Windows of Opportunity
A Wealth of Options to Outfit a New Home

by Aaron Baugh

With hundreds of decisions to make when purchasing a new home, window coverings are often overlooked by home buyers. Many buyers forget that a new home will require some sort of window coverings for privacy and light control. By creating a welcoming and safe environment and lowering energy costs, window coverings make a practical and distinct fashion statement in any new home.

As real estate prices continue to drop in the current sellers’ market, smart home buyers should be advised to invest money in features that will increase the perceived value of their homes. Typically, buyers expect to spend additional dollars on window coverings, but today, some builders are simplifying this important purchase. By teaming up with leading window covering companies, homeowners can sometimes purchase window coverings directly at the time of construction.

With the help of participating builders, buyers can now choose custom window coverings for less than off-the-shelf prices. More importantly, they are able to roll the cost right into their mortgages. Such programs provide “windows of opportunity” to make the transition into a new home more efficient and enjoyable.

Beautiful Vistas
The Southwest offers some of the country’s most impressive vistas, and a gorgeous view can be a powerful addition to a new home. Homeowners should treat a unique landscape as a work of art “framed” by the home’s windows, and solar shades are an ideal choice for highlighting breathtaking scenery. They allow for nearly unobstructed enjoyment of the great outdoors while also blocking damaging UV rays.

By minimizing distracting glares on television and computer screens, solar shades also reduce heat transmittance to keep the home’s interior temperate. As a rule of thumb, the lighter the fabric color used to manufacture the solar shades, the more effective the temperature control. Most solar shades are available in fabrics that allow for varying degrees of openness indicated by a percentage. The openness of a fabric determines both the clarity of the outdoor view and the level of UV protection. For example, a fabric with 3 percent openness offers 97 percent UV blockage.

Home buyers should also keep the curb appeal of the home in mind when deciding on window coverings. While a large part of curb appeal is a freshly-mowed lawn, immaculately trimmed trees and siding that hasn’t faded in the sun, functional and attractive window treatments also can make the new owner feel at home and house-proud. Selecting durable window treatments will serve as a value-added feature.

Decorative wood blinds are one of the most popular window coverings among Arizona homeowners. Wood shutters have proved to make a positive impact on the market value of a home and bring a classic and distinctive appeal to the home. Typically, darker finishes add a tone of sophistication to a new home. Desert and earth colors also are becoming more popular, but the finish must complement the overall exterior palette of the home.

Wood blinds have an often-accurate reputation for being more costly than other window coverings options. While the return on investment provided by these blinds can be significant, faux wood blinds are a smart option for new homeowners who have a limited budget for new window coverings throughout the home. Faux wood blinds offer the authentic look of real wood at a lower price point. In fact, faux blinds may be preferable to real wood in high humidity locations such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Another convincing option for homeowners who don’t have the time or budget to install real wood are composite shutters. Composites share the same decorative wood look without the accompanying price tag or more complex installation. By offering the same traditional look of real wood, composite blinds are a great alternative to complement the home’s interior design and décor.

Fabric and Safety Types
• Windows that are directly in a neighbor’s line of sight may be outfitted with shades in opaque fabrics.
• If bedrooms and bathrooms are situated on ground level, consider shades manufactured with blackout fabric for maximum privacy. Blackout fabrics also offer superior light control if a window receives extreme exposure to the sun for the majority of the day.
• Homeowners concerned with accessibility should consider motorized shades to eliminate difficulty accessing standard controls on windows in hard-to-reach areas.
• Families with small children should invest in cordless lift systems to eliminate the need for cords and chains to traverse blinds.

Conservation Counts
The majority of today’s homeowners are concerned with rising energy costs, especially in the Southwest where adequately cooling a home can create a major strain on the pocketbook. Consequently, window coverings that ultimately lower electricity bills by reducing reliance on air conditioning can assist new homeowners in helping to stay within their budgets.

The installation of cellular shades in rooms that receive intense sunlight not only eliminates the need to crank up central air, it also becomes a value-added feature in a new home. As their name implies, cellular shades feature a cell design that forms pockets of air. These pockets trap heat and cold to help regulate inside temperatures all year.

When selecting cellular shades, homeowners should examine their R-Values. This number rates the effectiveness of the shade at preventing energy from flowing to the outside. The higher the R-Value number, the more insulation it provides.

An additional benefit of cellular shades for new homeowners is their ability to absorb sound. If a home is located in a particularly congested neighborhood or next to a busy roadway, the owner should look for shades with a high noise reduction coefficient. As with solar shades, cellular shades can also showcase an eye-catching view while still maintaining privacy. A bottom up and top down design allows shades to be raised only halfway to provide an ideal amount of natural light.

When choosing window fashions, homeowners need to remember that they serve multiple purposes, and they should take the time to find a treatment that works best for them. While adding design and personal expressions to a new home, window coverings serve a practical purpose in using or blocking natural light, adding insulation, creating privacy and ultimately adding comfort.

Aaron Baugh is the National Builder Account Manager for Springs Window Fashions, the parent company of Graber Blinds. Baugh has nearly 15 years of experience in the home and window coverings industry and currently works with Graber’s Home Choices Program, which provides consumers with a simple and affordable way to purchase window coverings directly through their builders at the time of construction.

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Graber Blinds
www.graberblinds.com
877.792.0002