“I’ve never owned a home before, so I have no idea how long I should expect my house to last,” Stephen said. “Obviously, I want it to last forever, so that means taking care of repairs when I need to. But what does that actually mean? I have what I consider a pretty average house. When can I plan on needing to replace the windows?”
An interesting fact that not many people know is that the average home in Massachusetts tends to be much older than the average home in most of the rest of the country. While the national average age of a home is 41 years, in Massachusetts, it’s 54 years old. And if you happen to live in Boston, the average age of a home is a shocking 73 years old.
What does this mean about window replacement? The older your home, the older the windows are likely to be. While it’s now relatively rare to find older South Shore homes that have their original windows, the replacement windows might be more than 30 years old. As a rule of thumb, considering the harsh winters, window replacement in the South Shore region needs to happen every 20 years or so.
There are benefits to having replacement windows installed in Massachusetts. Energy efficiency obviously tops the list. Consider the fact that up to 40% of a home’s energy can be lost through leaky windows. That’s heat you’re paying for that’s totally wasted. When your windows are better, you lose a lot less heat and save more money.
Other benefits of having replacement windows installed include a boost to the appearance of your home. Your home will also be more comfortable without cold drafts. If you have family members who struggle with health issues, keeping their living space warm is obviously a top priority.