When purchasing a home, do you look at the windows?

Windows - what to look for in a New Home | Vantage | AWS

We’ve all been to open houses and often become distracted observing the interior furnishings, the floor plan and which walls you would knock down to suit your lifestyle. Smart home buyers know what to look for when buying a home and one of these important features is the windows.

Windows are an investment in themselves. They impact the energy efficiency, natural lighting and comfort of a home but more often that not, most home buyers would rather spend the money on a more enjoyable upgrade such as a new kitchen, bathroom or luxurious couch.

So why are the existing windows in your potential new home such an important consideration?

Do they operate correctly?

Test all the windows to make sure they operate easily. If they are heavy or difficult to operate, you will need to investigate as they may not have been looked after. It’s good to also make sure the keys are all still there as well. If you can’t open them, you unlikely to use them for natural ventilation.

Are they sealing correctly?

Look around for mould and any damp smells. If the previous home owner did not frequently ventilate the home, you may have a sick home on your hands! Keep an eye out for condensation on windows and peeling or bubbled paint around openings which can indicate moisture. Poorly installed or ageing windows or frames might hint to other potential upgrades in the near future.

Are they performing optimally for this particular property?

The orientation of windows plays a major role in a home’s energy efficiency making it more comfortable to live in and cheaper to run. Orientation for passive heating is about using the sun as a source of free home hearing by letting winter sun in and keeping unwanted summer sun out – desirable in the majority of Australian homes.

Let’s delve a little deeper. Windows that face north heat up the home and receive more sunlight that windows facing east and west. Windows facing east and west receive little sunlight in spring, autumn, and winter, but an excessive amount in the summer. Windows that face south never receive direct sunlight in the winter and only the late afternoon or early morning sunlight in the summer.

So next time you’re at an open house – pull that curtain back, open the blind and check out the windows. They might look like a window and sound like a window but are they going to give you the benefits a correctly manufactured and installed window should?