The Hidden Costs of Poor-Quality Window Furnishings
As locals, we’re proud of our small window furnishing business. We’re coming up to ten years of window furnishings in Wagga, with over a hundred 5-star reviews, across thousands of homes we have furnished! We’re always testing the window furnishing market for products and options, because if there’s a better product out there, we want to know about it. And if it’s excellent, we want to make sure we bring it to Wagga. We don’t just take a supplier’s word for it or a sales reps marketing push – we put the products, including DIY and locally available options, to the test. And if you’re looking for “cheap”, you won’t love what we found.
The Reality of Looking for Cheap
We see it all the time – homeowners looking for a “cheaper” or “easier” alternative to our professional window furnishings, only to be disappointed with the experience or the final result, and still have spent a pretty penny. And unfortunately here’s something we don’t like to talk about: it’s not just the online DIY options that are problematic – some local businesses are cutting corners too. We’ve come across shutters installed in Wagga upside down, mismatched finished installed side-by-side, and poorly designed curtains that should have been made entirely differently, hanging in people’s homes. The worst part of all that? The homeowners still paid a decent amount for these ‘custom-made’ goods, assuming they were getting a high-quality, custom finish.
So we thought we’d open the curtain on one of our recent product tests.
We ordered an Australia-made shutter from a factory used by a popular online retailer and also by some local businesses, and a double curtain from a workroom used by others in the region, to see how they compared. What we found? Sometimes these “budget-friendly” or “easy DIY” or “cheap” alternatives don’t stack up and aren’t actually the better deal. In fact, some of these online DIY window furnishing products were actually more expensive than our full-service quotes. Yes, really – DIY cost more than having us professionally measure and install it for you. Eeeesh.
Testing the Australian-Made Shutter: Disappointing Quality at a Higher Price
It sounds like an exaggeration in order to write a really great blog, but no word of a lie, straight out the box we noticed the paint was flaking. Like most Australian-Made shutters, the material was unnecessarily heavy, constructed with basic techniques from imported parts. Local doesn’t always mean high quality – and this product proved it. The quality of the finish is only as good as the quality of each part.
The price? One major online store sells DIY shutters for 30% more than ours, another 15% more, another 10% more – and that’s without hidden freight costs and professional installation. Even their good reviews still mention missing parts, time-consuming installs, and modifications just to make them fit. One reviewer admitted they had to hire a handyman – so much for saving on DIY! And yet some local businesses are using the exact same suppliers and charging you for these custom-made products.
Testing the Curtains: Mass-Produced and Cutting Corners
The double curtain we ordered used fabric that was re-branded but felt cheap – as though premium materials had been swapped and skimped for lower-end versions. The sheer was low on thread count, which is a cost cutting measure to import rip-off fabrics at super low prices having no regard for how they will survive in our Australian UV. The fullness was lacking (lower than our recommended for similar headings), the hem was a single fold where we use double-folded for a better drape, and the stitching was a basic overlock finish. It was a textbook example of mass production disguised as “custom-made”. This is far from the standard we expect in premium window furnishings.
Sadly we’ve seen this play out in homes right here in Wagga. Curtains that don’t sit right, fabric that should have been used differently, or measure and installation choices that don’t make sense in the grand scheme of the finish. The homeowner thinks they’ve invested with a business for high-quality finish, but they’ve been given a cut-price product dressed up as luxury.
At Riverina Interiors, we do things differently. Our curtains aren’t mass-produced. They’re handcrafted right here in Wagga by experienced seamstresses who make sure every detail is right. No shortcuts, no cutting corner – just real quality.
We Vet Every Brand – So You Don’t Have To
We don’t just talk about quality – we test it. We’ve reviewed over 30 brands of shutters in Australia, from Chinese-made to Indonesian-made to Australian-made, in materials like basswood, cedar, poly resin, PVC, and aluminium. We’ve tested licensed brands, locally made products, and everything in between.
And let’s be clear – we don’t choose our brands based on price. We choose them based on craftsmanship, construction, quality control, paint finish, and their ability to be customised for every window in your home. We’re not here to sell you something and walk away – we offer products that bring real value to your home, the ones you won’t be calling us about with issues down the track. In our ten years of business we can count on one hand the number of jobs we’ve had call backs on to fix something up that wasn’t right with the quality the first time. Yet literally just in March 2025, we had over 20 enquiries from Wagga locals about fixing and repairing issues from products that were sold and installed by other local businesses with quality issues – most still not that old!
Our Takeaway?
Before choosing a “cheaper” option, whether it’s DIY or another local business, ask yourself:
- What is your time worth? One 5-star review for a DIY company mentioned their one-window installation taking two people 1.5 hours – another said it took all afternoon! Your time is valuable. Your free time is also. Why pay more just to spend hours struggling with an install and a frustrating after-sales team if you need support. We are efficient and clean. We respect you, your time, your home, and your hard earned money.
- Will it truly save you money? We’ve seen DIY products cost more than our full-service options. And some local window furnishings retailers charge premium prices for subpar work. When you add in the cost of fixing mistakes or living with something that “could have been better”, was it really the better deal?
- Are you getting quality that lasts? We’ve seen too many homeowners realise – too late – that they paid good money for something that wasn’t up to standard. Cheap materials don’t hold up. Bad design leads to disappointment. Once it’s up, you’re stuck with it and the holes it’s left in your walls and wallet.
When you work with us, you get personalised service from a local business that actually cares, expert advice so you get the right solution for your home, a team that respects your home and your hard-earned money, and a stress-free experience – we measure, install, and ensure everything is done right.
If you want cheap, that’s not us.
If you want the cheapest option, we’re likely not the right fit.
If you want trusted quality and long-term value, we’d love to help.
– Riverina Interiors
Ready for quality window furnishings that look good and last?
Call us on (02) 59 711 352
Visit us at 38A Bourke Street, Wagga Wagga