Value add with simple window replacement
Consider window replacement as a way of value adding to your home, as well as enhancing investment and lifestyle.
Building or renovating can be a very rewarding if not exhausting process. A variety of tasks will test all the skills and patience you can muster, from budgeting, creative planning, time management, project management and logistics, just to name a few.
Renovating and home improvement has become almost a way of life and a national pastime for many Australians. We are bombarded with TV shows and advertising showing everything from perfect gardens, kitchens and bathrooms right through to storage solutions and cleaning advice.
All of this assumes that you have been lucky enough to have managed to save enough to purchase a home in the first place. Assuming you have negotiated that particular hurdle, where do you start in the journey from taking the purchased property to a place you can proudly call home. What are the steps you should take to ensure that your hard-earned money is wisely spent and not wasted?
The basic rules are simple enough;
- Does it add value to the home?
- Does it improve the lifestyle of the occupants?
- Will we get a return on the investment?
Before any money is spent on improvements to the amenities it’s important that the structure is sound and in good repair, otherwise all cosmetic improvements are wasted. Items such as a new kitchen or bathroom will certainly add value and perhaps improve the lifestyle but care must be taken to ensure that you don’t over capitalise. Something as simple as a coat of paint is the lowest cost home improvement of all, you will get the return and it adds value, but it really won’t change your lifestyle.
One way of meeting all the criteria of a value add, lifestyle improvement and return on investment, is by looking at replacing some or all of the existing windows.
It is amazing the way a large opening door unit can create an alfresco area or enhance the way the home works with the outdoor living space. Kitchen servery windows can also work as an effortless way of bringing the marriage of indoors/outdoors together. Energy efficient windows with double glazing can improve the year-round comfort as well as saving money and reducing the carbon footprint of your home.
There is no doubt that there are many choices when considering options for home improvement, however a major consideration should be the cost of running the home. With energy prices set to increase year on year, it would be important to not add a further burden to the day to day expenses. Given that the heat loss or gain is around 30%, through single glazed windows and doors, replacement is a wonderful way of both improving lifestyle and reducing costs.
Whatever your choice, we sincerely wish you luck on your home improvement journey and remember to try to do it right the first time, seek help and advice or to explore any options you may be considering.