You’re going to recover 87%… which means you’ll only lose 13% of the cost. It’s still most likely a smart decision*. Not only will buyers believe your house to be more updated but it’ll save you in fuel costs over the time you live in the house. Did you know that an 1/8 of an inch gap around your windows can equal a 6″ hole in your wall? Now add that up for all your windows. Let’s talk about money flying out the window! As an added bonus, the warranty on the replacement windows will even transfer to new owners.
* Be careful about making the decision to replace instead of repair; for example if you live in a home on the National Register of Historical Houses it may not approved to replace your windows because they are an integral part of the original architecture.
You can also get up to $200 back on your tax return if you can prove that you purchased energy efficient windows for your home.
I couldn’t find anything about the return on investment for adding a new construction window… but what I could find where facts on the ROI for increasing your curb appeal. I have no doubt we will recover every penny we’ve put into the front of our house. We have been careful with how much we spent. Like any improvement, you need to make sure your changes appeal to the majority of people, a too taste specific change and you could be hurting your ROI.
The other thing I want to talk about is why do to a lead-safe install like we did with Coastal Windows & Exteriors. I mentioned before that our house was probably built sometime around the 1930s so there was most likely some lead paint somewhere in the house. I found this on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website and thought that it showed how likely older homes are to have lead paint.
1. Even if you have covered up potential lead paint with newer paint when you are doing something like removing a window it’s stirring up a lot of dust from the simple act of the materials rubbing against each other to get a window out of the frame. Coastal Windows & Exteriors makes sure to block off the entire area (like you saw in this post) so that no dust flies into the home. Any installer you hire should be certified as a lead-safe installer to protect you and your family against lead dust.
2. Your installers need the right credentials. If you are caught without a lead-safe installer you can be fined up to $30,000.
3. Lead paint, including lead dust, is one of the biggest causes of lead poisoning.
4. Lead poisoning, even just from lead dust, can lead to all sorts of health problems such as “behavior and learning problems, lower IQ, hyperactivity, slowed growth or hearing problems”* and we’ve probably all heard of far more severe cases that result in death.
*taken from the EPA
I don’t mean to be Debbie Downer by explaining this but I thought it was important to know that all contractors aren’t created equal (check out Coastal Windows & Exteriors Contractor Standards Guide here). And all contractors aren’t going to do the best for your family. We had a great experience with Rocky, the installer that works for Coastal Windows & Exteriors. He was incredibly safety conscious and is very particular about children not being anywhere near the window removal / installation until after everything is cleaned up.
You can read more about our excellent experience with Coastal Windows & Exteriors here, here, here and here. We were provided the installation free of charge in exchange for my unbiased review of their services.
On an additional note, Coastal Windows & Exteriors will be highlighted on two episodes of Flipping Boston… they are providing a new roof for a home in Lynn and two doors compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act… that’s all I can say about the episodes but you’ll be touched! I love working with companies that value giving back.
Lastly, they are giving away a free roof to a family in need. Please visit their No Roof Left Behind site here for details.
Stephanie, the owner of CW & E with the hosts of Flipping Boston.
FREE FOR MIGONIS HOME READERS
Lastly, Coastal Windows & Exteriors is offering anyone with the code MIGONISHOME $250 off any of their energy efficient lifetime windows, siding, roofing or entry doors! You can book your FREE educational consultation with them here or by calling 888.812.2783. You can also check out their other great promotions HERE.
You can find out about Coastal Windows & Exteriors events here and you can find their Facebook page here where they will post helpful tips and info about great events they host.
