Buying a used front door - is it sensible & what to watch out for

Aluminium vs. plastic 40mm filling with poor insulation vs. 60mm highly insulating filling Triple locking vs. single lock Leaf-covering filling vs. normal filling Type and quality of the door hinges Possible additional equipment for higher-quality doors (electric opener, fingerprint, RC classes, etc.) And so on. There are many differences (but it doesn't directly relate to the hardware store). And you can also get doors for €3,500 at the hardware store. You can simply compare them on site and talk to a consultant. The

Hello, thank you very much, that's exactly what I meant. The question is, how do I now find the right one for my needs. Of course, the door should look good, but in my opinion it can be "normal" – secure. How much insulation do I really need? I naturally want to avoid drafts, but my house is from 1965 anyway and not excessively insulated. I would rather do special equipment myself (smart lock, etc.).

With these questions in mind, I can approach the topic further. Many thanks for that!!!

Example Hörmann, aluminum doors, there are several qualities, the two simplest ones are also offered in the hardware store as high-priced under different names. But with the price, quality, features, insulation, and burglary resistance class also increase, in total from €800 - €6000 (2 years ago)

No one replaces a still functional door; either it is drafty, the panes are fogged up, or cracked (plastic).

I wouldn’t see it that negatively. It does happen that builders find the windows in the door leaf too much or after 10 years there is a change of ownership, and then they replace quite a bit because they don’t like it. So always ask how old the door is and why it is being replaced.

Design-wise we want it rather simple, so that is out in my opinion.

Simple design is the most expensive there is. Also in high-quality material... I think you mean common design, possibly also gladly in inexpensive plastic?!

No one replaces a door that is still functional, either it is drafty, the panes are fogged up or cracked

If you like it, take your time and pay attention, you can sometimes find beautiful and also special things there, not only related to the price.
There is nothing that doesn’t exist; often a part has not even been installed yet... but you have to be careful.
Back then, we had just received our double garage door when an unforeseen change occurred and the garage became an office. Fortunately, we found an interested party (at that time still without the internet) who then precisely adapted their garage opening to it.
You have to have the desire and leisure for it, but sometimes you can find great things and delivery nowadays is no longer a problem.

You have to know your own requirements. Some things are partly specified by KFW requirements. Just take a look. I also think there are real bargains here and there. Doors that haven't even been installed yet, maybe just have a small dent (ask the manufacturer about second choice?), no longer liked after the owner change, etc. Of course, you have to be lucky. Maybe craftsmen also have doors they made that were not sold after all.

Personally, I am an advocate of the golden mean. I wouldn’t want a 600€ door from the hardware store, nor one for 6000€. It has to close well, be airtight, preferably also "soundproof," and look good. In an old building that is otherwise poorly insulated, a super expensive door with perfect insulation values doesn’t make sense anyway. Our old building is well insulated and therefore the new door will also be relatively good. But you really have to think about it and see that you buy something that makes sense in your own situation.