Shorter and colder days, and chilly nights send the signal that winter will soon be here. For some of you, it arrived as early as Halloween this year; up through the north east some are still without power from that storm, pretty amazing. Hopefully it's got you thinking about "buttoning" up your home for the winter. If you've been putting off replacing those drafty, old, worn-out windows, now is the time to take action. I'm seeing lots of special deals and sales being advertised for high-quality, highly energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows from many manufacturers and dealers. There are great deals to be had, but time is of the essence here. The old saying of "Buyer Beware" is very true in most remodeling jobs, and replacement windows are no exception.

You want to investigate what kinds of windows and features you want. Not just the brand, as most replacement window brands are unknown to most consumers. Check out the rating web sites, the chat rooms, and do your homework. You want the highest quality, best-performing product you can afford. Don't be fooled by some of these lowball price offerings. You cannot get a highly energy-efficient, good-quality vinyl window for $159, or $179.99, or $189 which are some of the prices I've seen advertised recently. Yes, they may be willing to sell you a window for this price, but they'll do everything in their power to add things on to get the price up to where it needs to be, and in reality, these companies don't sell many, if any, windows for these prices. Depending on what glass option you choose for your home, the other options you may desire - such as internal muntins or grids, color choices such as wood grains, or a special exterior color, blinds, security, safety, etc. - you can add a great deal to the cost of a window that will specifically serve your needs.

What is a "fair" price. Depending on the size, conditions for installation and the options choos, you can buy a high-quality replacement window anywhere from about $350 to over a thousand for a decked-out hurricane protection window. The major problem is people don't look at their windows until they are having problems with them, they look through them. So most people know very little about windows or the options or features that are available to make their home more beautiful, their family more comfortable, and to save energy. Do your homework and you will get a great deal from a qualified window specialist and enjoy your new windows for years and years to come.