Update: We officially pulled the trigger on our window replacement! 🎉 Here's what we decided:
We signed a contract with Karoly Windows. Their quote was very competitive for the impact windows we wanted, and we just felt most comfortable with them (the rep was great and they have lots of good local feedback). We did negotiate a bit: we showed them a slightly lower quote we had, and they matched part of the difference. In the end, we got 12 impact windows for about $14.5k, which we're happy with.
For financing, we chose the 12-month no interest plan that Karoly offered through their financing partner. We figured this is the most cost-effective route since we can manage the payments over a year. We put 10% down (about $1,450) as a deposit when we signed the contract (put that on a credit card for points, which we'll pay off immediately). The remaining balance is set up on the 0% financing. Our plan is to pay roughly $1,200 a month to have it fully paid by month 12. I've already set up automatic payments to make sure we don't miss anything and fall into deferred interest.
I did apply for the My Safe Florida Home program for the grant. I won't know for a little while if we get approved (fingers crossed!). If we do, that could reimburse us up to $5k because we're doing impact windows. That would be amazing and would basically cover a big chunk of the cost. In any case, we weren't going to count on it, which is why we financed in a way that we can handle on our own. If the grant comes through, it'll just let us pay off the financing early.
Installation is scheduled for about 8 weeks from now (apparently that's the lead time for manufacturing the windows). Just in time for the heart of summer. I'm really excited to get them in and feel the difference in the house.
I cannot thank all of you enough. Seriously, this thread has been a lifesaver. We went from being unsure and nervous about the whole process to feeling confident and in control. I knew what questions to ask, I understood the financing options, and I honestly think we ended up with the best solution for our situation.
I'll definitely update again after the windows are in, if anyone's interested, but as of now, the financing part is settled and I'm relieved (and excited!). Thank you all for the amazing help and advice. This community is the best!
@patricia_peak That’s fantastic news! Congrats on making a decision and getting everything in place. It sounds like you made a wise choice with Karoly Windows and the 0% financing. And $14.5k for 12 impact windows is a solid deal indeed, especially since you negotiated it down a bit.
The 12-month plan should treat you well as long as you stick to the payoff schedule, which it sounds like you are on top of (automatic payments for the win!). And if that grant comes through, it’ll be icing on the cake – I really hope you get it.
I'm sure you're going to love the new windows. Come hurricane season and those sweltering August afternoons, you'll be thanking yourself for doing this. And it’s even better that you won’t be paying interest while enjoying those benefits.
Definitely keep us posted after installation – we’d love to hear how the project turns out (and live vicariously through your joy of new windows 😄).
This thread has been a pleasure to follow, and your outcome really makes it all worthwhile. Cheers to great windows and a well-financed project!
This thread has been one of the most informative discussions I've seen on window replacements. Big thanks to @patricia_peak for starting it and following through with an update, and to everyone who contributed.
As a fellow Tampa Bay homeowner, I’ve learned a ton here that I’ll use for my own project. It’s threads like these that really show the value of community knowledge-sharing.
Congrats @patricia_peak on your new windows and successful financing journey. Enjoy the benefits, and thanks for letting us all learn alongside you!
@patricia_peak I’m so glad to hear you went with Karoly Windows and that you got a deal you're happy with! It sounds like you really knocked it out of the park with the financing strategy too. No interest for a year and potentially a nice grant coming – you really took advantage of all the best options.
When those new windows are in, I think you’ll immediately feel the benefits (and probably wonder why you waited, I know I did in my case 😄).
This thread has been incredible, and your follow-up just capped it off perfectly. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. It's going to be so useful for anyone else in the same boat.
Enjoy the peace of mind during storm season this year, and the lower electric bills. You’ve earned it after doing all that homework!
Hi all, I'm looking to replace the windows in my home here in the Tampa Bay area and could really use advice on financing the project. My house is 20 years old (built around 2005) with the original builder-grade windows. They are starting to fail (foggy glass, drafts) and I'd like to upgrade, possibly even to hurricane impact windows for peace of mind.
The project won't be cheap, so I'm exploring financing options. I wondered what others have done to pay for window replacements. Are there local financing programs or particular loans you'd recommend? For example, I've heard of things like 0% same-as-cash deals, home equity lines, bank loans, etc., but I'm not sure what's best.
I'm talking to a couple of well-known local companies (including Karoly Windows and ProTech Windoors) and both offer financing plans, but I have no experience with this. Karoly mentioned a 12-month no-interest option, and ProTech talked about a longer-term low interest loan. Has anyone used either of those, or have any tips on choosing between contractor financing versus a bank or credit union loan?
Any advice on how to finance a window replacement (for a home under 25 years old, if that matters) would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to hear about your experiences, what worked or didn't, and any creative ideas to make it more affordable. Thanks in advance!
