Prior to selling your home, it’s a good idea to take stock of the property’s shortcomings and carry out small repairs. But is it worth replacing windows before selling a house? If your current windows are outdated, damaged, or drafty, you should consider replacing them to increase your home’s resale value.
Energy Saving Renovations Can Improve the Value of Your Home
Prospective property buyers want to know that any property they’re looking into is in good condition, will be easy to maintain and repair, and won’t cost a lot of energy (and therefore money) to run.
Energy-efficient home designs can cut the running costs of a property by over $570 per year, which is a savings that can add up significantly for a family that’s planning to live in a property for a long time.
This means energy-saving updates can be particularly useful for increasing the value of your house. Smart upgrades that improve a home’s energy efficiency include:
- New external doors
- Modern double- or triple-glazed windows with UV coatings
- Roof insulation
- Cavity wall insulation
If you’re wondering “should I replace windows before selling my home?,” you’ll need to look at the average cost to replace your windows and the average cost of properties in your area.
If your home is currently valued at less than the average for your area, then you may see big returns by investing in new windows. If your property is already valued well compared to others in the area and your current windows are fairly modern (so at least double glazed) and in good condition, you may find that replacing them doesn’t add much to the sale price of the property.
Is It Worth Replacing Windows Before Selling a House?
Replacing windows can be a wise move from an environmental point of view, and it can also increase the curb appeal of your property, but is it worth replacing windows before selling a house in your area?
Window replacements make sense if:
- Your property has a low ENERGY STAR rating, and improving the windows would change that.
- Your window design is dated compared to other properties in the area.
- There’s a draft coming through your current windows.
- Your current windows are single-glazed or old air-filled double-glazed panes.
- The window frames are rotten or damaged.
Replacing old, damaged, or inefficient windows with newer designs can pay off by increasing your property’s value. According to the Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners can recoup the majority of the expense from replacing their windows when they sell their home. As an added extra, it may help you sell the property more quickly, reducing the risk of onward chains collapsing and helping you get into your new home more quickly.
You may find that even if you opt not to do a window upgrade before putting your home on the market, your buyer might ask you to do so before completing the sale. Having some idea of the cost of windows and where to source them gives you a stronger negotiating position, should this happen.
Choosing Window Replacements for Your Home
Window replacement is not without risk, however. If you replace your windows with a style that prospective buyers, who might otherwise have been interested in your home, dislike, you could end up losing a sale.
You can reduce the risk of this happening by choosing fairly neutral window designs similar to others in your area. Focus on practical benefits, such as coatings to keep heat out in the summer and heat in during the winter, inert gas fillings, and better pane designs. These things offer clearly measurable benefits that can appeal to buyers.
If you’re interested in replacing your windows with more modern, energy-efficient window designs, call Thompson Creek Windows today for a free, no-obligation quote.