I have been in this business for 25 years, and I have never seen a government program that offered this much money toward windows and doors replacements! Virginia’s Energy Efficiency Rebate Program offers homeowners an exceptional opportunity to make energy-efficient home improvements extremely affordable.

Just take a look at these figures: the State rebate amount pays 20% of the cost, up to $2,000 per household, on new replacement windows or doors–and that includes the cost of labor to install them. Plus, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is paying up to $250 for you to get an energy audit.

And don’t forget that $1500 federal tax credit we’ve all been talking about. So with the 20% from the State of VA and the 30% from the federal government, you can cover your replacement window costs to a total of $3500. That’s pretty good.

I’m on the energy conservation bandwagon too, so if you are interested in replacing your windows and/or doors or improving your energy efficiency with a new awning window, see what finance programs and end-of-year discounts we’re offering.

In order to be eligible for the Virginia Residential Energy Efficiency rebate, you must first register with the program. Start the process by reserving the funds for your window or door replacement project with the Division of Energy. Funds will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, so you have to act now, because you won’t want to miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime combination of savings.

I get asked this question very often, in one form or another. So when I came across it again online I tried to respond. Unfortunately the comments were closed, and that’s why I’m posting it now. Here is the rest of the question:

My house is 20 years old and most of the seals have broken and the windows are fogged. We are looking at replacement options and have found that vinyl is a lot less expensive than wood or composite. Our house is worth about $500k and we don’t want to hurt our resell since we will be moving within the next 3-5 years. Will vinyl windows hurt the resell value in a house in our price range?”

Yes, and no.

There are some high quality vinyl windows available today with energy efficient properties that would probably add to the value of your house versus repairing the current wood sashes. It depends on their condition.

But your house is only worth what people are willing to pay for it. I’m guessing that your 20-year-old house in an established neighborhood has a definite aesthetic appeal that inexpensive vinyl windows will not be able to accomplish. Vinyl frames are thicker than those of wood or composite materials like FIBREX. Plus rarely have I seen vinyl windows that actually match or complement the exterior finish of a house that isn’t white, gray or tan. They just won’t look right, and who wants to be the house people point to and say, “There goes the neighborhood!”

You may think vinyl windows are a good choice because of price, and because you’ll never get away from the ongoing, annual maintenance of painting wood windows and the moisture issues that go with them. But there are other options to consider that can be very economical—especially if you buy windows that will qualify you for the $1500 federal energy tax credit (1500 tax credit windows).

With the savings in monthly energy costs, ongoing maintenance expenses and the tax credits available today (check the Energy Star website and my tax credit posts), you stand a good chance to recover your entire replacement window investment in a few years, increase the resale value of your real estate, plus improve your monthly cash flow.

A good resource for resale values is the annual Cost vs. Value Report issued by Remodeling Magazine. Good luck with your project.

Pollen can get in your house through windows and doors.

It’s that time of year again. The grass is green. The sky is blue. And your car is yellow from all the pollen. That’s right, it’s allergy season. It seems to get worse every year, and pollution certainly isn’t helping. Luckily you can limit allergens from getting in your home by sealing up your windows and exterior doors.

Here are a few tips:

1. Walk around outside of your house and inspect the caulking. Recaulk any gaps or cracks.
2. Check the weatherstripping on your windows and doors. If it’s old or has cracks, buy and install some new stripping.
3. Make sure your windows and doors have good screens without holes. This stops insects and pests from getting in, which can carry allergens and worse.
4. Clean up any mold that may have grown inside from condensation or outside on window trim. Use a bleach-based cleaner to kill it completely.
5. Keep windows and door closed so pollen can’t come inside, especially on the worst allergy days. You can find pollen alerts for your area here.
6. Run your air conditioner continuously.

If you follow these simple steps, you can cut down on the amount of allergens and pollen that gets into your house.