When we think about remodeling our
homes, we imagine a kitchen, bathroom, more space or maybe an outdoor patio.
Few people dream about remodeling their home’s infrastructure, windows, doors,
siding, heating and cooling systems, that sort of thing. The secret to no
regrets remodeling is to start with basic home improvement and finish with the
nice to have luxuries.
Home Maintenance
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| Marvin Integrity |
It’s a well know fact among
realtors and contractors that homebuyers prefer homes that have been well
maintained. If the windows are leaking
or the patio slider won’t slide, buyers don’t care how beautiful the kitchen
is. Buyers want the basic systems to work, well aware that maintenance can be
costly, and people are afraid of that. On the other hand, if a buyer knows they
don’t have to spend money replacing the basics, they’re more likely to buy the
house and dream of their new kitchen.
Curb Appeal
The old adage that curb appeal
speaks volumes about your home still holds true for real estate today. If your home doesn’t feel welcoming because
the windows need painting, the original front door is dated or perhaps the
siding is faded, prospective buyers will simply drive by.
Where to Start
Don’t assume that every window or door
has to be replaced. Take an inventory and note the location and condition of
the windows and doors. You can begin by replacing the most damaged, highly
visible or frequently used with new products.
If your home currently has wood windows and you want to do a
partial replacement and you’re best advised to select from the new clad-wood replacement
windows. With a wide range of color choices, including the option, with some
brands to choose a custom exterior color, you’ll get the best match to your
existing windows and the benefit of low maintenance. Marvin Ultimate is
a good place to start. We also recommend other clad-wood replacement windows
such as Marvin Integrity as a less expensive alternative or compare other top
products like Andersen 400 Series or Woodwright and Pella Proline Designer or
Architectural Series.
Ultimately if your plan is to
replace all of your windows, then you may also wish to explore fiberglass windows as a less expensive
replacement option. With fiberglass replacement windows you can get the look of
wood exterior windows and choose to have a real wood interior to match your
existing wood windows. Marvin Infinity windows are a great choice if
you’re trying to match existing wood windows because they are made of Ultrex®,a pultruded fiberglass that offers greater strength than the comparable alternatives.
This means that Marvin Infinity can create narrow profiles more similar to wood
windows.
If your home currently has vinyl
windows and you simply want to replace your old windows new vinyl windows it’s
likely that they can be matched closely enough to allow you to replace them in
phases as well.
New windows shine brightly and work effortlessly and that doesn’t go
unnoticed from the curb or close up.
If you start with the basics,
you’ll never regret your home investment and prospective buyers will be
reassured that your home has been well cared for.
Next week we’ll look at where to
start when replacing your old doors.
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