When you’re in the market for a new house, you will try to look for ones that come with the greatest number of improvements so that you don’t have to implement them yourselves. So, in that regard, you might be looking for homes with blinds or window screens. But do new homes really come with blinds or window screens? Or do you have to have them installed yourself?
Generally, fixtures that are permanent such as blinds or window screens are usually included in the sale of a new home but some regulations will vary depending on the state you live in. However, there is an exception to this rule as when certain items are outlined in the seller disclosure to not be included with the home.
It might be a general rule that fixtures that are permanent in nature are usually included in the sale of a new home. This includes blinds and window screens. But because it is better to be sure, you have to know your state’s regulations and you need to clearly read the contract between you and the seller. In any case, we have outlined what you need to know about such fixtures when buying a new home.
Do New Houses Come With Blinds?
Shopping for a new home can indeed be confusing for a lot of people who don’t know what should and should not come with the new house. So, while most of the fixtures such as the doors, toilets, sinks, and faucets understandably come with the new home, do blinds also come with it?
First off, you have to know that state regulations generally state that anything that has been affixed to the house in a permanent manner by using nails, screws, or glue are supposed to be considered as part of the house whenever you sell it. Of course, because blinds are affixed in a manner that makes them more or less permanent, they should remain with the house if it is sold.
However, what you also have to consider here is that the regulations in the different states may vary when it comes to what are considered fixtures, so you have to make sure that you need to read up on your state laws. Meanwhile, the contract between you and the seller is also binding in the sense that it should clearly indicate that the blinds come with the new house. Otherwise, you will be buying a house that doesn’t come with blinds.
In your case, the best thing to do is to communicate with the seller as much as possible not only in relation to the blinds but also when it comes to the other fixtures that you want to be included in your new home. Otherwise, things might get a bit too confusing between the two parties and you and the seller won’t be able to meet eye to eye in relation to what is considered as fixtures in your new home.
How Much Do Blinds Cost For A New House?
If your new home doesn’t come with blinds installed because the contract never included them or because the state you live in does not require blinds to be included in the sale of a new home, you may need to have them installed yourself. But how much do blinds cost for a new home?
The cost you will incur when installing blinds in your new home will vary depending on the type of blinds you chose and on how many windows you have in your house. Of course, the labor expenses and the price of the materials will vary from state to state as bigger cities and states will naturally require you to shell out more money.
Nevertheless, the usual price range for installing new blinds in your house will be somewhere between $200 and $1,200 depending on the materials and the type of blinds you want to have installed. And if you want to have old window treatments to be removed, this will certainly cost you at least an extra hundred bucks just for the labor alone.
Meanwhile, for the blinds themselves, the price can vary as well because blinds can have prices that can range from somewhere under $10 to more than $1,000. Having them installed can range from somewhere between $30 and $80 but the more expensive bay window blinds can cost you more than $300 on installation fees alone.
That said, the average person will usually pay somewhere between $140 to $400 on labor expenses for having their blinds installed. And if we include the price of the blinds, this can add hundreds of dollars to the total, and that is why it is understandable for the entire job to cost you more than a thousand dollars. For FREE SHIPPING and a sure fit guarantee, we recommend the #1 Retailer in Blinds. They also offer 24 months of 0% financing.
Do New Homes Come With Window Screens?
On the other hand, if you are more concerned with the windows of your new home, you might be asking or wondering whether or not new homes usually come with window screens after they have been sold.
Well, for starters, when construction companies buy the parts they need for the windows (especially if the windows they chose are supposed to include window screens), the window screens come with the entire package.
However, most builders would try to avoid installing the window screens during the construction phase or not until the house has been fully built because of how there is a good chance that they would get damaged during the construction process.
As such, it can be quite common for houses to be sold without window screens installed on them although they should already be included in the house because, from the start, the window parts were sold together with the window screens. If the windows don’t come with the screens installed, it could just be that the builder forgot to put them on the window right after the completion of the entire house.
However, you have to be wary of the fact that window screens usually are not code requirements in most states. That means that you cannot compel the builder or the seller of your new home to include window screens in the house because he or she isn’t required to do so.
But what you also need to know is to look at what is included in the contract between you and the seller because, if the windows (which are included in the full price of the house) bought for the house actually also included the screens (which you also paid for by buying the house), then it only follows that you may be entitled to the window screens.
In any case, you can try to negotiate with your seller or builder to include window screens in your new home. Trying won’t hurt but you can’t really compel them to include window screens if the house didn’t come with the window screens in the first place.
Do You Really Need Window Screens?
Now that you know that window screens don’t really come with the new home you just bought unless the windows purchased when building the home included the window screens, you might be wondering if you really need those window screens in the first place?
While window screens aren’t necessities (that’s why most states don’t require new homes to be built to include window screens), there are a lot of lasting perks and benefits that come with window screens. In that sense, they become important to your everyday lifestyle as a homeowner.
Here are the reasons why you might need to have window screens in your home:
- Keeps insects from entering your home when you open the windows to let fresh air in or when you want to let nasty odors out of the house.
- They help protect your home from anything that can potentially damage the windows such as when a stray ball or rock is flying towards your window and your screen is there to protect the windows from getting damaged.
- Burglars who would want to enter your house in the middle of the night would have one more obstacle in their way when you have window screens installed in your windows.
- Window screens can help decrease your energy costs during the summer when you may have to crank up the AC because of how you can just open the windows to let cool air in while the screens filter out what shouldn’t be entering your house.
Is It Better To Have Blinds Or Window Screens?
Now, if you are wondering which between blinds or window screens you want to have in your windows, here are the things you need to know:
- Blinds are better for your home’s privacy. While screens are not great in terms of privacy, they will allow more air and breeze to pass in and out of your home.
- It is easier to control your blinds in comparison to window screens that are just basically there and cannot be controlled.
- Window screens are better for those who want to add an extra layer of protection to their windows. The same cannot be said about blinds, which don’t really protect your house but are good for privacy.
- It will be easier for you to clean blinds than screens.
While both blinds and screens have their pros and cons, it might be better for you to have them both installed in your windows if you are unsure of which of the two you prefer.