If you have started pricing curtains for your home, chances are you were shocked by some of the prices that are being charged.
Curtains are very expensive.
With many new homes having lots of windows and even doors that need curtains, the price that you will pay to have curtains installed throughout your home is quite unbelievable.
However, there are some legitimate reasons for curtains to be so expensive.
You can’t simply expect that a piece of fabric can be put on the wall and look good instantly.
Those that manufacture and install curtains do know what they’re doing.
When it comes to home décor, style, and longevity, it pays to have a curtain expert come in and evaluate the needs of your home.
Be prepared for the cost this will bring along with it.
Let’s take a look at the top 10 reasons curtains are so expensive.
At the end of this, you may be able to justify the money that you are spending to keep the windows and doors of your home properly covered.
1. Manufacturing
First of all, curtains are so expensive because of the manufacturing process that they go through.
It would be great if you could simply pick a curtain off a shelf and fit it onto your window.
Some people can do this based on the type of home they have.
However, for the most part, your windows will be custom-built for your home, and they will be a variety of different sizes.
This makes shopping for curtains quite a bit more difficult.
With all of the different stores that have gone out of business because of the convenience of the internet, one thing that you still see is local curtain shops.
This has a lot to do with the fact that most people will need a custom curtain at some point in their homeownership.
If you are not too skilled with a sewing machine but still have windows or doors that need to be covered, you will need to pay to have curtains made for your windows.
The manufacturing process of curtains is quite labor-intensive.
Any time something needs to be stopped and measured more than once throughout the process, you can expect a higher price tag to come along with it.
It makes sense to get several prices for your curtains before you end up purchasing from one place.
Sometimes even handmade curtains can be the same price as a manufactured curtain when you talk about custom sizing.
The point is that because of the size, weight, color, and other features that curtains will have, the manufacturing process is slow and labor-intensive.
Any time there is more labor involved and more work for a company, you can expect to pay quite a bit more.
However, most people would still rather pay the extra money than have to make their own curtains.
2. Measurement
Have you ever tried to measure for your curtains?
If you have, you may start to understand how complex this process is.
Curtains can be hung in a variety of ways.
Because of this, you have to first understand the style and the look that you are going for before you can even measure for the curtains.
Once you have determined the fit of the curtain that you would like and the way that you want it to look, then you can start your measurement process.
However, the measurement process requires some thinking outside the box and general knowledge of basic construction.
After all, the curtain is going to hang from a rod that you may or may not already have over your window.
In addition to measuring the width of the curtain, you are also going to need to understand how the height of the curtain will work.
Curtains that hang along the ground will pick up dirt and cause more dust to collect right around the base of the curtain.
However, a curtain that is too short and not far enough down to the ground is also going to look quite odd.
It makes sense to find a curtain that is the perfect length for your window, and that may take a bit of time to measure.
Some people will have a curtain company come to their home specifically to do the measurements for their curtains.
This process typically costs quite a bit of money unless you order those curtains from this specific company.
Measuring curtains is time-consuming, and as we have already learned, time-consuming things add up to more expensive products.
3. Materials
Curtains can be made from a wide variety of materials.
Some homeowners like a cotton curtain while others will want silk or a lace curtain.
The materials that your curtains are made of will mostly reflect the style and decor of your home.
Some of these materials are going to be more expensive than others.
Depending on the type of curtain you like in a look you were going for, you could double or triple the price you pay for curtains.
If you can be flexible about the materials that your curtains are made of, you may end up saving quite a bit of money.
However, most of the time, the cheaper curtains are going to be much thinner.
From a standpoint of energy efficiency, this will not help you very much.
The light and the heat will come into the home through a very thin curtain.
Also, if you have pets or children in the home, the curtains could deteriorate at a much faster rate.
A good thing about curtains is that, most of the time, if you choose a great material, you will have them in place for many, many years.
In fact, when people choose to change their curtains, it is often not because there is anything wrong with the curtains, but instead, their style and design preferences have changed through the years.
When you choose to change your curtains, try to sell your old ones.
If the materials are still good, there may be somebody out there who can repurpose them and use them for something else.
4. Customization
Although customization is not the number one reason on our list, it is the factor that can increase the price of curtains astronomically.
The more custom you get with your curtains, the more money you will pay.
If you are someone who is going to be particular about the thread type or the hem or the way that the curtains close, you will pay quite a bit of money.
As we have talked about before, this is because it directly relates to the amount of labor that is put into the curtain making.
The more effort it takes to make the curtain, the more money you will have to pay.
Customization requires specific measurements, special materials, and lots of one-on-one time with your specific product.
The tough part about customization for most homeowners is that there is almost no way around it.
Chances are you’re going to have a window in your home that will require some type of custom curtain.
If you want to save money on curtains, try to get as many “off-the-shelf” curtains as you can and then save your money for the custom windows or doors that need the curtains.
Another option is to simply go with blinds on specific windows or doors and skip curtains altogether.
Of course, blinds still have a high cost associated with them, but they may still work out to be a little bit cheaper.
In the end, you will have to find an option that you like the look of but can also afford.
If every window or door in your home needs a custom curtain, you may want to start getting good with a sewing machine.
5. Installation & Hardware
If you have never tried to hang a curtain on your own, you may not understand the level of work that goes into this.
Have you ever hung a picture on a wall in your home?
When this picture does not hang straight, it can be very frustrating, and it will require you to drill more holes in your wall and try and clean up the mess that you’ve made.
This same process will apply to installing curtains on windows as well and become even more complicated.
The problem is curtains need a bar to hang on.
