Many consumers make major improvements to their homes, in large part because they believe the renovations will increase the value of their properties. I recently read an interesting article on this very topic. The author wrote that improvements don’t always result in higher property values, or even in more interest from potential buyers, and that there are other factors to consider before jumping into certain home improvements.

One excellent example mentioned in the article was adding a swimming pool—an improvement assumed by many to increase the value of a home that in fact doesn’t affect the value at all—and actually might deter potential buyers because of the safety risks and costs of on-going maintenance and higher insurance. The complete article can be found at http://finance.yahoo.com/news/First-Person-10-Home-ac-4117717167.html?x=0.

As a homeowner, the article really caught my attention because some of the points were very valid. And it made me think…what home renovations really are worth it? What types of items would make me as a homeowner happy AND still attract potential buyers should I ever decide to sell? The answer, I believe, is products like insulated siding or replacement windows and doors. New windows, for example, provide immediate benefits—more comfort, lower energy costs—and they would still be attractive to future buyers. I mean, who can argue with an improvement like this? Windows and doors, unlike swimming pools that require costly, on-going maintenance, actually decrease home maintenance. They aren’t like most of the other projects mentioned in the article, which are really a matter of personal taste…these products are something that pretty much everyone would find beneficial.

It’s something to think about for homeowners who are considering making home improvements. It’s important to choose a renovation project that is valuable to you and your home—and that could pay off if you ever decide to sell your home.

It has been one of those winters again. It has been long and it has been severe. Cabin fever is rampant amongst all of us. To add insult to injury, I was listening to Joe Bastardi, one of AccuWeather’s main meteorologists. Two years ago, he predicted that 2011 would be a rough winter. He also recently said in the same interview that if you think the 2011 winter was/is bad, wait until next year!

This cold winter weather often highlights different parts of our homes that need attention. Whether it be the attic insulation, a new roof, or replacing the windows, this weather reminds us that we need to make our homes more energy efficient.

And with the cold weather, energy consumption goes up, and prices quickly follow. Also, if you are like most Americans, the value of our homes aren’t at an ‘all time’ high. In fact, they are lower than we would like them. But because our homes are priced the way they are, we may as well be comfortable in them. And we may as well improve the energy efficiency of our home as well as add to the value when the market does creep back.

If you are looking to replace your windows, now is a perfect time. Remodeling companies are coming out of the winter and are looking to jump start the year. This is the time to get a great deal on your window project.

An old saying in the window industry is "you are paying for your new windows whether or not you actually buy them now." I think that is truer today with escalating energy costs and the super low interest rates available than any other time I can remember. I believe it is pretty much indisputable that high performance, energy-efficient windows do save you money on your heating and cooling costs. Depending on the condition of your existing windows, the type of glass in them, how air-tight they are, their size and how many there are, and the direction most of them face, determines how much you could actually save in energy. Dramatic savings have been documented, but even if you take a fairly reasonable number like 20%, you are throwing 20% of the costs of your current energy bills literally out the window.

I'm not sure what the "average" household spends on home heating and cooling costs per year, but I'm guessing it's something around $5,000 a year. So if you only save 20% of your energy costs, you'll have $1,000 toward your new windows. That will go a very long way toward whatever monthly payment plan you put together for the purchase of new windows. If you spend more on energy per year, or save more than 20% because of the condition of your existing windows, then the amount of savings just increases.

Now the best part is that you not only will be saving energy, thus money, but you will be helping the environment while you are doing it. Then you'll also be more comfortable in your home year round. And isn't that kind of your responsibility to your family -- to make them happier and more comfortable? And you'll be helping the value and appearance of your home. Your neighbors will notice, maybe they will decide to spruce up their homes too, and you may just find the home values in your neighborhood going up, not a bad thing for resale sometime in the future. And, on top of the money you'll save each and every year on energy, when you do finally decide to sell your home, windows are one of the best payback items on a resale, so you'll get another big chunk of the cost back when you sell.

So, annual savings ... big payback on the sale of your home ... more comfortable living ... happier family ... prettier home ... easier to maintain ... happier neighbors. Do you think you've heard enough reasons yet because I can go on? C'mon, as they say -- it's time to get off the couch and pick up the phone.

The Energy Efficiency Lab Home in Pittsburgh – managed by IBACOS and S&A Homes and involving more than 40 local trade contractors and suppliers – has now moved into its research phase. The home was officially opened in November. All entities involved are now working together to find the solutions that will make high quality, very low energy homes affordable to build, own and maintain.

Because heating accounts for nearly 50% of a typical home's energy use in a northern climate, it’s naturally a real focus of the project. The big question being asked is, “will the conditioned air being paid for stay in the house?" In addition to heating, there’s great interest in seeing how the home performs overall. In the enclosure, the organization will be looking at moisture levels within the walls and the concrete slab, surface temperatures on walls and windows, and condensation levels on windows and doors. In terms of windows, provided by Gorell, IBACOS is interested in seeing whether the temperature and high humidity will pose a risk for condensation. So the Lab Home is riddled with more than 300 sensors measuring things like energy use, moisture, temperature, air flow, and heat flux. Over the next three years, IBACOS will monitor energy efficiency, as well as durability and comfort within the house. Before these types of houses go mainstream, this monitoring will help determine if adjustments need to be made in the design to ensure it is not only energy independent, but also maximizes comfort and durability for the homeowner.

