There are various reasons why you would want to tackle window replacement as your next home project. You may want to take advantage of the tax rebates that are given to households with energy-saving windows. It might also be because your old windows cannot keep out the rain and cold draft . Or you may just want to improve the overall aesthetics of your home.
Whatever the reason is, there are several factors that you may want to consider before taking the leap in investing your money on window replacements.
Budget vs. Return on Investment
You need to be clear on why you want to replace your windows. If you are only doing it to ‘save energy’, note that you’ll wait quite a long time before you see a return on investment (ROI) for your trouble. A new window can only help save 5 to 15% of total energy consumed so unless you are doing other home renovations that would make the ROI a wee bit faster, you might just want to go for a simple window retro-fit rather than a window replacement.
However, if you are trying to upgrade the market value of your home, then a window replacement is exactly what you need. When you sell your home, about 73% of your investment would most likely return to you. Just be sure that you choose the right window though as awkward fittings or mismatched windows can bring the property value down.
Finding a Window Replacement Contractor
Unless you are a window replacement contractor yourself, then never attempt to do a replacement on your own. Hiring an experienced contractor will keep you from having ill-fitting window installations or worse, an unsafe installation. You may think that you are saving tremendous amount of money on labor cost by doing it yourself but you might end up spending a lot more while trying to correct mistakes in the installation.
There are window manufacturers with certified window contractors, making them experts in fitting and installation of certain brands. Furthermore, an experienced window contractor can definitely help you choose which type of window replacement will satisfy your needs, meet the budget, and will look good on your home at the same time.
Sources:
5 Things to Know Before You Replace Windows, time.com
Home Window Buying Guide, consumerreports.org
