Choosing a Type of Window For You

New windows can be a great investment option for your home. They improve the look of the home, can provide energy cost savings and can even make your home brighter. However, there are lots of different types of windows on the market, all with different benefits and uses. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the options you may need to consider for your home.

1) Double Hung Windows. The easiest way to describe these windows is that they can be opened by sliding the top pane down or by sliding the bottom pane up. They offer some convenience and can allow you to open the window in the way that best suits the situation. Stiff breeze blowing? Maybe only open the top window a little, to ensure that the breeze isn’t blowing directly in people’s face. Want to hand something to a guest on your back porch? Opening the bottom window will make things easy.

2) Casement Windows. Casement windows are opened with a crank and tend to open on a hinge on the side of the window frame. They are a great option for tall, narrow windows, often times in a bay window area of the home. Since nearly the whole window opens, they provide plenty of airflow to the room they are installed in and, with minimal window frame hardware or pieces, they generally have a large pane of glass and let in lots of lights.

3) Picture Windows. Picture windows are large, single-pane sheets of glass that are great for letting in plenty of light and for providing great views of the outdoors. Sometimes they even go floor to ceiling! The only drawback is that they aren’t able to be opened, meaning these windows are not a good choice for any room that you wish to bring airflow to.

4) Slider Windows. Slider windows are similar to Double Hung windows, but are positioned laterally rather than vertically. They offer the same benefits as a double hung window, so typically choosing one over the other boils down to the homeowner’s preference.

5) Stationary Windows. Like picture windows, stationary windows are unable to be opened. However, because they are stationary, they can be configured to nearly any shape or size. This allows some unique window placements, like around the corner of a room or a small circular window at the peak corner of a top floor bedroom.

There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing windows for your homes, even more than we’ve listed here! Choosing the right one can will make sure that your house looks great, has plenty of light and keeps you comfortable regardless of the time of year. You may contact professional window repair nyc to get them installed and improve the overall curb appeal.

Making Your Home Look Nice in 4 Simple Steps

When you’re going around your house cleaning, picking up, and taking the trash out, sometimes you forget to do the smaller things that really stick out to guests. Whether you’re hosting some sort of party, having a family gathering, or you just want to impress your spouse, we’ve compiled a list of easy-to-accomplish tasks that take little time yet leave quite a lasting impression on who you are as a homeowner. Check out our list of those tasks below.

Create a nice window set.

You know how when you look into someone’s windows, you get a decent idea of how the rest of their house probably looks from inside? Yeah. Well, you’ll want to make sure your living room looks nice if your curtains are ever open and people can see in. Obviously it doesn’t have to be perfect, but make it presentable.

Similarly, make sure there are enough things near your windows to complement looking out of them. Plants, end tables, books, whatever. Just make it look nice.

Clean out toilet bowls and any light-colored sinks.

Most average toilet bowls and sinks are light-colored porcelain, which means that they show just about everything possible. Rather than having rather unsightly marks around your toilet bowl or sludge build-up around your sink, you’re better off taking half an hour to scrub the porcelain in your bathrooms so that everything is spotless, shining, and perfect. A clean bathroom makes others feel more at home and relaxed.

Wipe down your windows.

This doesn’t take long at all to do and yet makes such a noticeable impression. By having windows that seem, well, seamless, you’ll ensure that no one sees any smudges. And this isn’t so much a thing that guests will notice as it is making sure they don’t notice small smudges or fingerprints. If your windows or glass doors are riddled with smear marks and smudges, they’re quite glaring and unsightly. But, if your screen door causes people to accidentally run into it because they don’t realize it’s there, you’re cleaning your windows and glass right.

Sweep and then mop your linoleum and hardwood.

Your floor will look amazing with natural sunlight glinting off of it in the day. This speaks volumes about your attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile for your home. While sometimes you may neglect your floors yet they don’t necessarily show smudges or pet hair, you’re able to tell when it is mopped and cleaned well, because the luster of your floor gleams like nothing else.