Although new legislation has reduced the amount of the tax credit and changed the qualifying criteria, consumers are still eligible for tax credits for making their homes more energy efficient in 2011. Here is a quick recap of the 2011 federal tax credits available for windows and doors:

The new 2011 legislation provides a consumer tax credit up to $200 for 10% of the cost of qualified replacement windows, (new-construction products are not applicable), or up to $500 for 10% of the cost of qualified doors. This new tax credit applies to ENERGY STAR labeled windows and doors installed between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.

There is one slight “catch” however. Consumers are limited to a lifetime maximum tax credit of $500 for any combination of tax credit qualifying products (windows, doors, insulation, HVAC, roofing, etc) from Jan 1, 2006, to Dec. 31, 2011. That means that consumers who have already reached or exceeded the $500 limit are not eligible to claim the credit in 2011.

Although this credit is much reduced, it’s still “free money” for those who are considering purchasing windows or doors and have not taken advantage of the previous tax credits.

There's an interesting article about remodeling horror stories that originated on CNN Money. It's called "They Did What to That House?! Remodel Horror Stories" and it addresses homes that have been renovated in strange, and sometimes dangerous, ways—making it difficult and often near impossible to sell the homes later.

From dysfunctional floor plans to bedrooms without any closet space, some of the real-life home renovations discussed in this article really made me think. What were the homeowners thinking?

Some of the mistakes made seem to lack common sense, but—as a homeowner myself—I can understand the rationale, the thought process behind the decisions that led to a project that would later come back to haunt the homeowners.

Maybe the moral of the story is that it’s worth thinking through any remodeling work thoroughly before proceeding. Whether that means talking to a home improvement professional or just getting feedback from friends and family, homeowners should really understand the final consequences of a potential remodel.

Although window and door replacement isn’t mentioned in any of the horror stories, it, too, could easily be one. A homeowner might replace a rotted wood window with another wood window—only to have the same thing happen in a few short years. Or an old aluminum sliding door is replaced with another aluminum door, resulting in cold, drafty rooms and hefty energy bills.

Another good example is choosing replacement windows without an effective Low-E glass system—again resulting in high energy bills, which could have easily been avoided, both for the selling homeowner and the buyer.

The article is worth a read. To see it, visit: http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/111922/they-did-what-to-that-house-remodel-horror-stories

We are often asked where is the best place to buy replacement windows. You have a lot of choices; retail lumber yards, home builders, big box retailers like Home Depot, general remodelers, factory direct manufacturers, or the specialty exterior remodeling specialist dealership. We believe the well trained, experienced exterior remodeling specialist dealership offers the best value for you the consumer. Let’s go through each choice.

Retail lumberyards by their very name offer mainly lumber, and then lots of other products. There is no way they can really become expert on everything they offer, and they traditionally focus on low price as their selection process for what products to offer. If they offer installation at all, it is usually by a local contractor who probably is not trained in professional window installation techniques. Low price does not mean good value; you really do usually get what you pay for.

Homebuilders only move into remodeling when they don’t have homes to build. They are not experts on what is available on the retrofit market, the intricacies as to what makes a good efficient window or the true proper installation of the products. Most, not all, builders focus on commodity products in building homes, buying what is the least expensive and easiest to get – often whatever their building supply house offers. They are used to installing into raw frames, not finished and trimmed home interiors and exteriors.

Big box retailers are just that – BIG. They offer literally thousands of different products and from our experience they are not truly expert on any of them. High volume and price is their main prerequisite for choosing what products and services to offer. If they offer installation at all, it is from a local contractor they hire to do the work who would not be working for them if they were professional enough to have their own independent business offering windows.

General remodelers like lumberyards offer all kinds of services. They mostly focus on the glamor areas of homes, the kitchen and bath, or do big projects like room additions. Most of them offer windows as a cash flow product, and really don’t know much about the products or the intricacies of installation. They also face the same problems as builders above.

There are a number of companies that make windows and sell them directly to the consumer. They say in that way you have just one place you're dealing with, the manufacturer is the installer. If you think about that, there are no checks and balances in this equation; if the window is measured, made or installed poorly or incorrectly, it is incumbent on them to find a way to make it work, rather than returning it for a properly made new product, as the costs are all in one place. Also, these companies are usually smaller fabricators and have very limited product offerings, especially when it comes to options – grid types, colors, various models in each type of window, glass (glazing) choices, specialty shapes, auxiliary products, etc.

The professional exterior home improvement specialists by the very definition are “specialists”. They focus on the exterior of homes: windows, doors, siding, gutters and sometimes roofing. Some of them even focus more closely on just one or two of these items – windows and siding for example. They know their products inside out. They know what products are available to them and where to get them. They are usually professionally trained on the options, window performance, testing methods and procedures and all the industry “terms”. They are free to choose the manufacturer that they think offer the best products to give you the best VALUE, not the lowest or highest price. They are trained to learn what is important to you and your home and then choose the appropriate product that will most closely fit your needs. Further, and often most important, they are trained on proper installation techniques. The best window can perform poorly if badly installed, and the worst window can be almost acceptable if installed really well. Don’t underestimate the importance of a focused professional. They know their products intimately; none of the other options mentioned offer this level of expertise.