointed for a traditional effect, or welded for a contemporary feel

This Nottinghamshire home combines Rehau Total70 PVCu windows in anthracite grey with an oak-framed gable entrance

Visit almost any street in the UK, and you’re going to see plenty of PVCu windows. They’ve become the industry standard for lots of reasons: they’re inexpensive, secure, low-maintenance and it’s easy to find an installer. But on that same street you’ll probably also find the reasons why PVCu gets a kicking from certain quarters: chunky frames that have replaced slim, flush timber originals and look wrong with the style of the house; and gleaming white finishes when perhaps another colour would be more appropriate.

Dig deeper for the right PVCu product, however, and it can harmonise with the wider architecture, both traditional and modern, and tick many other boxes, too. “It’s always been considered the cheap option – sometimes cheap and nasty, rather than simply low cost – but in the last 10 years, the industry has really picked up. It’s incredible what they’ve done”, says Build It expert Mike Hardwick.