New Windows: Do it Yourself Versus Professional Installation

If you've been considering buying new windows for your home, now is definitely the time to do it. If you're wondering why, then just check with your tax preparation person. He or she will enlighten you to the wonderful fact that Uncle Sam will give you a tax credit of 30% of the cost of installing new windows in your home. This credit is one of the residential energy credits the government is offering to entice Americans to save energy. The windows do have to meet certain requirements for energy efficiency and the credit is limited to fifteen hundred dollars. So don't go out and spend ten thousand dollars and expect to get three thousand back. You won't.

Still, when you think about it, 30% is a pretty good deal. Just think of it as every third window is almost free. And it sounds even better if you were planning on replacing your windows anyway. Just keep in mind that this is a credit toward taxes you would pay or have paid for the year. It could result in you getting a larger refund back or owing less taxes.

Not only will new energy efficient windows help save energy by reducing heat loss or gain in your home, they will also visibly improve the appearance of it. New windows help to update or modernize a home. New windows breath fresh life into an older home.

So now that I've talked you into replacing your old energy wasting windows, you're wondering if you could actually install them yourself. The answer to that is yes, of course you can. Replacing windows is not rocket science. It just takes a little time and some basic carpentry skills. However, this is one time I would recommend doing a little detective work and checking out some of the companies that install windows. There are some who advertise any size window for a set price which includes installation. This price would be for the standard type of window the company uses. If you want a different type or color, it would cost extra. They also come out and measure for the windows. One less job you have to do and it also makes any errors in measurement their problem, not yours. They also clean up and haul the old window away. And for an extra bonus, some companies even guarantee the windows for life.

Start out by calling around and checking with different companies. Don't just accept the first price you get. Many of your larger companies will not negotiate prices, but smaller, locally owned companies will generally barter with you. They are eager to get the business, plus they hope you will spread the word and bring them more business. And, if they do a good job, that will usually happen. Speaking of doing a good job, it never hurts to ask to see some of their work. Ask if there are any homes you could drive by and look at and even talk to the homeowners.

Once you've reached an agreed price per window, check with your local home improvement center to find the price of the same window. You may be surprised to find that the window alone is close to the price the window company is asking for the window and complete installation. Of course, if the window at the home improvement center is a lot less, say over a hundred dollars less, and you have ten or more windows, it might pay you to install them yourself.

As an avid do-it-yourselfer, I know all about how hard it is to pay someone to do something that you can do yourself. However, sometimes you have to look past the money issue, especially if the amount it would cost to pay someone is not much more than if you do the labor yourself. Calculate how long it will take you to take the old window out and put the new one in. Then multiply that by the number of windows you have to do. Will you be doing the work on the weekends and vacation? Is the number of hours you will have to invest in the project worth the amount of money you will save? Does it matter if you string the work out over several weeks or months or would you rather have the entire house done in a day or two? If the latter is the case, then I say bring on the professionals. Then just go relax in the lounge chair with a smug look on your face because you know that you could do just as good or maybe even better a job than those three or four guys laboring-that is, if you wanted to.