30th Birthday 2024

1994 was a great year…

The Lagan Weir opened in Belfast, Snow Patrol formed, the World Wide Web was launched into the public domain, the first Playstation, Yahoo and Amazon launched, US sitcom Friends came to our screens, the Channel Tunnel opened, the first National Lottery draw was held, and Budget Windows was born.

David saw a gap in the market and pitched his idea to Neil and Martin. 

All three came from sales and manufacturing backgrounds, bringing their knowledge and understanding of the windows and doors industry together to form their new company – Budget Windows. 

Starting out, the three directors employed a small number of local staff – an admin, sales consultant, stores and a fitting team at our Belfast road premises in Bangor NI. 

30 years ago Budget specialised in windows and doors for the residential home improvement sector. Back then you had a choice of just two colours – white or woodgrain, with 12 door styles to choose from.

Popularity for custom, aesthetically pleasing doors soared and we now provide over 500 door styles in comparison – with endless colours to choose from. 

We soon honed our understanding of home improvements and building regulations, progressing to designing and building conservatories, orangeries and sunrooms as well as providing bathroom renovations and all aspects of building work. 

In 1995 we earned our Trustmark accreditation as well as our Federation of Master Builders certification, and regularly undergo stringent assessments to retain these to this day. 

Budget Windows & Conservatories enjoyed year on year success and growth, so much so, we outgrew our store on the Belfast Road, Bangor and began the hunt for new premises. 

In 2007 we found a derelict ex car showroom – extensively renovating it into the best indoor construction showroom in the province. 

Strong working relationships with leading manufacturers across the UK and Ireland coupled with larger premises allowed us to expand into the trade supply sector, taking the pressure off local tradesmen in sourcing and delivering the best construction materials on the market. 

Our hands-on approach with our clients allows us to understand exactly what people expect from their renovations. In 2014 we doubled down on our sunroom building experience, pioneering our popular Contemporary Pod Sunroom Extension, incorporating modern colours and extensive use of high end aluminium and glazing – raising the bar for modern home extensions.

Learning to adapt in modern times has been the most critical part of our success story. 

30 years ago the majority of advertising was done through newspapers, Yellow Pages, door to door canvassing, shopping centre stalls and word of mouth. Times have changed and as much as we still enjoy a vast amount of word of mouth business, the majority of advertising is now carried out online.

Learning to adapt and navigate the pitfalls of the construction sector is never easy. In the last 30 years we have watched the shock of the different financial crises, austerity measures, Brexit, inflation, the cost of living crisis and more recently the crippling governmental hikes, endless red tape and new legislation cause the majority of our competitors to fold or change hands.

Keeping up to date with trends is also an important element of the construction sector. Sourcing and testing new products brought to the market ensures we understand how they perform and that they comply with all current building regulations. If we won’t put the materials in our own homes, we will not put them in yours! 

Our small family owned company became a trusted name amongst the biggest manufacturers, gaining us authorised status as their local agents in Northern Ireland.

We are grateful for the 30th birthday wishes extended from Patiomaster, Camden Group, Camden Glass, Vistatherm, Apeer Doors, DGS Group, Prefix Systems, Alufold, Dessian, Spence Flooring, and Palladio Doors.

We would also like to extend our thanks to Rehau, Korniche, Affordable Warmth and Airbnb for naming us as their authorised reputable agents in Northern Ireland.

We are firm believers in community. 

As part of our 30th birthday celebrations, we will continue supporting deserving charities – read more here.

From a staff of 7 initially, we currently employ around 50 people on a full and part time basis – including many approved installers for the various projects we undertake.

The original 7 team members are still part of the Budget Designer HomeWorks family! (our name evolved too!).

Part of our remit when starting out was to provide high-performance, quality products tailored to your budget – and is still our policy today. 

We’re proud of our roots, our team, and the privilege of being entrusted with providing quality home improvements for our clients across Northern Ireland for the last 30 years.

To date, we have been involved in the renovation of over 100,000 homes!