Selling your home and replacement windows

Selling your home and replacement windows

In the UK, spring to early summer is consistently the best time to sell your home. According to the latest figures for 2017 the number of residential property transactions grew steadily from March to hit a year high of 120,000 sales in mid-May before dropping off with the approach of summer holidays.

Windows are key in defining the appearance and consequently the saleability of your home.  So, should you replace them before putting your property on the market and what kind of impact can you expect doing so to have on your sale price?

These are two distinct but clearly inter-connected questions. Your home needs to be in tip-top condition to sell quickly – ugly windows have clear potential to put prospective buyers off. New and sympathetically installed windows and doors, have the potential to make it more desirable to buyers.

Top tips for selling property – it’s about lifestyle

If you have been through a house sale before you’ll already know that it’s about selling a lifestyle as much as it is a property.

Our homes never look tidier than when they’re on the market. It’s a little bit like a swan swimming up-stream, things need to appear elegant and controlled on the surface, when 5-minutes before a viewing you find yourself rushing through the house rounding up socks and dirty underwear left on your children’s bedroom floor.

It’s why floors are mopped, coffee bubbles in the percolator and flowers sit on your kitchen table. The same goes for windows and doors.

Nothing represents this more directly than the bi-fold door. ‘Immortalised’ by Grand Designs, bi-folding doors connect indoor and outdoor spaces conjuring the smell of summer barbeques and evening drinks with family and friends. This and more is available to your buyer – for a price!

People are put off by the prospect of on-costs after purchase

Conversely prospective buyers will notice if so much condensation has run down the inside of your old timber windows that if you now press the frame it has a ‘spongy’ feel, or outside paint is flaking off. Similarly, although in a time that taste forgot, mock-Tudor lead-work was popular, it’s appeal today has narrowed significantly!

Your buyers are going to know that they need to buy new windows, either because they’re falling apart or because they won’t be able to face looking at them. And that’s going to come off your sale price.

Buyers prefer to avoid the disruption of home improvement

It’s not just the prospects of on-costs which put people off. There may be a determined army of home improvers out there but most of us don’t have the time or the inclination. If it’s done well, window and door replacement isn’t in fact particularly disruptive. You may get a small amount of filling if plaster has had to be cut back and a few touch ups of paint but that’s it.

But your buyer’s won’t necessarily know that. After the uncertainty of a house move, the frustration of dealing with estate agents and solicitors, all they want to do is move in and enjoy their new home.

Energy efficiency is important to house buyers – and they’re prepared to pay for it

Energy efficiency also matters, with a recent survey by YouGov suggesting that the energy efficiency of a property was ranked as the third most important attribute after outdoor space, a garage and ahead of value for money.

Meanwhile a recent government report showed that increasing the Energy Perfromance Certificate of your home from a G to an E will increase the value of an average property by £16,000.

According to the Energy Saving Trust after energy leaking roof space and walls, windows account for around 20% of the heat lost from your home, which means that replacing them can significantly improve the energy performance of your home.

Energy efficient windows and doors can cut this heat loss by up to 75 per cent. In a detached three-bedroom home, according to the Energy Saving Trust, this can equate to an annual saving over and above single – and in many cases, older double-glazed windows – of up to £160 a year in heating bills. And of course, if you do decide to stay put, it will also dividends in the long run.

Pay attention to style, if you decide to replace windows

As with any major purchase, it’s important to think carefully about your choice of replacement windows. You may not be planning on living with them but your choice can be instrumental in determining how quickly you sell your home. 

The point is the installation has to be right for the property.  It’s not that one product or material type is necessarily wrong by default. It’s about choosing a design and style which complements your property’s existing style.

A new generation of PVC-U windows offers slim sightlines, a strong and traditional aesthetic including flush casements and mechanical jointing.  For example Residence 9 or Style-Line from Deceuninck or Beaumont window from Dempsey Dyer, offer significant design flexibility and finish choice in a low maintenance and energy efficient PVC-U window.

KJM Group also installs a wide range of high-performance timber windows including Sapele hardwood, Oak and Accoya. This includes the Demsey Stormproof window, plus traditional timber pulley and weights, vertical sliding sash windows.

Return on investment for new windows when selling your home

So, if you take the plunge and opt to replace new windows before selling it what should you expect as a return? Well according to figures from estate agents, the return is potentially as much as 78% of the project cost upon resale.

This may fall short of a full return but that isn’t the point. The same research shows that new windows and doors can make the difference between losing a buyer and closing a deal, with 87% of buyers saying that energy efficient windows and doors in a good state of repair are desirable or essential in determining their decision to proceed.

In short, new windows and doors or windows make it far more likely that you’ll sell your home quickly.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more by calling 01264 359355 or emailing email sales@kjmgroup.co.uk