In a rental, pick coverings that fix with the fewest holes and can come with you when you go. In a new build, the timing of the measure matters as much as the product, because a blind ordered off plan rarely matches what the builder actually leaves you.
Renting: ask before you drill
Anything screwed to a wall counts as an alteration in most residential leases, so get it in writing from the agent before you start. Most owners say yes to blinds, especially if the windows are currently bare, and some will contribute because the fittings stay with the property.
Put the request in plain terms. Say which windows, what you want to fit, where the brackets will land, and offer to leave them or make good at the end. An agent who has that in an email is far easier to deal with at the final inspection.
Options that leave the least behind
Fewer brackets means fewer holes. A roller blind is about the smallest footprint you can get, with two brackets, each taking a couple of screws. An inside mount into the timber reveal leaves marks in the reveal rather than in the painted wall face, which usually reads better at inspection time.
Curtains on a track or rod are the other easy one, because the hardware stays and you take the fabric with you. Deep rooms with full-height glass are the exception, since a ceiling fix needs to land on solid backing and that is a bigger conversation with the owner.
Where you cannot fix anything at all, tension rods in the reveal and freestanding screens do exist, though neither will control light or heat the way a fitted blind does. Be honest with yourself about what you actually need the covering to do.
New builds: when to book the measure
Measure after the windows are in, the architraves and sills are on, and the walls are painted. Before that, the opening you measure is not the opening you will end up with. Render, plaster thickness and architrave profile all change the reveal size, sometimes by 20mm or more.
Practical completion or shortly before is the usual window. Blinds are made to size, so allow manufacturing time between the measure and the install rather than expecting them the week you move in. If you are coordinating with a removalist and a cleaner, book the blind install after the floors are finished and protected.
For a knockdown rebuild or a large renovation, a pre-measure off the plans is still useful for budgeting and for deciding where you want power for motors. It is not the measure the blinds get made from.
Fixings, reveals and what the builder leaves you
New homes throw up three things worth knowing about before the installer arrives.
- Shallow reveals. Aluminium windows set close to the plaster line leave very little depth. A slimline roller wants about 40mm to sit clear of the architrave, and a cassette or a double roller wants closer to 100mm, so a face fix is often the answer.
- Plasterboard with nothing behind it. Brackets need timber, a proper anchor, or the window frame itself. Full-height glass with no wall above it means a ceiling fix, and that has to land on a joist or on solid backing.
- Power for motors. If you want motorised blinds, the cleanest result is a power point or a hardwired supply near the head of the window, decided before the electrician signs off.
Tell your builder early if motorised blinds are on the list. Chasing a cable through a finished wall is a job nobody enjoys.
Spending where it counts
Most people cannot do every window at once, and they do not need to. Start with the rooms that are unlivable without a covering. Bedrooms and any street-facing window come first, then the west-facing glass that makes a room unbearable by four in the afternoon.
Do a whole room at a time rather than one window here and one there, so the fabric and the mount match across the space. Roller blinds in a consistent fabric through the main rooms give you a finished look on a staged budget, and you can add curtains over the top later for warmth and softness without changing the blinds.
Keep a note of the fabric name and colour. Coming back in a year for the remaining rooms is much easier when nobody has to guess what went in first.
Whether it is a rental you want sorted quickly or a new build you are planning ahead for, book a free measure and quote. We will work out what suits the windows you have and when the right time to measure is.
Common questions
When should I measure blinds for a new build?
After the windows, architraves and sills are installed and the walls are painted, normally around practical completion. Plaster and architrave thickness change the reveal size, so a measure taken earlier will not match the finished opening.
Can I take blinds with me when I move out of a rental?
Blinds are made to the size of a specific window, so they rarely fit the next place. Curtains are easier to take, since you keep the fabric and leave the track. Agree with the agent up front whether the blinds stay or come out.
Do I need power run for motorised blinds in a new build?
It is much tidier if you do. Tell your builder before the electrician finishes so a supply can be put near the head of the window. Retrofitting power into a finished wall means cutting and patching.