Best Investments for Improving Your Home Value

Typically, real estate is a great investment and it tends to appreciate over time. Sometimes that appreciation can be slow and other times fast, usually depending on the neighborhood or area surrounding the house. However, there are some things you can do to help your home grow in value even faster than normal. Here’s our suggestions for home improvements that tend to have the best return on investment.

1) New Windows

These may not be the first improvement that your mind jumps to, but when you stop to think about it, this investment makes perfect sense. Nearly every room in your home will have a window and those windows are not only ways to bring light into the house, but they serve as insulators against the weather outside and ensuring your home stays safe and comfortable. Replacing the windows in an old home with single pane windows with new energy efficient windows can actually have an impact on your monthly energy bill. Additionally, new windows improve the curb appeal of your home and boosts the first impression of any potential buyer who visits.

2) Minor Kitchen Remodel

Nearly everyone’s kitchen could use a bit of updating. Fortunately, to see a return, you don’t need to do a full blown remodel. Just doing some minor updating is generally enough. This includes things like adding a backsplash, new appliances or countertops, new cabinet hardware and a fresh coat of paint. Most of these things you can even do on your own!

3) Landscaping

Similar to the windows, your landscaping is one of the first things a potential home buyer sees when they visit your house. Fortunately, this home improvement tactic doesn’t have to cost a lot of money either. If you already have good looking plants or bushes in your existing landscaping, updating your landscaping can be as simple as a quality trim and some new mulch. If your front landscaping is looking a bit rough, considering some new plants or bushes. Small bushes like boxwoods aren’t very expensive, are easy to care for and can be trimmed to any shape or size.

4) Bathroom Remodel

Like the kitchen, a bathroom remodel can add a significant amount of value to your home. Consider replacing the fixtures or even putting down new tile to make everything look fresh. And just like your kitchen, a fresh coat of paint never hurts.

Everyone hopes to maximize their return when selling their home. Following these couple home improvement tips can help you do the same for your home!

How To Handle Your Windows When Selling Your House

Most of us don’t think about our windows very often. They’re there and let light in, and sometimes we open them to let a breeze in, but we don’t tend to spend a lot of time thinking about how to make them as appealing as possible.

However, that will all change when you go to sell your home. All the sudden you’ll be looking for ways to make everything around your house look as great as possible. Here’s some tips for making your windows look great.

1) Have them professionally cleaned. You may be diligent about wiping your window panes down, but it can be difficult to reach into all the nooks and crannies that exist in modern windows. A professional home cleaner will have the tools and experience to get your windows as clean as possible. Not only will clean windows help your home look nice, but they will reinforce that your windows are trustworthy, well sealed and won’t need to be replaced by the new home owner.

2) Clean or Get New Window Blinds and Screens. Like the windows themselves, window blinds don’t typically get a lot of our time, outside of an occasional dusting. However, over time, window blinds can get faded and yellow due to dust, age and being in direct sunlight. Thoroughly cleaning or even replacing your window blinds can help compliment your newly cleaned windows. Similarly, window screens can become dirty or even torn over time. One of the easiest ways to clean screens is to remove them from the window and then scrub them with soap and water before rinsing them off and reinstalling them.

3) Get new windows. Admittedly, this is kind of the last option when it comes to windows, but it can be a good option nonetheless. New windows tend to produce a great return on investment and can improve the value of your home. Additionally, they’ll look cleaner than your old windows adding your home’s curb appeal and can even positively impact your monthly energy bill and cut back on how much you spend on heating or cooling your home.

4) Open Them! If you have a showing at your home, make sure to have your blinds open and, if it’s nice, maybe the window even cracked a little bit. This will ensure that your home is filled with as much natural light as possible and that it smells fresh for any visitors checking out your house.

There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to your selling your home. Fortunately windows don’t need to occupy a lot of that brain space. Just follow these simple tips and your windows will look great!