Should I get new windows before I sell my Tucson home?

The claim

Recently I have noticed a certain commercial popping up repeatedly (excessively!) during our local Tucson area news broadcasts. It is anchored by a statistic that sounds so clean it feels like a no-brainer.  The claim? “Three out of four realtors agree that new (insert company name on your own—you guys have seen the ads!) windows will increase a home’s value by at least 10%”. When I checked the company website, the declaration magically goes up in value to 15%. It is the kind of figure that makes a twenty-thousand-dollar home improvement project feel less like a luxury and more like a high-yield savings account. But as anyone who has ever tried to sell a used car or a vintage watch knows, there can be a pretty big chasm between what people say something is worth and what a buyer actually writes on a check. And this goes double when it comes to home sales. 

When you peel back the sticker on this claim, you find that the source is not a neutral group of economists but rather this particular window company’s own 2024 brand survey of U.S. builders and real estate agents. The distinction is subtle but vital. The survey measures sentiment and perception—the warm, fuzzy feeling an agent gets when they see a "prestige" brand name in a listing—rather than the cold, hard data of closed sales. To suggest that a set of windows adds fifteen percent to a home’s total value is to engage in a bit of architectural alchemy (or, as my grandfather used to say, “that's a mighty tall crop to grow in a gravel pit”). If you own a five-hundred-thousand-dollar home, the window company’s math suggests that replacing your windows will conjure an additional seventy-five thousand dollars out of thin air. Given that the average window replacement costs a fraction of that, we would all be quitting our day jobs to flip houses one window at a time!

The Reality

The reality, tracked by the more sober-minded folks at the National Association of Realtors and the annual Cost vs. Value reports, is significantly more grounded. If you decide to swap out your old, rattling frames for high-end wood or vinyl replacements, you aren’t looking at a windfall; you are looking at a recovery.  Historically, homeowners recoup somewhere between sixty-one and seventy-three percent of their investment on new windows at the time of sale. In the world of home renovation, this is actually a stellar performance—better than most bathroom remodels and certainly better than a pool—but it is a far cry from the fifteen-percent-on-top-of-the-whole-house promise.

Why, then, do three out of four realtors seem to believe the hype? Well, firstly—we have no idea what kind of markets these agents were in or what experience the agents surveyed had. We have no idea what questions were asked that then could be skewed to ensure a response in the window companies favor. I feel extremely confident that the vast percentage of agents that we know would disagree with the level of inflation on this claim.  Is there anything to justify this survey?  If there is, it's likely because windows occupy a unique psychological space in the mind of a buyer. They are the eyes of the house, and when those eyes are foggy, rotting, or painted shut, they signal a deeper, systemic neglect that can tank a sale before the first tour is over. New windows offer a "curb appeal" that is difficult to quantify but easy to feel; they represent a house that has been cared for, a house that won’t leak precious A/C during our blistering hot Southern Arizona summers. They can also make a dated house look much more current. Certainly, in homes with outstanding views (as many in Tucson have), windows in terrible condition are not going to help you capitalize on the premium those views offer.

The Upside

There are, of course, a few sweeteners to help the medicine go down. Modern tax laws, currently lingering from the Inflation Reduction Act, offer a modest olive branch in the form of a thirty percent tax credit for energy-efficient upgrades, which can help defer some cost. (But doublecheck before you rely on these perks— things can change!) So, should you get new windows for your Tucson home? Ultimately, the decision to replace your windows should probably be driven by being forced to walk around the house in your underwear all summer (because the heat blasting through the windows is negating your A/C system), or to finally be able to open them without a crowbar, rather than the hope of a fifteen percent profit margin. The company in question may make a fine window, but they are selling you a dream of effortless equity. In the actual market, windows are less of a gold mine and more of a very expensive, very beautiful insurance policy against your house feeling its age.

The Best Thing To Do

The best thing to do? Before you decide to pop for a huge reno project in anticipation of selling your home, contact your real estate agent. They can run comparables to see what the local market is supporting and help advise you on what will be your biggest return on investment. Also, research companies and read LOCAL reviews (most of these companies are nationwide and massive—the installers in Rhode Island aren’t putting windows in Oro Valley). Get several estimates and learn about the pros and cons to different windows and brands.

On a personal note— I am a bit outraged at this window companies claims. I feel that real estate agents nationwide should voice their protest at this claim, and demand the survey of agents be done by an unbiased, disinterested party to ensure that the results are not skewed. Consumers count on the valuable expertise agents give them—and this "survey" is misleading, in my opinion. I would be curious to know how the NAR feels about the company's claims since the NAR's own research directly contradicts this. 🤔

Getting ready to sell your home in Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana or Catalina? Check out this article listing some of what we (in our professional opinion) are some of the best things you can do when preparing your home for sale in Southern Arizona.