What Value Does an Egress Window Add?

Adding an egress window to your home can be a way to immediately increase the home’s value. There are certain conditions that will allow you to get the most market value out of adding egress windows, but the bottom line is that they will almost always be a good proposition when it comes to adding value to the sale price of your home.

There are egress window benefits that you should know about aside from just adding value to your home, however. They allow for you to convert spaces like basements into livable areas, and they also provide an exit in case of a fire or other emergency. Here are some more egress window benefits for you to consider.

Value added to home

One of the most common reasons for adding an egress window to a home is to add value to the home. The reason this may add value is that it allows you to transform an unused space like a basement into a livable room.

By adding an egress window, you can add another bedroom onto your home, turning that two-bedroom into a three-bedroom. That can mean you will be able to ask a higher sale price on your home should you choose to sell it—much more than the cost of the window installation.

There are a couple things you should know if you are looking to add an egress window to a basement space. First off, the dimensions of the window need to comply with the International Residential Code (IRC) requirements, as well as with local building codes, for the space to be considered a bedroom.

IRC standards for an egress window require a clear and unobstructed opening of at least 5.7 square feet, at least 24 inches tall and at least 20 inches wide. The bottom can’t be more than 44 inches from the floor, and it must be able to be opened without tools.

Beyond the window itself, there are also specific requirements for the space directly outside an egress window. If installed below ground, an egress window must have a window well. This is an open space around the outside of the window that is shielded with steel or polyethylene with at least 9 square feet of space and fastened to the home’s foundation on either side.

Comfortable living space

An egress window can be a valuable addition to a home even if you are not looking to increase the sale value right away. Since this type of window opens up, it can provide good ventilation and airflow to a space like a basement. It also provides natural light to places that might otherwise have no view to the outside.

Egress windows can also add to the aesthetic value of a space. The interior trim can be a nice design feature inside the space, in addition to providing a view to the outdoors.

When you’re ready to experience egress window benefits and enjoy the market value of adding egress windows to your home, contact Santa Fe Glass & Mirror for professional window installation.

Categorised in: Egress Windows

This post was written by Writer