Buying shades online vs working with a local dealer

It is no secret that blinds/shades & textiles have increased over the last 5-6 years. We know when you’re looking for window coverings you’re searching online and major retailers as well as local dealers show up on your feed. You may post in local FB groups and many will offer referrals for their favorites. You may do your due diligence and get a few local quotes as well as complete the online quote pages and probably end up even more confused, or choosing the lowest price but not really understanding what you are getting. I’m happy to share a little behind the scenes knowledge of what’s going on. This is maybe slightly more leaning toward the benefit of using a dealer, but I understand certain reasons for ordering from the large online retailers, so we’ll keep an open mind!

Online retailers-many of these sites are owned by the large name brands you know such as Hunter Douglas, Graber, Shade Store, etc. Depending on how you look at it, it could be considered a smart business model but disappointing for their dealers because they actually go online and compete with the very dealers that built their business, but I digress.

What the online retailers are selling you is very often, older versions of their products, a very select, most cost effective fabrics and guiding you into very select options that they know fit within the price point they’re offering. Please know that the prices you see like $82 for a shade is with no actual selections and for a window size that doesn’t match real window sizes. Once you enter your sizes, top treatment, lining, control system, hem bar option and others, the price changes significantly. I’ve tested this several times on various sites and I’ve only one time compared a fabric that came up $20 less than my price.

If the fabrics you see, options and price are fit what you’re looking for and you trust your measuring and installation skills are good, I can understand cutting out the middle man. I also understand there may be times in life where you want coverings for a rental, or a basement area or garage, etc. and you just don’t want to spend alot of money. There are these same options to save money with a local dealer, if you share with them what you’re looking for.

What you get when working with a local dealer is a more hands on, customized approach with a large variety of options. Of course, you get the measure, ordering and installation services but the best part is the expertise and the after order care.

Many new homes being built these days have more decorative trim options, less depth in windows and often times custom shapes that can cause challenges for a standard one size fits all product line. This is where the expertise of a local dealer can be a benefit. We dive into reference guides, look at bracket sizes, minimum depths and widths, wiring specifics, programming apps, etc.

Please also know, there can be hundreds of dollars difference in just fabric groups, so if you’re calling around and asking for the cost of a white roller shade for a 36 X 70 window, you can easily be quoted from different fabric groups with ranging prices from $100-400 difference. Top treatments like cassette, reverse roll, valance, cornices and control options and motor options can also make a big difference in price. If you want to control shades on an app on your phone, don’t forget to get a Hub or Bridge that may be needed for that. (if you have a large home, 2 or 3 story, you may need a few of these)

If you ever want to compare apples to apples, feel free to bring me your quote from an online source and I’ll help show you a true comparison.

Most dealers have options to help you save money if you’ll just be honest when you have your consultation. There is no shame in saying that for a particular space or time in your life, that you are working within a budget. A good dealer could also help you put more of your budget into the rooms that you live in the most, and save more in say the laundry room and pantry.

If you need help purchasing a product from an online source, we do offer a consultation for $150 where we will help guide you to the right products and what questions to ask to minimize any mistakes. If you would like us to measure and give the sizes to you, we do that for $175.00. We of course, prefer to be an all inclusive measure, design, order and install service but we’ll help you as needed.

Please also keep in mind, that your local dealer will help you in the event of any issues with your product. I don’t know how well the large online retailers handle this for you or for how long.

A quick quide to shades from affordable to most expensive.

Faux Wood blinds are the most cost effective product you can buy. There are no longer options even in this category for blinds that are $30,50 dollars a window. If you can find it, I would worry. This category had to increase in price as every mftr had to re design their blinds to eliminate the cords.

The next step in price is honeycomb shades, aka cellular shades. Note: there are very basic affordable options in the is category but certain brands carry upgraded options here as well that could cost as much as higher end products.

Roller Shades- a fan favorite! Slim, modern, functional, cost effective, great textures and colors, and you can control these with a manual chain, cordless, or motorized.

Plantation Shutters- A great next option for those that don’t want to lift and lower a shade daily.

Woven Shades/Roman Shades- Most people are shocked that these are at the top of the price category. It can be less with certain fabrics/styles but the cost to fabricate this type of shade takes the most amount of time and care. Options for controls are the same but could be reduced to smaller sizes with certain fabrics.

Drapery-The best type of treatment to layer over shades, use as full opening or as simple panels on the sides of your window or door opening. The amount of fabric used, the labor to fabricate and install can make this option the highest cost. This is one area that is hard to match online. You can find panels in online in certain widths, heights, in limited neutral colors. The quality of the fabrication is not the same as custom. Also note, the fullness shown in most online photos requires you to purchase multiple panels so keep this in mind when looking at total cost. Be mindful of the style of the top of the panels and plan your hardware accordingly.

Insider tip-do not install your drapery rod in the middle of the wall between top of window and ceiling. Decide between 4” above the window or just under the crown molding or ceiling is better for a sturdier installation.