The bar or curtain rod must be properly installed for the curtain to hang naturally.
If the curtain wasn’t hung right, it may slope to one side or touch more of the ground on one side than another.
This is a problem, and it will be something that you will constantly be noticing.
It is very easy to see when a curtain is not hung correctly.
If you are not good at these types of home improvement projects, it makes sense to hire someone to install the curtains for you.
As soon as you start hiring people to hang curtains for you, you can expect to pay quite a bit more money.
You will not necessarily need to hire a specific curtain company, but you will need a handyman who can still spend several hours hanging curtains around your home.
This pricing will add up quickly and will increase the overall cost of a curtain project in your home.
If you are a homeowner who thinks you’re going to change your curtains out quite a bit, you could probably learn how to hang them yourself and get pretty efficient at it.
6. Energy Efficiency
Aside from looking good on the walls of your home, curtains also serve a purpose.
Of course, they can provide privacy for those in the home, but they will also make your house more energy efficient.
When the sun beats into the home in the summertime, you can close curtains to try and keep out some of the light and the heat.
In the wintertime, when the home is freezing, and the air is escaping through your windows and doors, you can close the curtains to try and keep the heat within the home.
Some curtains also offer a blackout design that will help keep light out.
This is great for those who struggle with sleeping and need a completely dark environment to sleep.
Every year, it seems to get more and more expensive to heat and cool a home.
If your curtains can help save you some money on your energy costs, the overall price of the curtains will be much more valuable.
Even if your home is not already energy efficient, you will want to look into curtains that can help the overall efficiency of your home.
Remember that curtains are a long-term investment.
You will not be replacing your curtains every few years as this is something that sticks around for 10 or even 15 years at a time.
Getting curtains that are going to protect your home and your energy bills will make the most sense.
Let’s face it: curtains are expensive, so you might as well use them to save a little bit of money on your electric bill.
7. Features And Design
The features of the curtains that are available on the market are going to increase the price that you pay.
Many of these curtains will have a lining that helps them hold in heat or keep the light out.
In addition, some technology can even be put into place so that the curtains automatically retract and move from the windows at certain times.
Some curtains will be machine washable so that you can keep them in great condition year after year.
In addition, with curtains becoming more dated-looking for some homes, new designers are constantly changing the styles that homeowners have access to.
The features and designs of curtains are constantly changing and improving, and this makes it more likely that you can find something to fit the specific needs of your home.
For primary or general run-of-the-mill curtains, the pricing is still going to be relatively fair.
However, as things start to increase in the features and functionality offered, expect to see higher prices.
8. Shipping
Although you may not think of curtains as being heavy, they can certainly add up in weight.
If you have a large room with quite a few windows or doors to cover, you can imagine that the curtain is going to weigh quite a bit.
Shipping a curtain that is heavy like this will require quite a bit of labor.
Now imagine the fact that the fabric used in this curtain first needs to be sent to the manufacturer.
At this point, they are going to use the fabric or material to make the curtains.
Once the curtains are made, they are then going to need to be shipped to the consumer.
The customer will end up absorbing the majority of the shipping costs associated with curtains.
Even if you think that you are getting free shipping on your curtains, costs are involved that will impact the overall price that you pay.
Some companies just take the shipping costs and add them into the costs of the curtain, and then they say that it ships for free.
When you get your boxes filled with curtains for your home, you will quickly understand what we were talking about when we said that curtains are heavy.
Expect these boxes to weigh quite a bit and get some help with hanging them, as it can be a difficult project simply because of the weight.
If you want to save on some of these shipping costs, you can always go to a local store and pick material to make the curtains yourself.
9. Home Decor And Style Trends
Curtains are also expensive because they are going to need to be replaced from time to time.
As nice as it would be to have curtains that will last the lifetime of your home, at some point, the curtains you have are going to be a bit outdated and ready for replacement.
The best way to deal with this is to stay on top of the home decor and style trends and change out the curtains when necessary.
You will find that the more the trends change, the more you will want to replace the current curtains in your home.
In addition, certain manufacturers are constantly changing their trends and decor styles because they want to stay at the top of their game.
The style trends that people want make curtains even more expensive.
If you are trying to keep your home up to date and allow for the latest style and look, then you will, unfortunately, have to spend quite a bit of money.
Curtains change quite a bit, and it gets expensive to keep a home looking good year after year.
10. Size And Weight
Curtains are rather large, which increases the price you will have to pay for them.
The larger the curtain, the more fabric it will need, and potentially, the more labor that it is going to need.
The size and weight of the curtains only increase the costs.
With curtains being so much larger, the overall amount of material is impacted as well.
When manufacturers have to work with these large curtains, they will need more space, more material, and more labor.
If you have large windows in your home, you will pay a lot for the curtains you put up.
Try and consider whether all of your windows are going to need curtains.
Sometimes there are ways that you can avoid using curtains but still get the privacy and coverage that you are looking for.
In the end, this could save you quite a bit of money.
Conclusion
However you look at this situation, you need to consider the fact that curtains are expensive.
There is only one real way to save money on curtains, and that is to make them yourself.
This will be quite a project, and you will have to understand the process and be willing to put the time in.
The measurement and installation are also going to take a considerable amount of time and play into your process of installing your own curtains.
Whatever you decide to do, the next time you look at curtains, you likely won’t look at them in the same light.
Chances are you will be much more aware of the work and time that goes into putting a curtain up in your home.
Many young homeowners are shying away from curtains, and as you can probably see, the reason behind this has almost everything to do with the cost.
Price out both curtains and blinds and try to find an option that fits your budget.
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