Windows of Opportunity

Just last weekend, my husband and I signed a contract to have two new windows installed in our living room by Renewal by Andersen. At several thousand dollars, the windows cost way more than I expected them to, but hopefully, they will turn out to be good investments.

One of the windows will replace a shoddy side window that the builder of our home had installed. The window started leaking in 2003, about a year after we moved in, and both the builder and the state warranty program said the leak isn’t the builder’s responsibility to fix. We’ve had the leak repaired fixed a few times over the years, and just when I thought the last fix had stuck (I hadn’t noticed the window leaking for about a year), it sprung a leak last week with all the heavy rains. What started as a small drip soon turned into a significant seepage of water, much to my chagrin.

So, after meeting with a representative of Renewal by Anderson over the weekend, we decided not only to install a new window to replace the sub-par leaky one, but to replace a plain double window (all the windows in our home are cheap, builder-grade vinyl windows) that faces the street in our living room with a bay window – a decision, which unfortunately, accounts for the bulk of the money we’ll be putting out for our new windows. Getting the bay window is something my husband is doing purely for me – when we picked out our home, he preferred a model that came with a covered front doorway, but no bay window, while most homes on our cul-de-sac of newish homes have bay windows.

I think the window will give a nice appearance to our home, which is a simple Colonial-style two-story white house with black shutters. I chose a bay-window style that will be similar to the grilled Colonial-style bay windows of the other homes on our street. Also, the window comes with a nice window seat, which is something I’ve always wanted. The seat will be located near our piano, and will provide a place for me to sit while one daughter plays the piano, and a place for the other daughter to sit while she practices the recorder.

Both windows are Energy-Star, energy efficient ones, and should save us money in energy costs over the years. Plus, my husband and I will be able to claim up to $200 in federal tax credits for the windows. Replacing old energy-inefficient windows is among the home improvement projects that give homeowners the best return on their money, according to HouseLogic.com.

Hopefully, the new windows won’t leak, or all the money we’re investing in these windows will be a washout.

Thinking of making home improvements to your home? Check out this list of renovations that will give you the biggest return on your investment.