We are planning a small exterior remodel and need to replace our existing, rotten wood windows (Original to the house built in 1969). We prefer to have something low maintenance so I am thinking solid vinyl windows. The exterior trim of my house is Crema/tan but on the inside, my trim is white. We live in South Carolina, about an hour away from the coast. It gets very hot here in the summer (100+) and not too cold in the summer. My house faces north and has very few trees. The exterior is brick with some vinyl siding.

I would prefer for the grills to be on the outside of the glass and the be able to do a different color on the outside (Creme or tan) than on the inside (white). I like a traditional grill style (4 or 6 squares per window section). My current windows are single hung and they are fine- we never really open them nor want to- haha.

As a newbie to vinyl window research, I was wondering which brands that I should look at first. Cost is priority!!! Hoping for bang for my buck. I noticed that Consumer Reports suggests Pella 350, Simonton by PlyGym Reflections 5500, and Jeld-Wen 2500. Should I look at any others?