Replacing old sash windows with PVC

I'm looking at a property at present which has old timber sash windows which will need to be replaced. I was wondering if it would be acceptable to replace these with white pvc windows whiwch will be maintenance free?
The house is a semi detached in an old estate. As far as I can see the other houses still have their original sash windows

I'm also thinking of making other changes such as an attic conversion, putting in a stairs to the attic and velux roof windows to the rear of the property (not visible from the front). I'm wondering if I will need to apply for planning permission for these changes or is it not necessary?

Or if I was to simply replace the sash windows with new sash windows would this mean that planning permission would not be required?

Are the timber frames in bad condition? If not, I'd get them painted and have double-glazed installed on the existing frames. I think PVC looks cheap, especially those white ones.

Make sure to do your homework before you touch the windows. I have seen a number of cases like this. Owners change windows to uPVC and are then made change them back to Timber Up & Down Sliding sash Windows. Its bad enough to change the windows and re-decorate once, without having to do it a second time.

To replace Up & Down's with the same you won't need planning unless there is a preservation order on the house. To change existing windows to D/G - you will need to change the sashes and if weight's they will need to be adjusted. If they are 1/1 they will look the same d/g but if the are 6/6 the georgian bar will have to increse in dimension to cover the 12mm black seal on each D/G unit. A good lick of paint could also do wonders for them. Saw a professional painter painting some the other day and he was using a colour called "Seasoned White" - looked very nice.

You could look at the possibility of keeping the front windows sliding sash and the rear of the house that won't be seen you could put in the uPVC. There is a lot of work in changing and up & down window to a regular casement window and the "box of the up & down is nearly 5.75" in depth and a casement window only 2.75" in depth. So you end up with a difference which can be sorted with a liner, but if you have traditional shutters they won't work again.

Maybe your windows need to be repaired and not replaced - don't jump into anything without alot of research. Where I work the amount of people who took out up & down's years ago are all sorry now and some have even put them back in again!

Double Glazed up & down sliding sash windows will maintain if not enhance the value of your house. I'm sure it was the appearance of the house amongst other things that brought you to the stage of purchasing - to change the windows will have a dramatic effect on the apperance of your house.

Hi - I agree with NHG that keeping the sash windows will maintain the value of your home. When we were looking at houses (all old ones) we considered that PVC windows were an extra cost for us, as we would have to rip them out immediately and replace them with traditional wooden sash ones. In the end we bought a house which had its orginal windows and this counted as a major plus for us. PVC is ok for a modern house, but not for an old one, in my opinion at any rate. This is an issue a lot of people feel very strongly about, although I know that some people don't care. The people who buy older houses though are more likely to be people that do care and you should bear this in mind before putting in PVC.

I was wondering if it would be acceptable to replace these with white pvc windows whiwch will be maintenance free?

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PVC is very ugly in old buildings and replacing timer sashes will probably devalue of your house despite what uPVC ads and salesmen tell you. The idea that uPVC is maintenance free is also marketing con job; sure you don't have to paint them but currently uPVC isn't expected to last to 30 years - that's assuming the hinges, handles, seals and such don't give out before that. Have a read of [broken link removed]. Some of the contributers can be trainspotterish but looking at some of the pictures, you realise how much damage has been done to old buildings around the country by replacing their traditional sash windows.