The Joys of Homeownership

[indysteel]

Thanks for the information, Irulan and Becky. I'll ask him whether he's considered doing the work himself. He's normally more than willing to take on projects. I'm usually the one arguing that our time is worth something, too, but I've changed my mindset about that a lot since we moved in together as I've gained more confidence in his ability to do the work.

He's checking with our local utilities about any incentives they offer. Otherwise, we should qualify for the federal tax credit and a state credit of $1,000. That'll help for sure.

[Roadtrip]

If you do go on your own (DIY), just make sure you order the right type of window... most come in a new construction and retrofit versions. The retrofit ones are designed to fit into framing per your measurements of the window openings.

Some government programs allow you to deduct a percentage of the labor cost as well, so that could factor into the overall cost. All it takes is one goof to really negate that DIY savings if the difference isn't substantial.

[Irulan]

If you do go on your own (DIY), just make sure you order the right type of window... most come in a new construction and retrofit versions. The retrofit ones are designed to fit into framing per your measurements of the window openings.

Some government programs allow you to deduct a percentage of the labor cost as well, so that could factor into the overall cost. All it takes is one goof to really negate that DIY savings if the difference isn't substantial.

No program I know of lets the homeowner deduct DIY costs,(much to our annoyance) but you can count contractor labor. The forms you submit require documentation such as a receipt or invoice, and a copy of the energy ratings sticker and dimension sticker. You do need to be careful, some programs require that you be above a certain R rating before you get anything back.

[Roadtrip]

No program I know of lets the homeowner deduct DIY costs,(much to our annoyance) but you can count contractor labor. The forms you submit require documentation such as a receipt or invoice, and a copy of the energy ratings sticker and dimension sticker. You do need to be careful, some programs require that you be above a certain R rating before you get anything back.

Right, which is why if you DYI-It you can't get a tax credit for your labor, but if you pay a contractor you can, so when figuring overall costs it could make a difference.

We added insulation to our attic this year and with tax credits it ended up being the same cost as materials alone at the local hardware store and we didn't have to spend time up in the HOT attic with itchy insulation.

[withm]

Yeah - there's a tax credit on windows up to 30% - OR $1,500 max. Still it's a help for renovations on your primary home. The credit is not available for improvements to a 2nd or vacation home.

$19,000, while a lot of money seems about right. Higher quality Pella or Andersen windows would probablly run more like $25,000-30,000.

From the Energy Star website:
Qualifying products purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010 are eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the product cost. Installation is not included; be sure to obtain an itemized invoice from your retailer or installer. The maximum amount of homeowner credit for all improvements combined (including roofing, insulation, HVAC, and water heaters) is $1,500 during 2009 and 2010.

[limewave]

WoW! I did not know replacing windows would be that much money!
I think our house was built in 1940's. And it needs new windows. We did a new roof last year.

Our strategy, thus far, is do a window or two a year. Thankfully, DH is very handy and does an excellent job with this kind of work. When we did DD's nursery a few years back, we went ahead and did new windows in her room. We did the same when we did DS's room. This year we're hoping to replace the window in the kitchen and one in the bathroom.

[Irulan]

WoW! I did not know replacing windows would be that much money!
I think our house was built in 1940's. And it needs new windows. We did a new roof last year.

Our strategy, thus far, is do a window or two a year. Thankfully, DH is very handy and does an excellent job with this kind of work. When we did DD's nursery a few years back, we went ahead and did new windows in her room. We did the same when we did DS's room. This year we're hoping to replace the window in the kitchen and one in the bathroom.

(uh oh, I was looking for "like" button. I think I have a problem)

Count your blessings. I play chief gopher with all these projects: making sandwiches, running out for parts, etc while he does the heavy work. So far we've done two bathrooms, a roof, a new deck, about 1800 ft-sq of hardwood laminate, and doors and windows. I think part of the "problem" is that DH just can't sit still. Every time we look at bringing a contractor in, we do the math on hiring someon versus losing a couple of weekends and the lost weekends win.

..and dealing with contractors... we WERE going to have one do the second bathroom just for time reasons. We contacted several, got no return calls, and got one return call NINE MONTHS later. "You still want your bathroom done?". Jeez.

