Ten Ways to Improve the Curb Appeal of your Home with New Windows

If you are replacing the doors or windows on your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $1,500, along with possible rebates from your utility company or state or local government. With the money you save, why not consider adding window treatments that can can add hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to the value of your home? Here are ten suggestions for window upgrades that are both beautiful and practical.

New Windows and Window Treatments: Valuable Upgrades

1. Shutters are one of the most noticeable additions you can make to the outside of your home. Shutters dress up your exterior and are available to match just about every building style, from From American colonial to Spanish and everything in between. Shutters come in wood, aluminum, vinyl, and resin and can be painted to complement your color scheme. Don't forget to finish your look with period authentic hinges and hardware.
2. Depending on your location, you may want to consider functional shutters to protect windows from severe weather and to discourage unwanted entry.
3. The window glass itself can be decorative. You can choose windows with with internal or external grilles and mullions, patterns, textures, bevels, and colors.
4. Bay windows are a popular choice when replacing street-facing windows as they add dimension to the plane of the building. When they are placed low on the inside wall, they can provide built in seating - often a favorite place for Fido or Fifi.
5. When thinking of your windows, don't forget to consider gutters. Although their main purpose is to divert water away from walls and windows, they can also serve as a decorative element.
6. Like gutters, fascia board also protects your walls and windows, and adds an accent line to your home.
7. Garden windows are popular replacements for standard kitchen and bathroom windows. Smaller than bay windows, they usually have a shelf that divides the window vertically, giving you to a place grow herbs or flowers or stash all your shower essentials.
8. Instead of replacing windows where they are currently located, usually in the center of walls, some homeowners are opting to move windows close to the ceiling line and extend them the length of the walls instead. This design provides more privacy and light, and also more wall space, which translates into more possible configurations of furniture placement and therefore more useability. Additionally, windows placed high on walls may not need window coverings, eliminating both a purchase and maintenance expense.
9. The addition of skylights also qualifies under the tax credit plan and can transform otherwise dreary spaces into light filled ones.
10. To give your dining room an airy feel, consider replacing a window with a slider or French doors.