Made to Measure vs Ready Made: The Honest Comparison

Let's start with the numbers, because that's usually the deciding factor:

• Ready made curtains: £20 – £80 per pair (Dunelm, IKEA, John Lewis)
• Made to measure curtains: £100 – £400+ per window (specialist suppliers, local curtain makers)
• Ready made blinds: £10 – £40 per blind
• Made to measure blinds: £40 – £150 per blind

For a typical 3-bed new build, ready made curtains for the whole house might cost £300-£600. Made to measure for the whole house could be £1,500-£4,000+. It's a significant difference — and for some homes, the extra spend is absolutely worth it. For others, it isn't.

Standard-ish window sizes: If your windows are close to standard widths (90cm, 117cm, 168cm, 228cm), ready made will work well. You might need to accept a couple of centimetres either way, but nobody will notice.

Bedrooms (not the master): Spare rooms, kids' rooms, and home offices don't need the precision of made to measure. A good pair of ready made blackout curtains from Dunelm or John Lewis will do the job perfectly.

First year budget: Moving into a new build is expensive. There's no shame in starting with ready made curtains everywhere and upgrading the living room and master bedroom later. Many people do exactly this.

Rental properties: If you're buying to let, ready made is the practical choice. They're easy to replace if damaged and the cost per window is a fraction of made to measure.

Your living room: This is the room guests see first. A perfectly fitted pair of curtains in a beautiful fabric makes the entire room feel more expensive and considered. It's the single biggest interior upgrade you can make.

Non-standard windows: Bay windows, extra-wide patio doors, unusually tall or short windows — ready made simply won't work. Made to measure is the only option, and it'll look a million times better than bodging something off-the-shelf.

Blinds for exact fit: Made to measure blinds fit precisely in your recess with no gaps, no light bleed, and no awkward overhang. For bedrooms where darkness matters, this precision is worth every penny.

When you want a specific fabric: The fabric range for made to measure is vastly wider than ready made. If you've fallen in love with a particular material, texture, or pattern, made to measure gives you access to thousands of options.

New builds have a particular quirk that makes measuring tricky: the plaster can still be settling for the first few months. Some new build owners find that measurements taken on move-in day are slightly different from measurements taken three months later as the house dries out and settles.

A pragmatic approach: put up ready made curtains or temporary blinds for the first 3-6 months. Live in the house, get a feel for how you use each room, let the plaster settle — then order made to measure for the rooms that matter most. You'll make better choices and get a more accurate fit.

This is where a lot of new build buyers get caught out:

• Ready made: Available immediately. Order online, pick up in store, or get next-day delivery. You can dress your windows on move-in day.
• Made to measure blinds: Typically 5-10 working days from order to delivery. Order 2-3 weeks before your move date.
• Made to measure curtains: 3-6 weeks depending on the supplier and fabric. For a local curtain maker, allow 4-8 weeks.
• Smart/motorised blinds: Some in stock, some 2-4 weeks. IKEA FYRTUR is often in stock; premium brands like Luxaflex can be 6-8 weeks.

The golden rule: measure your windows as soon as you get your completion date, even if the house isn't finished. Most new build sales advisors will let you in to measure a week or two before completion. Use that time wisely.