I can’t bring myself to spend as much as my first new car on roller shades

[Planner01]

We bought a house about a month ago that’s in a guard gated community. The house backs to water and a private golf course. Beautiful view. Which I am sure is the reason for the big windows on the back walls of the house in the family room, kitchen dining area, and formal areas of the house. These windows extend to the top of the ceiling, probably 24 ft.
Here’s the problem. I am bothered by the fact that anyone who stands in the back can clearly see inside the house. This issue is augmented at night. I am very private and it gives me a feeling of insecurity. Not just when I am home that anyone can watch me, but also when we are on vacation.
I called two blind companies to see how much it would cost to install motorized roller shades, both were in the range of $8,000!!! That’s a lot.
Then I wonder if I am making a big deal out of nothing because the house has been there for 20 years. We are the fourth owners and no one had thought to do this before? If I stand in the back I can see directly at my neighbor too in her kitchen. I looked online at recently sold homes at none of them have window coverings other than the static panels type of curtains in the public areas of the homes. No one cares?
I have a teen that at times we leave home by himself. If we return at 7pm from an early dinner, it’s dark outside and light inside. It’s easy to see the kid inside walking and doing whatever. That’s a safety concern. If we go on vacation our exterior maintenance vendors can come to do their work and see that no one is there. They can see everything inside.
I am torn because it seems as that I am the only one who is worried about this and I wonder if I should spend $8k, which I think is a lot.
What to do?

[mhc]

I would put them in. I assume $8k is a small percent of the value of the house. It also seems like it would give you peace of mind.

Maybe the other people moved out of the house due to lack of privacy and they didn't want to pay the $8k.

I would see if the shades could be put on a timer and controlled through an app. This way you could have them go up and down when you are on vacation. It would look more like someone is home. It would be nice if they automatically open and close at dawn and dusk.

[JoeRetire]

Here’s the problem. I am bothered by the fact that anyone who stands in the back can clearly see inside the house. This issue is augmented at night. I am very private and it gives me a feeling of insecurity. Not just when I am home that anyone can watch me, but also when we are on vacation.
I called two blind companies to see how it would cost to install motorized roller shades, both were in the range of $8,000!!! That’s a lot.

We all have a price for everything that we consider reasonable and a higher price that we consider too much.

Don't worry about what the prior owners thought. Don't worry about what anyone here thinks. Decide for yourself.
Either way, make your decision and put it behind you without worry.

[Workaholic]

We bought a house about a month ago that’s in a guard gated community. The house backs to water and a private golf course. Beautiful view. Which I am sure is the reason for the big windows on the back walls of the house in the family room, kitchen dining area, and formal areas of the house. These windows extend to the top of the ceiling, probably 24 ft.
Here’s the problem. I am bothered by the fact that anyone who stands in the back can clearly see inside the house. This issue is augmented at night. I am very private and it gives me a feeling of insecurity. Not just when I am home that anyone can watch me, but also when we are on vacation.
I called two blind companies to see how it would cost to install motorized roller shades, both were in the range of $8,000!!! That’s a lot.
Then I wonder if I am making a big deal out of nothing because the house has been there for 20 years. We are the fourth owners and no one had thought to do this before? If I stand in the back I can see directly at my neighbor too in her kitchen. I looked online at recently sold homes at none of them have window coverings that are static as panels in the public areas of the homes. No one cares?
I have a teen that at times we leave home by himself. If we return at 7pm from an early dinner, it’s dark outside and light inside. It’s easy to see the kid inside walking and doing whatever. That’s a safety concern. If we go on vacation our exterior maintenance vendors can come to do their work and see that no one is there. They can see everything inside.
I am torn because it seems as that I am the only one who is worried about this and I wonder if I should spend $8k, which I think is a lot.
What to do?

