When you only have a certain portion of your budget to devote to repairs and renovations, you want to be sure that you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck. That means figuring out which repairs will be worth your money—which isn’t always immediately obvious. For instance, you may think that a major improvement like a kitchen or bathroom remodel would be a sound investment. These kinds of renovations do add to your home’s value, but for the money you’ll spend, they’re not as smart of an investment as a more practical update, like a window replacement.
Are replacement windows worth it? Well, upgrading your windows can have many benefits.
- Upgrading your Curb Appeal — even if people don’t step into your home, they’ll see your improvements.
- Increased Market Value — you’ll see a return on your investment at resale.
- Increased energy efficiency — providing potential savings on your monthly utility bills.
- A warmer environment — more efficient windows will keep you more comfortable.
- Elevation in your home’s overall comfort—a value that’s immeasurable.
Replacement Windows Are a Valuable Investment
Overall, the cost of replacement windows is worth the money you’ll spend—you’ll recoup about 70 to 80 percent of your costs on your home’s market value. So if your window replacement cost is $400, you can expect that to increase your home’s value by $280 to $320. To give you some perspective, replacing a home’s entry door returned around 97 percent of the initial investment while adding a sunroom returned just 52 percent. Very few improvements recoup 100 percent or more of their costs.
The specific value of your window replacement depends on your area’s market, as well as what kind of window and the type of window frame you choose to purchase. Vinyl window frames are cheaper than fiberglass and composite frames. They also offer comparable energy efficiency to fiberglass and composite alternatives, and they’re much more durable than wood. Wooden window frames clad in aluminum, vinyl, or fiberglass are also rated highly for attractiveness, but tend to cost more.
How Window Types Affect Costs
Best for value
- Double Hung Replacement Windows are the most popular window type to have installed. It’s the most common window you’ll see with two sashes that open vertically. They are also one of the most affordable options for window replacement.
- Single Hung Replacement Windows are cheaper, but they’re less popular than double-hung windows. This is because the top sash is inoperable, which makes them less functional and harder to clean.
- Casement Replacement Windows are slightly more expensive. They tend to keep out drafts and cold air better than double- and single-hung windows.
Aesthetics:
- Ultra Replacement Picture Window is a wide, single pane of glass that gives you a clean and uninterrupted view of the outdoors. Their simple design make them a nice complement to modern architecture.
- Bay and Bow Replacement Windows are similar to picture windows allowing for a larger, uninterrupted view of the outdoors. Bay and Bow windows also give the impression of a larger room since the windows penetrate and extend beyond the walls of the home.
Energy Efficient Windows ROI
As we mentioned earlier, your home’s market price isn’t the only kind of value offered by replacement windows. Energy-efficient windows can also save money on your energy bills. This goes hand in hand with your home’s value because buyers tend to jump on homes that have lower electricity bills, particularly in areas with high energy costs, like Houston where summer heat can increase air conditioning costs.
Single-pane windows: These offer no insulation between the glass panes are leaky and inefficient. If you have these installed on your home without storm windows, you could be losing up to 20 percent of your home’s heating to the outdoors, according to the Department of Energy. Unlike other replacement window companies, none of our windows are single pane windows. Sure, you can get cheaper windows now, but you’ll pay for it with higher energy costs and maintenance costs in the future.
Double-pane windows: Also known as insulated or double-glazed windows, these have two layers of glass in each window, which helps to slow drafts and reduce energy leaks. Many double pane windows are filled with an insulating gas, like argon or krypton, that absorbs winds before they can penetrate the interior of your home. Double-pane windows are almost always more expensive than single-pane windows, sometimes costing 30 to 50 percent more, but you will recoup your money in efficiency and comfort.
Low-e glass is a type of treated glass that conducts visible light while controlling the passage of heat. Low-e stands for low emissivity. This glass is an energy-efficient way to control the heat being allowed in and out of a home or environment. Learn more about Low-e-glass.
We have experience with Glass all over the Houston area, including Memorial, Tanglewood, River Oaks, Piney Point, Hedwig Village, Bunker Hill, Spring Branch, Memorial Villages, Hunters Creek, Bellaire, West University, Southside Place, Montrose, Katy, Cinco Ranch, Cypress, Brookshire, Hockley, Waller, Hempstead, Tomball, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Conroe, Magnolia, Montgomery, College Station, Bryan, Huntsville, Spring, Jersey Village, Copperfield, Humble, Lake Conroe, Lake Livingston, Northwest Houston, Fairfield, Braeswood.
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