Home Improvements mercy!

Due to hail damage on our roof, we're on our way to doing some home improvements. Our insurance is covering the replacement of our roof, gutters, downspouts and back awning. We chose a higher deductible in order to keep our premiums low, so we're looking at $1000 up front. As long as we're doing that, we've decided to go ahead and get our windows replaced and fence in the back yard.

My mind is spinning from all the numbers it's being fed as we shop for a home equity loan. I am not a math person. I'm also not a phone person, but I've lived on the phone the last three days talking to contractors to set up appointments for estimates and lenders so we can pay for the work! We're excited, but a little overwhelmed.

So where do I turn? My friends at DG, of course! Where else is there such a friendly group representing such a broad cross-section of folks? And I know you like to share your experiences, otherwise you'd not post in forums to begin with!

Here's the window situation (rough measurements). We want vinyl double-hung windows for the following:

* five 38w x 50"h
* two 38w x 38"h

There's also the large 9-section 10'3" x 5'8" window in our living room, but that's not in the cards with our current budget! The contractor who did my MIL's apartment bought some of Lowe's lower-end double-hung vinyl windows and they seem to be pretty nice. They were small windows, though. We want to do some shopping around, since we're doing so many and they're not going in neat new construction. Due to physical limitations, we're going to have to pay someone to install them, wherever we buy.

Have you had replacement windows installed? Did you buy them yourself and pay someone to install them, or did you go with a company specializing in them? Did you use Home Depot, Sears, Lowe's, a local contractor? Who did you go with and why? Are you satisfied? What did you learn? What would you do different?

We're also getting estimates for fencing in our back yard. Yippee! Price-wise, we'll probably end up with chain link, though we might do a wood privacy fence. Yie!