So what are the best replacement windows? There’s a question that’s been asked a million times before. As you’re sorting through the options remember that there is no one “best” product. If there was, everyone would know it and your decision would be easy.
Why isn’t there one type of best replacement windows?
There are several reasons, but the biggest factor is that different people want different things. For instance, some of our customers buy windows because they’re moving soon and they want to dress up the house. Some buy new windows because they’re about to have a baby and they want to make the house less drafty. Some folks buy new windows as part of a larger remodeling project and some folk just want to make their home more comfortable in the hot summer. The best replacement windows for each of these folks are completely different.
So, before you can decide what the best replacement windows are for you, you’ll need to be really clear about these factors:
- How long are you planing on living in the home?
- If you don’t live in the home at all, are you flipping the house, renting or is a family member living there?
- Rank these characteristics: efficiency, looks, durability/warranty, price
Once you have a more clear idea of what you’re looking for the question of what are the best replacement windows will become easier to answer.
For example, if you’re going to be renting the house you’ll want windows that look nice, and won’t cause problems. Perhaps you’re less concerned with efficiency and price is probably an important concern. You probably don’t want junk, but you also don’t need the greatest windows ever produced by mankind.
On the other hand, if you’ve just bought your new home and you’re undergoing a substantial remodel to turn it into your dream house that you plan on living in for the rest of your days you probably have a different set of priorities. You want a product that looks great, keeps the house as comfortable as possible and will last a very long time.
Of course, even if you’re in the exact same situation as someone else you still may end up choosing a different product. You might be more concerned about a product that looks and feels great like a wood window or maybe a fiberglass option while someone else might want the most efficient option available which would probably be a triple pane vinyl window.
So you’re starting to see why there are so many options. Why isn’t it easy to find answers regarding the best replacement windows?
Well, it’s a competitive business. There are just about no patents in the industry so every company is building windows from the same parts and they’re fighting to earn your business.
Companies that are trying to produce the “best replacement windows” are all fighting to say they’re better than the rest. Companies trying to produce the least expensive products for the price sensitive customer are all trying to be less expensive than the rest.
Keep this intense competition in mind when you’re learning about new windows.
A wise man once said, “before you can find the answer, you must find the question”. Don’t bother trying to find the best replacement windows until you really understand what you want.
If you’re thinking vinyl windows and you’re interested in being on the low end of the price spectrum you’ll see companies all over the place advertising “new windows installed for $189” or sometimes even less. Of course they’ll try to up sell you on all sorts of options so most end up being easily double that price.
You’ll also find companies that claim to offer the “best replacement windows” with a 3 hour sales pitch that leads to one discount after another in an effort to get you to sign up right away. I always ask why they need to work so hard to sell these windows if they really are so good. You’d think if they genuinely were the best replacement windows folks would just buy them and the dramatic sales pitch wouldn’t be necessary.
So, be sure you don’t waste your time meeting with companies and sorting through options until you have a clear idea of what you want. Start to get an idea of what the best replacement windows for you will look like.
Once you have an idea of what you want and how you’ll rank the variables of efficiency, looks, durability/warranty, price you’ll be ready to start finding a local window company. A quick google search will show you more window companies in your area than you can shake a stick at. For example, when I google “replacement window company” I get 102,000,000 results. That’s a lot.
Here’s another post on how to identify the best replacement window installation company. stay tuned. For now, take a look through some replacement window reviews get an idea of what’s out there.
If you’re looking for a window company right now, the best advice we have is to check out our list of the best window companies all over the country. You can find it right here.
