Every time you spend money on a home project, you want to think about two factors – how the money you are spending is going to improve your home in the short term, and what it is going to say about the value of your home in the long run. It’s a big decision to spend money on upgrading any part of your house, so you’ll only want to proceed after both of these factors are taken into consideration.
This line of thinking certainly applies to new windows. There are a lot of benefits in adding new windows to your house, but it's an investment – so you should educate yourself on what you stand to gain in exchange for the money you spend. Let’s dive in and take a closer look below.
Seeing the Short Term First
Before we look at what new windows can do to the value of your home, let’s first talk about the many reasons why you might want to have new windows installed in the first place. There is a lot to gain here, including the following:
Improved energy efficiency. Perhaps the single biggest benefit that you stand to gain from adding new windows to your home is the energy efficiency improvements that you will enjoy. Modern windows do a much better job of limiting energy transfer from outside to inside, meaning hot and cold conditions outside will have less of an impact on the temperature inside your house. That means, in the end, that you will need to use less energy throughout the year to heat or cool your house, and the savings will quickly start to add up on your utility bill.
Better security. If you have particularly old windows in your home, or if some of your windows are damaged, they may be a vulnerability in terms of security. An old, busted window could be easy to wiggle open for someone who is looking for things to steal. Don’t give thieves such easy access when you can upgrade to new windows that will be strong and secure.
More comfortable home. Going along with the point on energy efficiency, you’ll also find that your house is simply more comfortable when it has new windows. No longer will you have to deal with hot or cold spots in front of the windows – you’ll notice that your rooms are far more consistent in terms of temperature and you will be able to use every room in the home no matter what the weather is like outside.
Upgraded ventilation. Old windows are sometimes hard to open and close. If the windows in your home struggle to open without getting stuck – or they don’t like to close easily once you do get them open – you might find that you just leave them closed throughout the year and sacrifice the ventilation that you might have liked to enjoy. With new windows, you’ll have no trouble opening and closing them as you please, and you can keep your home much fresher in the spring, summer, and fall.
Will Replacing my Windows Increase my Home’s Value?
So, with it clearly established that you have a lot to gain by having new windows installed, let’s get down to the business of answering the question from the title of this article. Are you going to see an increase in the value of your home thanks to having this project completed?
The answer is almost certainly yes, you will.
According to Canadian Real Estate Magazine, new windows generate higher returns compared to interior renovations, with modern window installations reducing energy costs by 15-20% .
With the exception of one caveat, which we will get to in a moment, you should see a nice bump in the value of your home on the open market after you have this upgrade completed. According to Zillow real estate marketplace, a house with new windows is going to be more attractive to potential buyers , who will appreciate all of the benefits that we listed in the previous section. And, since this is now a project that they won’t have to take on, they should be willing to offer more upfront for the property. Also, by making your house more attractive overall, you may create a bidding war situation for the home, and the final purchase price could sneak up even higher than you expected.
So, what is the one exception that we need to discuss about new windows adding value to your house? The only case where you might not see that come to reality is a situation where you are replacing windows that were already in good condition to begin with. If there wasn’t much at all wrong with your old windows – they were relatively new and still functioning properly – you might not see much of a gain in the end. That’s not a problem for many people, of course, since you are probably only thinking about a new window project because your old ones are no longer getting the job done.
Also, if a window company convinces you to change windows that are already in good condition, you might want to reconsider the companies you're dealing with.
The Key to Making a Good Investment in Your Home
No matter what you are thinking about doing with your home to increase its value over the long run, there is one priority you must keep in mind – quality. Whether it’s windows, floors, the roof, or anything else throughout the property, you are only going to get good value for your money if you prioritize quality above all else.
Taking shortcuts to save a few bucks on a home repair or renovation is something that might feel good at the moment, but you will surely regret it later on. That’s why working with a partner like Nordik for a window replacement project is such a smart choice. With Nordik, you can be sure you’ll be getting not only high-quality products but excellent service, as well. Thanks to decades of serving customers successfully, you can be sure that your experience with us will be a positive one from start to finish.
Knowing that you’ll be spending your money in a way that is going to improve your house both now and well into the future, you can purchase new windows with confidence.