
When it comes to different window types and materials, NAHB’s “What Home Buyers Really Want” survey says home buyers value energy efficiency the most. Of the 12 listed window characteristics, the three most popular are all related to energy conservation, including Energy Star–rated windows in first, triple-pane insulating glass in second, and low e-insulating glass in third.
At the very top are Energy Star–rated windows, rated essential (39 percent) or desirable (44 percent) by 83 percent of home buyers, followed by tripled-pane insulating glass, wanted by 73 percent of home buyers (21 percent essential; 52 percent desirable); and low e-insulating glass, preferred by 65 percent of home buyers (21 percent essential; 44 percent desirable). Only two other window features positively influence more than half of home buyers: bay or bow windows (57 percent) and skylights (54 percent). Floor-to-ceiling windows, a new featured added to NAHB’s home buyer preference survey in 2020, were rated essential or desirable to slightly less than half (48 percent) of home buyers.
Buyers tended to be relatively indifferent about the materials used for the window frames. For example, 41 percent of home buyers are indifferent to fiberglass windows, more than any other feature. Essentially the same share is indifferent to aluminum glass windows (40 percent) and sizable shares are indifferent to wood or clad wood windows and vinyl windows (37 percent each).
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