While it's unwise to pay too much, it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money . that's all. When you pay too little, you risk losing everything, because the thing you bought may be incapable of doing what it was bought to do."

- The Common Law of Business

That, in a nutshell, is the difference between cost and value. Cost is how much you pay for something; value is how much you get back in relation to that cost.

Below is a few Cost versus Value charts. The numbers were provided by Remodeling Magazine's 2004 Cost Vs Value Report. Cost data for the Report come from Home-Tech Information Systems, a remodeling estimating software company in Bethesda, Md. HomeTech collects current cost information quarterly from a nationwide network of remodeling contractors, and its cost figures include a 40% margin. Costs are adjusted to account for city-to-city pricing variations.

Resale values do not reflect actual sales made on remodeling projects. Instead, they are based on the professional judgment of members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) about each remodeling project's anticipated resale value. E-mail surveys containing cost and median home price data for cities throughout the US were sent to more than 20,000 appraisers, sales agents, and brokers. According to The Farnsworth Group, the data accuracy rate is +/- approximately 5%.

Windows Return on Investment

In North and South Carolina, homeowners can typically expect to recoup about 86% of the cost of new windows when they sell their home. That amounts to more than a $12,289 improvement in the value of your home on a $14,000 project.

You also can expect to see a substantial return on investment in utility costs, where high-quality windows such as the UniFrame windows we offer will save you as much as 40%. Over a 10-year period, this may amount to more than $8,000.

The total, overall return on investment for basic, average, and high-quality windows is illustrated on the chart below. (Numbers provided by Remodeling Magazine's 2004 Cost Vs Value Report):

	Basic	Average	High-Quality
Price per window	$500	$900	$1,400
Total installation price (10 windows)	$5,000	$9,000	$14,000
Resale value recouped	56%	74%	86%
Resale return on investment	$2,800	$6,660	$12,040
Net cost	$2,200	$2,340	$1,960
10-year utility bills (@$170/mo.)	$20,625	$20,625	$20,625
Percent utility savings	10%	20%	40%
Total utility savings	$2,062	$4,125	$8,250
Total return on investment	$4,262	$10,785	$20,290
Net return	-$738	+$1,785	+$6,290
Click Here To Use Energy Savings Calculator

As you can see, the better the windows you have the higher your return on investment will be. This should not be surprising when you think of the old adage, "You Get What You Pay For!"

Simonton 6500 Series windows are ranked in the "High-Quality," category within the industry. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about your windows, we'll assist you in any way we can.

Siding Return on Investment

North and South Carolina home sellers can expect to recoup 98% of the cost of new, high-quality siding. Energy savings are also a factor, though they're not as substantial as with new windows. In addition, if you're replacing siding made of a high-maintenance material (such as wood), maintenance costs like rot replacement and painting will be substantial as well.

The total, overall return on investment for good, better, and best quality siding is illustrated on the chart below:

	Good	Better	Best
Price per 100-sq.-ft.	$600	$800	$1,000
Total installation price (1200-sq.-ft. home)	$7,200	$9,600	$12,000
Resale value recouped	50%	60%	98%
Resale return on investment	$3,600	$5,760	$11,760
10-year utility bills (@$170/mo.)	$20,625	$20,625	$20,625
Percent utility savings	0%	5%	20%
Total utility savings	$0	$1,031	$4,125
Paint one less time over 10-years	$3,500	$3,500	$3,500
Total return on investment	$7,100	$10,291	$22,885
Net return	-$100	+$691	+$19,385
Click Here To Use Energy Savings Calculator

Notice here the major difference in utility bill savings. Traditional vinyl siding, just like paint, results in absolutely no energy savings. Even a midrange siding will only return a mere 5%. When you compare that to a 20% utility drop, the return on investment is drastic.

Patton's commitment in providing the highest quality materials available led us to offer Crane CedarRidge SolidCore siding materials and accessories. See more about Crane Siding here. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have about any siding issues you're experiencing on your home, we'll assist you in any way we can.