We replaced all our windows in our house last year (our home is about 22 years old). For financing, we decided to use a home equity line of credit (HELOC). Interest rates were decent and the interest is tax-deductible since it's for home improvement. We liked that a HELOC gave us flexibility: we could draw exactly what we needed and pay it back on our own schedule.
We did consider the financing offered by the window company. In fact, we went with Karoly Windows for the installation (they did a fantastic job!). Karoly did offer a 12-month same-as-cash deal, which was tempting, but our credit union’s HELOC offered a lower long-term rate after that promo period would have ended. So for us, it made sense to go with the HELOC at around 5% interest.
My advice: if you have equity in your home, check with your bank or credit union to compare their loan options. Sometimes your own financing can beat the contractor’s offer. In our case, using the HELOC saved us money in interest, and we still got to work with a top-notch company like Karoly for the actual windows.
I took a different approach: I used the window contractor’s 0% financing offer and it worked out great for me. The deal was 0% interest for 18 months (essentially a "same-as-cash" promotion). We had enough savings to pay for the windows, but we figured why not use free financing and keep our savings invested a bit longer. We replaced 10 windows for about $9,000 and financed the whole amount.
I made sure to divide the balance by 17 and set up automatic payments so that by month 17 we had it nearly paid off, with the last payment in month 18 well before the promo ended. As a result, we paid zero interest. It felt pretty awesome to get a new window job and not pay any interest on the loan – like a free short-term loan 😄.
One thing to be careful about: with those "no interest" deals, if you miss the deadline or even a single payment, interest can hit you hard retroactively. Our contract stated that if we didn’t pay it off in 18 months, we'd be charged something like 18% APR from the purchase date. So, you have to be disciplined. But if you are, it's a fantastic option. In my case, the contractor handled the financing through a third-party lender (I think it was Synchrony Bank). The process was quick and easy at the time of purchase. Just be sure to read the fine print and mark your calendar so you don’t go past the free period.
We decided to take a personal loan from our bank to fund our window replacement. We wanted a fixed monthly payment and a set payoff date. We borrowed $15,000 for our windows (we had a number of large windows to replace), and set it up as a 5-year loan at around 6% interest. That makes our payment roughly $290 a month. It was straightforward and we liked knowing exactly how much we'd owe each month, with no surprises.
If you have good credit, you might find an unsecured home improvement loan or personal loan with a decent rate. We actually checked with our local credit union (Suncoast Credit Union here in Tampa) and a couple of online lenders. In the end, our own bank (where we already do our banking) gave us a competitive rate, so we went with them for convenience.
The nice thing about a personal loan is there's no lien on your house (unlike a HELOC) and no need to use your home as collateral. The application did require income verification and such, but it wasn't too bad. Within a week we had the funds and were ready to pay the window contractor. So definitely shop around: banks, credit unions, and even some online lenders like LightStream or SoFi can have good loan options for projects like these.
I just had my windows replaced last month and went through ProTech Windoors. They were one of the companies we got a quote from, and we chose them in the end due to a combination of price and trust. As for financing, ProTech offered us two main options: one was 12 months no interest, and the other was a longer-term loan (I think around 6.99% APR for 5 years). We opted for the 5-year plan because we wanted a lower monthly payment to fit our budget, and it had no prepayment penalty, meaning we can pay it off sooner if we want.
Our experience with ProTech Windoors was excellent. The team was professional and the installation was smooth. When it came to the financing paperwork, it was pretty straightforward. We got approved quickly through their partner lender. We did, however, make sure to clarify all the terms. I specifically asked if there were any origination fees or penalties for early payoff, and there were none aside from the interest.
One thing I recommend is to ask if the company offers any discount for paying cash vs financing. Some contractors will give you a better price if you’re not using their financing (since they avoid lender fees). In our case, ProTech’s initial quote was already the best we had, and when I inquired about cash discount, they said the price would be the same. That made it easy to just go with their financing. So, definitely consider local companies like ProTech Windoors — not only did they do a great job, but having an in-house financing option was very convenient for us.
In our case, we tackled our window replacement by saving up and doing it in stages. Our home was built in 2004, and by 2020 we knew the original windows needed upgrading. Initially, we thought we'd replace half the windows one year and the other half a year or two later to spread out the cost. This way we could pay cash for each phase without taking a loan.
However, after getting quotes (including one from Karoly Windows), we realized there are some efficiencies in doing all the windows at once. For one, you only have to pull one permit and the crew only has to come out once, which can save on installation costs overall. The rep from Karoly Windows was actually very helpful in walking us through the pros and cons of phasing the project. They weren’t pushy; they just gave us the info. They even mentioned that if budget was an issue, they could finance part of it.
We ultimately decided to replace all our windows at once. We had about 70% of the cost saved up and we took a small loan (from our credit union at a low rate) to cover the rest. It worked out well because we got everything done in one go and ended up paying off that loan within a year anyway. The peace of mind of having all new windows throughout the house at the same time was worth it. If you can swing it by combining savings with a bit of financing, it can be a good middle ground.