Is it Worth Replacing Windows Before Selling a House?

Published on Monday May 13, 2019

open house sign

Buying a home is a major expense, so most homeowners are not looking to spend even more money on large, expensive renovations just after writing a check for a down payment. It’s more likely that any post-purchase renovations will consist of small home improvement projects that add personality to the home, rather than large, costly fixes like restoring a home’s foundation or replacing old electrical wiring.

With this information in mind, how do those in the market to sell determine what’s worth replacing and renovating before listing? You want to present your home in the best light, but you also want to make your money back.

Check out some of LONG’s renovation tips to find out what’s worth replacing and what’s not when you’re getting ready to list your home.

What’s worth replacing before you sell?

home under construction

One of the best ways to know what you should and shouldn’t replace as you prepare your home for market is to think like a buyer. If you can get into the mindset of prospective buyers think about which home improvement projects they will and won’t want to take on, you’ll get a good sense of where you need to prioritize your renovations.

Plus, if your home is older and hasn’t been updated in a while, making the decision to proactively replace things before they get inspected can help you get ahead of potential issues that could hurt your home’s value.

Window replacement

Replacing your windows before selling your house is a great choice for several reasons. If your windows are on the older side or in bad shape, they might not be up to snuff during your inspection, resulting in a possible citation. Plus, no prospective buyer wants to see that they’ll need to immediately spend more money after buying a house to get the windows up to code.

Replacing your windows also offers prospective buyers the benefit of additional savings later down the road. New, energy-efficient windows are an appealing selling point since they’ll help keep the electric and gas bills down, so your prospective buyers get to save money and the planet while lounging around the house. According to Energystar.gov, the right energy-efficient windows can save homeowners up to $500 annually on their electric bills.

With an ROI ranging upwards of 80% and the trifold benefits of increased curb appeal, home value and energy efficiency, replacement windows are a win for both sellers and buyers alike.

Replacing siding

If a home’s siding is falling off, bending, warping or dirty from top to bottom, it may cause concerns for prospective buys in regards to the overall condition of the home, which may prevent them from ever stepping inside past the dingy facade.

The overall curb appeal of your house and the mental effect it has on buyers are important reasons why quality siding consistently comes at the top of the renovation checklist. Vinyl siding in particular, thanks to its easy maintenance and relatively low price tag, has been estimated to bring back 80% of its initial cost — so you’ll get to make your money back and the new homebuyers know they won’t have to mess with the home’s siding. Another win-win!

Front door replacement

Oftentimes, the front door is the main focal point of your home’s exterior. Since it’s one of the first things people see when they approach your house, it must be inviting and welcoming. If not, you may be driving prospective buyers away.

In an interview with Fortune Builder, Bardon Erdmann, president of HomeSealed Exteriors, explained that front doors are “the best bang for your buck in terms of transforming the look and feel of your home.” Since such a simple and relatively inexpensive change of front doors can lead to an ROI of up to 101.8%, it’s one of the quickest and most effective ways to make your money back on pre-sale remodels.

New Roof

We’ve talked about curb appeal and the important role your home’s exterior plays in getting people through the door — and one of the biggest components of healthy, inviting curb appeal is a solid roof. Better Homes and Gardens considers roofs to equal 40% of your home’s curb appeal value. If your roof has loose or missing shingles or suffers from discoloration, you may struggle to get convince buyers to sign on the dotted line.

Plus, when a roof’s gone bad, it’s a likely indication that there are problems elsewhere in the home. If a prospective buyer sees a home with a bad roof that the current homeowner didn’t put in the effort to take care of, they’ll likely worry about what else could be lurking in the rafters or beneath the floorboards. Taking the burden off of the buyer to replace the roof and getting ahead of any repairs that the damaged roof may have caused elsewhere in the home will make your home a much better candidate when it comes time to sell.

LONG can get your home open-house ready

Whether you’re looking for replacement roofing, windows, siding or exterior door services, LONG is your one-stop shop for pre-sale home renovations. Visit us online to request a quote and schedule an in-home consultation today.