I assume ANY home in a guard-gated community on a private golf course is probably quite expensive, right? So...you're concerned about spending $8K on an expensive home that will increase the value of it? I think you're being penny-wise and pound foolish. I'd suck it up and consider the $8k an investment in your house as well as your peace of mind.

[sport]

You can get window blinds through Costco. Perhaps you can get a better price that way.

[mhalley]

You have to take inflation into account. There are many cars now that cost as much as I payed for my first house. Plus I imagine your income is higher. Or you could cheap out and get some privacy window film.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=privacy+wind ... s-a-p_1_24
Or a free standing privacy screen you put there when privacy is a concern.
https://www.amazon.com/Sorbus-Foldable- ... 237&sr=8-7

[Planner01]

You have to take inflation into account. There are many cars now that cost as much as I payed for my first house. Plus I imagine your income is higher. Or you could cheap out and get some privacy window film.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=privacy+wind ... s-a-p_1_24

From what I understand these work well during the day but not so much at night. Also the windows in my house already have a UVB filter film to block light so I wouldn’t want to add to it and cancel that out.

[mhalley]

Added another option to my post.

[Planner01]

You can get window blinds through Costco. Perhaps you can get a better price that way.

That’s my next call. We live Costco! I called their vendor once in our previous house for blinds and surprisingly they were more expensive than who we ended up going with.

[Planner01]

Added another option to my post.

Thank you for looking into it.

I might have to just suck it up and pay the price. The overall quote included all the bells and whistles, including an app that we can use to preschedule when they go down in the evening or if we are away.

[marcwd]

We all have a price for everything that we consider reasonable and a higher price that we consider too much.

Don't worry about what the prior owners thought. Don't worry about what anyone here thinks. Decide for yourself.
Either way, make your decision and put it behind you without worry.

I like your way of thinking.

[goos_news]

In a loft with large floor to ceiling windows (14 ft+), we ended up self installing our own remote control mechanized tracks (for drapes). They've lasted 7 years and counting. Similar products are available for roller shades, although the biggest problem may be the availability of power (in drapes, an extension cord is hidden by the "return", so no wire pulling is necessary. Battery and solor power options are available for blinds). The savings were about 90%. The self-install option might be the biggest path to savings.

[Impatience]

Your house has 24 foot tall windows in it and you’re not willing to spend $8k? I’m confused.

[Dottie57]

Added another option to my post.

Thank you for looking into it.

I might have to just suck it up and pay the price. The overall quote included all the bells and whistles, including an app that we can use to preschedule when they go down in the evening or if we are away.

I would pay for the shades. It would be well worth the money for me.

[MortgageOnBlack]

3 solutions:
1) Bite the bullet and spend the $8k
2) Hang up some bedsheets
3) Steal the roller shades

I recommend Option1. I'm sure there are cars out now that cost as much as houses when you bought your first car. Perhaps, there is a middle ground and you can buy some non-powered shades that are a lot less.

[EagertoLearnMore]

If you do get battery powered remote blinds, shades, etc. remember that the batteries in the upper units need to be replaced occasionally. Ask me how I know? Previous house had a great room with many large windows and we went with powered blinds at the top tier of windows. Looked great, worked well, could adjust for different angles of the sun. But, the batteries were in the upper units hidden behind the valance and the only way to change out the batteries was to get a ladder up to them. Not easy once your furniture is in place. Should have just had long cords!

[Planner01]

If you do get battery powered remote blinds, shades, etc. remember that the batteries in the upper units need to be replaced occasionally. Ask me how I know? Previous house had a great room with many large windows and we went with powered blinds at the top tier of windows. Looked great, worked well, could adjust for different angles of the sun. But, the batteries were in the upper units hidden behind the valance and the only way to change out the batteries was to get a ladder up to them. Not easy once your furniture is in place. Should have just had long cords!

Thanks for bringing that up. I asked about this and suggested an alternative but they said that they don’t make cords long enough to reach from the bottom.

