How $18,000 in New Windows Saved Me $6,000.

I live in an older established neighborhood in the city of Fayetteville, NC. The neighborhood was built in the mid 60's and when we purchased our home in 2003 it had not been updated in ANY way.

We chose the home for the Terry Sanford school district for my son. The location and school district was more important to us than updates.

Since then we have slowly remodeled the house. It goes very slowly when you are not financing the remodel.

Last year we finally got to the windows. Our windows were 43 years old and a death trap. They didn't readily open, had peeling paint and if I stood in front of one in the winter I felt the winter air.

Ours is a trilevel floorplan. In the summer the upstairs level would stay unbearably hot. My son, 3 year old daughter, and mother sleep on that level. I think the heat on that level went beyond just being uncomfotable. It never dawned on me that the old windows may be attributing to that problem.

We had decided that we would install a seperate unit in the attic to cool that entire level. Estimates came in at just under $6000, new ducts, electrical and everything.

We'd decided we'd get that done after the metal roof and new windows.

The window man came to our house to do his presentation. Somehow, all my life, I have always walked away with the most expensive item on the rack. He gave a wonderful presentation and I just had to have the $18,000 windows.

The difference those windows made to the comfort level on that upstairs is astounding!! I just felt so stupid that all those years I just kept thinking that the AC just wasn't making it up there very well. Now, I'm sure the less expensive windows he was also selling could have probably done the same thing.

My husband says it's a shame we had to spend $18,000 to save $6,000. But I love my new windows and now I can use that $6,000 towards something else!