I'm trying to decide if I should replace our old alumninum windows with double hung, Low E glass windows. The quote I recieved was quite a bit higher than what I had "guesstimated", but I hear it's a great price and I'd be a fool not to jump on it. We'd get a tax credit and upgrade the value of our home as well as improve the view from the outside. (that curb appeal junk).
Thing is, we don't plan on selling any time in the near future. But, I guess we could enjoy the energy savings for the time being and IF we did decide to move or the Evil Twin was transferred or something, we'd be ahead of the curve with a more modern home.
Plus, I call St. Albans "The Roach Motel" and I don't mean that in a bad way. People move in, they love it and they never move out, so real estate is hard to come by around here - especially in our little area on the hill here. We lucked out to get this house. It was already under contract with a 24 hour kick out clause contingency (the other couple needed to sell their townhome first), they couldn't take on the dual mortgages (our old house was already under contract), so it became ours and I couldn't be happier.
I mean, I thought houses like this were for "real" adults! I still feel like a kid playing house most of the time. Except when I'm schlepping laundry up and down the stairs every stinkin' day! Why is it that you add one more small person to a family of three and laundry duties aren't just double what they were, it's quadruple what it was. Good thing I enjoy folding. :-)
Go for the new windows.
ReplyDeleteIn the short term, they will be 'expensive'. However, if they live up to the promise, you will recoup the money in energy bill savings within 6-12 months.
Throw in the tax credit and viola! It's cake, as they say.
I agree on the windows. I don't mind doing laundry, but hate folding clothes. When I do it, I hand everything including t-shirts. Needless to say, we have a metric assload of hangers.
ReplyDeleteWhat you need to add to the house is laundry chutes. The house the loving wife grew up in had them from the finished attic down to the basement. It's one of the things I wish I had thought of when building this house and I may make it my next project to add someday.
Ditto and ditto. Laundry chutes are nice if you can work 'em in, it doesn't save the upschlepping though. My uncle's 3-story house has a dumbwaiter - now THAT'S hella cool. Great place to play hide-and-seek when you're a lil cousin, too.
ReplyDeleteReplacement windows are easy to do - get at least a cuppa two tree quotes. Should figure about $300 per opening on average, labor and materials. Plus, all the window outfits will make you a deal - don't just sign up for the price they offer. Even if you're not selling for a long time, you'll enjoy them.
Being an adult is a sliding scale venture....and only what you want it to be.
ReplyDeleteGood windows are great. They beat the snot out of bolstering up some POS window in the MOW. Shiver me timbers, nobody wants that!