[TomatoTomahto]

Not so much for privacy, but we installed manual glare blinds and motorized blackout curtains in our bedroom. I was shocked at how expensive they were. I thought they were ripping us off. But, they are worth it.

We did the same in the guest bedrooms. I wouldn’t want a guest to feel that they were more visible than they felt comfortable with. They also cost much more than I would have expected.

Btw, I would not use battery powered shades. Get an electrician to hard wire them.

[wildkarrde21]

If you do get battery powered remote blinds, shades, etc. remember that the batteries in the upper units need to be replaced occasionally. Ask me how I know? Previous house had a great room with many large windows and we went with powered blinds at the top tier of windows. Looked great, worked well, could adjust for different angles of the sun. But, the batteries were in the upper units hidden behind the valance and the only way to change out the batteries was to get a ladder up to them. Not easy once your furniture is in place. Should have just had long cords!

Thanks for bringing that up. I asked about this and suggested an alternative but they said that they don’t make cords long enough to reach from the bottom.

For what it's worth, we're backed up to water as well with a bunch of windows in the back of the house (only 7ft tall) and opted for battery powered motorized shades for 7 of them (Hunter Douglas). They automatically roll up at sunrise and down at sunset and we've had them for ~9 months now and the battery level has not noticeably dropped.

Ours cost a little over $5k, so your quote is probably about right.

[Kenkat]

One other thing I have seen people do is to put shades only part way up from the bottom - usually corresponding to some break in the window pattern as they usually stack windows when you get into this type of height. You can potentially create a break in the lines with woodwork / box molding to cover the tops of the blinds.

Depending on the windows and the layout (people can still see into an upstairs loft, for example), this can either look really good - or really stupid.

I am with you, though - we have blinds on all of our windows except one that is not a room height (i.e., above a doorway).

[NotWhoYouThink]

If you can afford the house, you can afford the shades.

And teach yourself to stop benchmarking prices by what xx cost when you were yy years old. It doesn't matter. No one cares. Saving isn't a virtue, and spending isn't vice. If this is the purchase that gets you out of the habit of thinking that way it's worth it.

[vitaflo]

You paid more for those windows than whatever shades will cover them. So you're already willing to spend a bunch of money on that side of the house. If the house already came with motorized shades would you have paid an extra $8k for the house? Or would you have not bought it? Put it into perspective a bit.

[Planner01]

You are right, you are right. I am just sticker shocked and given that I have a big list of things to do (upgrade) on the house, I am struggling with the idea of spending that much to cover the windows for privacy. But I do not see another way around it. I couldn’t go on vacation comfortably knowing that the house looks wide open from the back to the vendors that help with the exterior maintenance.

I will call Costco for a third quote to see if I could get a better deal. They are running a 15% gift card deal for window treatments and 2% cash back with the executive membership.

[helloeveryone]

You are right, you are right. I am just sticker shocked and given that I have a big list of things to do (upgrade) on the house, I am struggling with the idea of spending that much to cover the windows for privacy. But I do see another way around it. I couldn’t go on vacation comfortably knowing that the house looks wide open from the back to the vendors that help with the exterior maintenance.

I will call Costco for a third quote to see if I could get a better deal. They are running a 15% gift card deal for window treatments and 2% cash back with the executive membership.

I feel your pain because $8k is still $8k. It hurts. But it sounds like if you don't spend that $8k you will not have peace of mind and you will be in constant state of worry. $8k for daily peace of mind and perhaps slightly higher resale value is worth it. Especially if this were your forever home.

[hi_there]

Rather than install $8k window shades, perhaps you could fully embrace the exhibitionist lifestyle, set up a webcam and even make $8k from advertising on Youtube.

Anyway, I am a bit confused by some of these questions about spending, as they seem to ignore any kind of in-between option. Instead of fully motorized blinds that are automated and come with an app, surely there must be something cheaper with fewer features. Given privacy concerns, it seems like you're going to keep the blinds semi closed most of the time anyway. So, a more basic type of blind seems like it would work.

