I have also read that replacing wood with upvc actually lowers
the price of the house.

rubbish. 99.9% of buyers are not that discerning and /prefer/
the draughtproofing and sound insulation that upvc dg gives.

We must be two of the 1%. We wouldn't have upvc for the world and can't
see how it can be more draughtproof or insulative than well fitting
timber.

Well, the 0.1%. Count me in too. However, the effect on price varies
according to location. In a nice Victorian area, uPVC will knock thousands
off the house. On a scummy concrete estate, it is an advantage.

Christian.