New Windows Should Top all of Your Home Improvements

new windows
Photo courtesy of Flickr’s Jess Wood

If you own a home, you know that there is one constant you constantly need to plan for: home improvements. According to Main St., the average American homeowner will put 1% of their home’s value into home improvements each and every year. If you own a home worth $450,000, for example, that’s $4,500 worth of repairs, upgrades, and miscellaneous bits of maintenance you’ll need to prepare for.

Whether it’s the plumbing or the insulation, it’s hard to decide what exactly should get priority on your seemingly endless list of home improvements. Keeping your home warm and your water flowing should both be near the top of the list, but don’t be like many homeowners and put one of the most important features of your home on the bottom rung. Make sure new windows, particularly those that rate as energy efficient windows, make it to the top spots, too.

Why New Windows Should Get Top Billing

  • More Light Can Mean Big Things for Your Health

Did you know that sunlight can have a number of beneficial effects on your health? According to a report from WebMD, exposure to sunlight has been shown to improve your mood and to drastically reduce the risk of mood-related medical conditions. How does it work? Exposure to sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin in your brain, an important neurochemical and antidepressant that has been shown to improve sleeping habits and mood. If you can barely see through your current windows or you don’t have enough windows in your home to keep it from looking like a dungeon, it’s probably time to consult your local home improvement service for options.

  • New Windows Can Actually Save You Money

There’s no denying that new windows can represent a huge investment. What you might not realize, though, is that replacement windows — energy efficient windows, specifically — have been tied to huge annual savings. Statistics from Energy Star show that homeowners can save as much as $465 a year by upgrading their windows.

  • There’s More to Green Than Savings

Whenever people hear “energy efficient windows,” they doubtlessly think of the word “green.” Going green and reducing your impact on the environment is definitely something to consider, but when it comes to new windows, green is important for another reason. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that simply glancing out the window and checking out trees, grass, or a bit of landscaping can have a marked improvement on your ability to focus. Greenery, it turns out, helps rejuvenate our mental processes. If your home office is without a window, do your professional life a huge favor and open a portal to the world of nature outside.

Do you think new windows deserve to be placed highly on home improvement lists? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.