[jessmarimba]

I wonder about the quality of the window and or the installation. I have seen so much crappy "upgrade" work done just for market. Naturally the sellers don't have long term value in mind for the nature of the product or installation, just whether it looks good for the sale.

Yeah, I wonder about both too. Good example as to why you should make sure a contractor comes well-recommended! I had forgotten about Angie's List so I'm glad it was brought up again.

But I think the biggest issue with my house is that with no insulation, it doesn't matter what the windows are made of. I kind of wish I had found the old ones on the property so at least the house could be authentically cold.

[Crankin]

It's worth the $. We replaced 33 (yes, 33) windows on our 1982 contemporary home with 4 levels. All odd shapes and the house is not that well insulated. The savings on our energy bills have been enormous. Even on days when it is close to 100 degrees, our AC does not go on until at least noon time. It's much warmer in the winter, too. Before, we had issues with some rooms being freezing and some being too hot and that's gone away.
I have learned in home repairs, yes, you should get several estimates, but generally, you get what you pay for. Obviously, previous owners of my house did not subscribe to this theory.

[Chicken Little]

Crankin- I did my own windows this year. Bought the Pella's at Lowes, and a decent sawz-all. The first one one the learner- I started in the back of the house, after that, we whipped through them. You or you and your husband can whip through those in no time. Do two a weekend, and open a bottle of Pinot. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. 22 windows total.

[indysteel]

The quote we got was for Pellas. Another guy was out this afternoon, but we have,kt gotten his numbers yet. DH didn't like him much, as he was very "slick." He's rated well on Angie's List however.

I've brought up doing it DIY with DH, and I do think the idea is growing on him. He talked to another engineer he works with who did his own windows and he agreed to help--at least semi-seriously. So, we'll see.

[Irulan]

Here's the caveat for the DIY-ers.
You never know what you'll find underneath.

What looks perfectly fine on the surface can be a nightmare underneath. Case in point: Windows should be nailed into the the framing, right? Not at our house. The cheap-*** contractor who built our place used liquid nails for a lot of stuff, including the windows. So, no nails to take out. The problem is that liquid nails works so well that we couldn't use normal methods ( even a crow bar) to remove the old windows. What we ended up having to do what break the glass out of each window frame, and THEN use the crowbar to pry the aluminum window frame off the wooden framing one side of the rectangle at a time. Talk about a pain....We find fun stuff like this all the time; we end up redo a whole lot of stuff that was just done plain wrong or uber-cheap.

[Crankin]

DH does most home repair himself... very handy. But he would never do windows. My house has several roof lines and is extremely high. Besides, we are at the point where we don't want to spend too much time doing this stuff, or have long drawn out projects. After totally remodeling 2 bathrooms, fixing a huge drainage problem, the heating, and doing the landscaping, just the upkeep is enough. We had wonderful contractors who remodeled our kitchen and 2 other baths, as well as a painter. We took this year off, after 5 years of being here. Now, our driveway needs to be re-done, both for safety and convenience issues. Another 20K.
Oh, and for anyone who is thinking of windows, don't get Anderson. Just my opinion, but any company who will not talk to one spouse (they require both to be there at the consultation) is just plain sexist or weird. I could have cared less about which windows we got and I generally know nothing about any house stuff, so what would it have mattered? My friend who is really into design, wanted them to come and give her a quote and they wouldn't come without her DH being there. Stupid.

[OakLeaf]

any company who will not talk to one spouse (they require both to be there at the consultation) is just plain sexist or weird. I could have cared less about which windows we got and I generally know nothing about any house stuff, so what would it have mattered? My friend who is really into design, wanted them to come and give her a quote and they wouldn't come without her DH being there. Stupid.

Because if there's an issue, a contractor gets a lien against the house, and there are potential issues if all owners of the property (including a spouse who isn't on the deed but has a dower interest) didn't consent to the work.

Now, if they won't talk to a wife alone, but they will talk to a husband alone, that's a whole 'nother thing.

[soprano]

One of the benefits of living in a small 1BR condo is that I only had 5 windows to replace. I was able to get them all done for $2500.

My husband and I bought a 720 sq ft house last year, thinking about stuff like this. There's so much to love about a small house.