Do home improvements really pay for themselves?

I recently read an interesting article from Forbes magazine—“Ten Best Home Renovations for the Money.” (There’s also a “Ten Worst” list for those who are interested.) The article used Remodeling Magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report to gauge just how much of their investment homeowners can recoup on various home improvements. 

As you might expect, most renovation projects will not “pay for themselves”—meaning that homeowners generally will not recoup all of the money they spend on home improvements if they later sell their home. Some projects are just “plain dollar drains,” according to the article, and shouldn’t be undertaken for the sole purpose of increasing a home’s value.

The article recommends that homeowners who are going to shell out money on improvements should focus on the home's exterior because it offers more decent returns on investment. For instance, both vinyl replacement windows and vinyl siding were shown to recoup 72% of their cost upon resale.

Any homeowners who ars considering a home-improvement project might want to check out this best/worst list before jumping into a renovation—to ensure they’re undertaking renovations like windows or siding that provide a much better value. The article is available at http://tinyurl.com/4rw95qd

Replacement windows—a good way to lower energy costs in warm weather, too!

Most homeowners know that one of the biggest benefits of replacing older, less-efficient windows with newer, high-performance models is energy savings. Today’s replacement windows are much more technologically advanced, and they’re better at reducing home energy usage and improving the comfort of homes.

However, many homeowners believe these energy savings occur primarily during the winter months—when new windows prevent furnaces from running so much. While it’s true that replacement windows can help lower energy bills in cold weather, energy-efficient windows are just as important during the summer months.

Surprised? It’s really very simple: The Low-E coatings that keep warm air inside during winter months also work in reverse—they reflect outside heat away from windows in warm weather. This keeps the inside of homes cooler and results in air conditioning units running much less. Voila—summer energy savings!

When considering new replacement windows, homeowners should ask to see the NFRC ratings for each model they’re considering. Depending upon what area of the country a home is located in, a window’s Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) ratings can be important to consider. SHGC is pretty relevant to areas where warm weather prevails, because this value measures the heat from solar radiation that enters a building. A window with a good SHGC rating can really help reflect that outside heat away from homes and lower air conditioner usage and overall home energy bills.

Replacement windows are a good value ANY time of year, and ANY place in the country. Windows with Low-E coatings are designed to improve home comfort and reduce energy usage—no matter what the weather is like outside!