After the new windows went in, the fresh white frames made the rest of our exterior look a bit shabby 😅. Our 1952 house in Kenneth City had old, faded paint around where the window awnings used to be. We ended up repainting the exterior trim and touching up around each window afterward, which really completed the project. So, budget a little extra time/money for paint or touch-ups post-install, especially if your old windows had storm shutters or awnings removed (we had some metal awnings taken down, and underneath were unfaded paint outlines and screw holes).
The new windows looked so good that we had to spruce up everything around them to match! Now the curb appeal is fantastic – clean windows, neat trim, no rust stains. It feels like a new house, but still our same old home.
I live in a mid-century neighborhood in Clearwater with a voluntary HOA. Our house was built in 1965 and still had its original windows before we replaced them. I gave the HOA board a heads-up and even showed them the brochure of the windows we were getting. They appreciated it, even though it wasn't a formal approval process. One tip if you have any kind of HOA: be proactive and communicate. Even if it's not strictly required, it builds goodwill.
In my case, the neighbors were curious and ended up really liking the outcome. Now a couple of them have asked me for my contractor's info. It feels good to avoid any drama with the HOA by looping them in early. Some HOAs can be pickier, but generally if you match the look (white for white frames, grids for grids, etc.), you should be fine.
My parents live in a 1955 home in New Port Richey, and they replaced their windows a year after we did ours because they saw how much more comfortable our house was. It's contagious! Now they keep bragging about how quiet their house is and how their A/C doesn't run constantly. They went with a different contractor (closer to their area) and had a good experience too.
One cool thing they did: they chose bronze-colored frames to match the mid-century look of their house (lots of homes in the 50s here originally had bronze anodized aluminum windows). Surprisingly, it looks great – it kind of blends in with their brick exterior. So you don't always have to go with white frames if your house historically had something else and the company offers color options. Just make sure the color is allowed if you have any neighborhood rules. In their case, no HOA, so they had free rein.
Maintenance is another thing that changed for the better. I used to dread cleaning our old double-hung windows on my 1941 Tampa house. They had old storm panels and rickety screens, and I could never get the exteriors clean without a ladder. The new double-hungs we installed have tilt-in sashes, so I can literally clean both sides of the glass from inside the house now. It's such a quality-of-life improvement (our house is two stories, so this is huge). Plus, no more scraping and repainting window frames every few years – the new frames are vinyl and just need a wipe down.
If you love the charm of old wood, I get it, but I have to say, not having to do that annual maintenance is a relief. Now I spend those weekends on other projects (or actually relaxing).
After we updated our windows and exterior doors in our 1962 house in Apollo Beach, we got a wind mitigation inspection for insurance. Even though our house is older, having all new impact-rated windows (and doors) got us a decent discount on our homeowners insurance. It also means the house meets current code for openings, which is a selling point if we ever move. Side note: check if your municipality requires you to bring other things up to code when you pull a window permit.
For example, when our friend replaced her windows in St. Pete, the inspector required that she install smoke detectors in each bedroom as part of the final inspection (not directly window-related, but a general safety update they enforce on any permitted project over a certain cost). Little things like that can pop up. In our case, no surprises, but good to be aware.
Small joy: our new windows actually open and stay open 😄. In our 1937 house in Old Northeast, many of the original windows were painted shut or had broken sash cords, so they'd slam shut if you tried to prop them open. We used to use sticks to hold them up when we wanted a breeze – real old-house living! Now, every window glides open smoothly and stays up on its own.
The first week after installation, I was almost afraid to touch them because I wasn't used to windows that function properly. But one cool evening we opened everything and it was glorious to have the whole house ventilated without a struggle. If you're like I was, with half your windows basically non-functional, just imagine actually being able to use them all. It's a game changer for enjoying the nice weather days.
We combined our window project with some other work, which had pros and cons. Our 1950 house in West Tampa was also getting new siding and paint, so we timed the windows to be installed right before the siding guys started. This way, any dings around the window edges would be covered by the new siding. That worked out, but coordinating two crews was a bit stressful – the window crew took a week longer than expected which pushed back the siding schedule.
If you have multiple upgrades planned, think about the order: windows usually should come before exterior painting or new siding, so the new windows don't mess up those finishes. It ended up fine for us, just a tighter timeline than ideal. If I did it again, I'd put more buffer between projects. In the end, though, new windows plus a new exterior made our old house look and feel brand new.
Budget-wise, window replacement is definitely an investment. Our 1968 home in Largo has 15 windows, and we ended up financing part of the project. Many window companies offer financing plans, which helped us because we didn't want to pay it all upfront. We got 0% interest for 12 months through our contractor's financing partner, which allowed us to get better quality windows instead of the cheapest ones. Just be sure to read the fine print on any financing deal (some have deferred interest if you don't pay off in time).
Alternatively, some people use a home equity loan. We considered that too. In hindsight, I'm glad we financed because the energy savings basically helped offset the monthly payment. It felt like a win-win to upgrade immediately and pay over time. So yes, it's expensive, but there are ways to manage the cost for an older home project like this.
I want to echo what others have said about choosing a local expert. We first got a quote from a large national company for our 1942 bungalow in Port Tampa. The salesman was slick and the price was high. They also had a one-size-fits-all approach and didn't seem to care about the historic aspect of our place. Then we talked to a smaller local window company – the owner himself came out – and he pointed out some custom solutions (like using cove molding to match our interior trim and special-order sash locks that looked vintage). That sold us.
Not only was the price better, we felt they truly cared about our house, not just making a sale. The local crew's installation was great, and they even fixed a couple of unrelated minor things they noticed (like an interior door that was sticking). It felt like neighborly service. So definitely consider going local – Tampa Bay has some great family-run window companies that treat you like more than just a number.
Just adding another nod for Pro Tech Windows & Doors. They did the windows on my mom's 1959 home in Seminole (Pinellas County) and it was a great experience. I helped my mom through the process, and I really appreciated how Pro Tech's team treated her (she’s older and was nervous about people working in the house). They were patient, answered all her questions, and were very punctual each day so she wasn't left waiting. They also respected her home – laying down drop cloths everywhere and even working around her beloved rose bushes without damage.
The windows they installed look wonderful and are easy for her to open now (the old ones were swollen shut). She feels much safer with the impact glass too. As her son, I was just happy to see a contractor care that much. So yeah, Pro Tech gets a thumbs up from us for anyone in Pinellas.