[gtg970g]

I know nothing about motorized window coverings but would be concerned if the only way to raise and lower them was through a proprietary app. It seems it would be best if an old fashioned remote control was also included in case the app is discontinued for one reason or another.

[RetiredMike1]

Something you may need to consider- the community may have regulations that dictate what window coverings you are allowed and NOT allowed to install.
That said, when we moved into a house years ago, I saw an ad on tv from Blinds to Go. I looked online and they were priced over $100 for regular sized windows. I found blinds at Lowes for $3.99 and installed them myself.

[Jack FFR1846]

My first car was a 1961 Rambler that I bought from my Chemistry teacher for $50 when I was 15. I guess if I had your house, I'd buy some plasti-dip and spray the inside of the windows black so nobody could see in.

I live in a very different house. I see no other houses from mine unless it's night and I see a light through the woods.

[knowledge]

Why do they have to be motorized? The fact of the matter is the size of your window requires a lot of material, so even covering that much square footage with bedsheets would probably cost more than you would guess.

The cheapest option I could think of would be to privacy frost covering the bottom 6' or so. It's a film that you can squeegee on, but you can't roll it up, like shades.

[edmundspenser]

Any time the word CUSTOM is attached to window treatments, the price goes up exponentially. If you get custom cellular shades for a 3 by 6 window, they are $200 plus custom all the way down to $25 at Big Lots, with Home Depot/Lowes somewhere in between. Pretty much the same.

In Europe, our apartment had 12 foot windows with great sliding fabric panels on a track. The label said IKEA! They sell them in the US also, but only up to 10 feet.

With 24 foot windows, you may be doomed to the custom option, whatever you choose. Resign yourself. It is a one-time expense.

[sk2101]

I also have very large windows. When we bought the house the wife went to a fabric store and had them make huge curtains that I then hung myself. Total spent around $2K. However those curtains are mostly for decoration and are for the most part kept open. What I did for privacy (but primarily for energy efficiency) is to install window tint all around the house. During the day it's impossible to see anything and at night it is harder but still possible to see.

[iamlucky13]

And teach yourself to stop benchmarking prices by what xx cost when you were yy years old. It doesn't matter. No one cares. Saving isn't a virtue, and spending isn't vice. If this is the purchase that gets you out of the habit of thinking that way it's worth it.

I had to chuckle reading this. The OP is looking at the cost of his first car. Meanwhile I have an $8 car part sitting in my cart that that I'm undecided whether is worth replacing. I did not place the order for the rest of the parts last night while I decide because, "$8 is what I spent on 2 full days worth of food in college."

You are right, but some habits are hard to change, especially when they arose out of necessity due to dire alternatives.

That said, saving is an element of financial prudence, which is a virtue. The key part is recognizing when we're saving beyond what prudence recommends.

[Saving$]

You are right, but some habits are hard to change, especially when they arose out of necessity due to dire alternatives.

That said, saving is an element of financial prudence, which is a virtue. The key part is recognizing when we're saving beyond what prudence recommends.

Thank you for this. Still trying to learn to recognize...

[Pandemic Bangs]

We bought a house about a month ago that’s in a guard gated community.

The blinds are just a symptom.

If you felt the need to be in a guard-gated community, you obviously need to give in to this instinct and make the tiny leap to privacy blinds.

[123]

I would be concerned about a roller shade that was 24 feet long. It would seem to me that there must be a break cross piece in the window that you could have upper and lower shades. One house we had had sliding doors into the backyard and there was another 4 foot high glass window above the sliding doors. We enjoyed our privacy and we were probably the only home in the neighborhood that had shades on the upper windows. Once we had the shades installed I don't think we ever opened them in the 5 years we had the house. In your case I would be concerned about reliability of operation for a 24 foot shade, that could be a lot to a motor to crank up and down.