Altering curtains you already own.

What we alter, and what it costs.

For comparison, new made-to-measure curtains run $280 to $900 per window depending on fabric, lining and heading, as set out in the cost guide. An alteration is frequently a third of the price of replacing, which is why we always price it first.

Re-hemming after new flooring.

This is the most common job we do, and it catches almost everyone who renovates. New carpet, floating timber or tile over an old slab raises the finished floor by 10mm to 25mm, which is exactly the clearance a well-made curtain was hung with. The hem now sits on the floor, drags when you draw it, and picks up dirt at the leading corner.

Re-hemming costs $80 to $180 per curtain. The variables are fabric weight, width, and whether the curtain is lined or interlined, because a lined curtain has to have the lining and the face fabric re-set at slightly different lengths so the lining does not peek below the hem. Interlined curtains take longest because there are three layers to re-balance.

If you are planning flooring and curtains in the same renovation, do the flooring first, or tell us the finished floor height at the measure so we can allow for it. That is one of the checks covered in the measuring guide.

Re-heading an older curtain.

Re-heading means removing the existing heading and remaking the top of the curtain in a different style. It is the cheapest way to modernise a curtain whose fabric you still like. Pencil pleat or tab top to double pinch pleat is a straightforward $120 to $300 per curtain job.

The limit is fullness. A heading only looks right at the fullness it was designed for, and re-heading cannot add fabric width that is not there. Pinch pleat needs roughly 2 to 2.2 times the track length, and S-fold needs 2.2 to 2.5 times plus a compatible track. So converting an old low-fullness curtain to S-fold usually does not work: there is not enough cloth, and you would be buying new hardware anyway. The fullness numbers are laid out in S-fold versus pinch pleat.

Re-heading is also the moment to reconsider the hardware. If the curtains are moving from a rod to a track, or need to turn a bay in an older home in Beaconsfield or Garfield, that is priced separately. See tracks versus rods.

Adding blockout or thermal lining.

This is the alteration with the biggest practical payoff. Plenty of homes have perfectly good unlined or standard-lined curtains that simply do not do the job: the bedroom is bright at 6am, or the lounge loses its heat through the glass every winter night. Adding a blockout or thermal lining runs $150 to $400 per pair, and it turns a decorative curtain into a working one.

The curtain is opened at the hem and sides, the new lining is fitted and set to the correct differential length, and the hem is remade. Two things we check first: that the face fabric is sound enough to take the handling, and that the existing track can carry the extra weight, because a lining adds real load to a long curtain. In older single glazed homes around Koo Wee Rup and Bunyip this is usually the best money you can spend on a window short of replacing the glass. The lining options are compared in the fabric and lining guide.

Resizing curtains for a new home.

Moving house and hoping the curtains come with you is a reasonable instinct, particularly with quality fabric. It works when the new windows are the same size or smaller, since a curtain can be narrowed and shortened but never meaningfully lengthened or widened without a visible join.

Practically, that means a set from an older home with modest windows will not stretch across the large glass in a new estate build. What often does work is repurposing: the curtains from a large lounge in the old house become bedroom curtains in the new one. Bring your measurements to the quote and we will work through which sets can travel and which cannot, before you pay to move them.

When altering is the wrong call.

• Uneven fading. If the curtain has faded where it sat exposed, altering it just gives you a well-fitted faded curtain.
• Too narrow for the new track. A curtain made for a 1.8 metre track will look mean on a 3 metre one. Fullness cannot be added.
• Too short for the new drop. Lengthening needs a join or a contrast band, and both usually look like what they are.
• Failed coating. An old coated blockout lining that has started to crack or peel cannot be repaired, though the face fabric can often be re-lined.
• The total approaches new. Re-hem plus re-head plus new lining plus new track on one curtain is close to the cost of a new one, without the new fabric.

We will tell you which side of that line you are on before any work starts, and we have no problem saying that altering is not worth it.

How it works.

We come to you anywhere in Pakenham and the Cardinia Shire, look at the actual curtains on the actual windows, and quote the alteration against the cost of replacing so you can see both numbers. Curtains are taken away, altered and rehung. Turnaround on alterations is shorter than new make-up, generally 1 to 3 weeks rather than 3 to 5. Call (03) 9962 4152 or book a free assessment online.

Frequently asked questions.