Do redecorated windows add value to your home?
Replacing windows when selling your home
When selling a period home, many homeowners start thinking about their windows. Should you replace your timber windows to add value to your home? Should you repaint your windows, will redecorated windows add value to your home? Or is it not worth your time and money? Should you simply leave the windows as they are? We’ll let’s find out.
How much value do new windows add to your home?
New windows can certainly add value to your home, but with listed and period homes, you need to be very careful which new windows you add. Replacing beautiful timber sash windows with uPVC or aluminium equivalents may reduce the value of your home. A good chunk of the value of a period home is in the character that they have. Changing the timber windows can take the character away and some of the value.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t add double glazing to a period home, though. In fact, Chameleon are experts at doing just that without taking any of the characters away from your home. We restored sash windows and add double glazing into the existing window frame. No character is lost because the windows haven’t changed. Still, the value goes up because the windows are much more energy-efficient, reducing running costs.
Adding the right kind of windows to your home can add about 10% to its value. However, the wrong type of windows (like modern uPVC on a traditional home) can impact your property’s overall valuation.
Repairing vs replacing windows
Many window companies will tell you that you have to replace your windows. Sash windows have common problems and issues that many window companies either don’t know how to fix, or they can’t be bothered with the work involved to correctly fix them. Instead, they suggest modern equivalents claiming that these solve all of the issues you have. Certainly, replacing sash windows with modern double glazing would solve damp and energy issues. Still, you lose all of the characters your home once had.
This is why Chameleon doesn’t replace windows. Instead, we repair sash windows to a very high standard, removing any rotten, unstable wood and replacing it with fresh wood. We can also draught-proof the windows again and install double glazing into the existing frame. The goal behind Chameleon’s work is to restore the window back to how it once looked but improve the efficiency as well. If the character of your period home is important to you, repairing your windows is the best way of keeping that character. Whether you’re selling your home or not, repairing is always the way to go, in our opinion. If you are considering repainting your wooden windows, Osmo Country Shades is a great option to refresh and protect the wood of your sash windows. Not only will it add value to your home, but it will also preserve the character of your period home.
Redecorated windows: Before selling a house, is it worth it?
So, if replacing the windows in your period home is out of the question, what about painting them? Redecorated and painted wooden windows is a great way of adding some value to your home by refreshing the outside of your home. Sash windows should be painted at least every 10 years anyway to protect the wood from the elements. So, giving them a re-coat of paint is a good way of bringing back the character of the windows and protecting them from the elements for the next owners. Painting your windows before you sell your home also shows your home in the best light possible.
If you are painting your wooden windows to sell your property, it is very important to keep the colour traditional. Most sash windows are painted white, some are black, while some choose grey. Most homes in the UK have white sash windows, though, so white is the best colour to choose. While repainting your sash windows is a great idea before selling your home, painting them the wrong colour can have the opposite effect.
If you do intend to paint the windows of your home, check out this handy Paint Calculator on Chameleon’s window restoration and decorating website. It can save you overbuying paint and allows you to easily price up the cost of the project.
Final thoughts
Repairing timber-framed windows is a great way of adding value to a period home. Adding double glazing to sash windows is an even better way of adding value to your home. However, a good coat of paint to refresh your windows may add a small amount to the price of your home if you don’t have the funds to double glaze them.
