Why "Cheap" Blinds Often Cost More in the Long Run
There's an assumption baked into online shopping: buying direct is cheaper. For a lot of things, that's true. For blinds and curtains, it's often not, and the reasons are worth understanding before you commit.
The price comparison that surprised us
Last week, out of curiosity, we ran the numbers on one of our most popular roller blinds. Sanctuary fabric, a standard size. An online retailer was selling the same blind for $260.50.
Our price for the same blind? $261.
The difference is what that price includes. Ours covers an in-home consultation with one of our team, professional installation, and the guarantee that if anything is wrong with the measure or the fit, we carry that risk, not you. If you're ordering online, a mismeasure means you're ordering again. That's suddenly $260 turning into $520 before the blind has even gone up.
What actually makes a blind cheap
Off-the-shelf blinds from big-box retailers and cheap online sellers share a few things in common. Smaller, lighter tubes. Drive mechanisms that wear out faster. On some of the smaller sizes we have even seen cardboard tubes that will certainly fail sooner rather than later.
When we compare those components side by side with what goes into a custom-made blind, the difference is obvious. Our budget-friendly options use the same tubing and componentry as our premium blinds. The only thing that changes is the fabric. That matters if something needs repairing down the track, because parts are standard and repairs are straightforward.
The installation problem nobody talks about
We visited a home recently where a child had pulled an entire blind off the wall. The blind had been fitted above the architrave, screwed into plaster with the small screws that came in the box. It was never going to hold.
When we fit a blind into plaster, we do it in a way that's built to last. The difference isn't just the product. It's knowing where and how to fix it.
Customers who install their own curtains or blinds also tend to underestimate how much the measure matters. Window furnishings aren't like flat-pack furniture. There are calculations involved: how much stack-back space you need, how far past the architrave the track should go, and what deductions to make so that the curtain sits at the perfect length. Get those wrong and the result looks off even if the product itself is fine.
After-sales service is part of the product
A customer emailed us recently, two years after we'd installed her curtains. Her child had broken a bracket. She apologised for bothering us.
We went out and fixed it.
That kind of follow-up is built into what we do. If you've bought online and something breaks, your options are limited. Finding a matching bracket, sourcing it yourself, finding someone willing to come to your home for a single repair job. It's more effort than most people expect.
The long-term maths
Well-made, properly installed curtains and blinds last 15 years or longer. Cheap blinds from a big-box retailer might last two or three. If you're replacing them twice in the time a custom blind would still be going strong, the savings you thought you were making have usually disappeared, and then some.
We're not saying never buy online. But for window furnishings, where fit, measure, fabric quality, and installation all affect the result, local and custom tends to cost less over time than the alternative.
If you're in the Mornington Peninsula or Bayside area and want to understand what the right option looks like for your home, we offer free in-home consultations. Come into the Frankston showroom or get in touch and we'll come to you.
Evans Curtains & Blinds, locally owned and operated.
