We chose very high spec triple glazed wood framed windows that were externally clad with insulated aluminium for our build. These have proved to be a very good choice indeed. No issues, no problems, no repairs of any kind needed except for where someone tried to break in using a plank through a window I left open on tilt to help plaster dry out. The window head plaster got damaged a little by the plank and the hinge mechanism was bent a bit but they did not get in. These windows are very secure, very robust with very high quality ironmongery.
The windows from inside and outside look pretty much identical to the day that we moved in, you can check with the photos on my website to confirm this. My wife regularly cleans the window sills outside and helps me keep the window jambs clean. I wash the windows and frames outside every other month doing them from the inside upstairs as they open inwards providing easy access and saving the cost of a window cleaner. Downstairs I do them from outside. I check the operation of all of them every year and in the early years I did make a few very small adjustments as some were slightly out of alignment but nothing more recently. I very sparingly apply some silicone spray oil to the multipoint locking mechanisms every other year.
The windows look set to last 100 years.
