Can't argue with the advice above... I'd only add that it is not a cheap endeavor to create new (or enlarge) openings. Thousands per.

Just empathizing. It can be hard to get renovation estimates in the timing window for making an offering. And what are “ wood” houses ?

If you’re thinking about doing this, you’d want to have someone ( or 2) lined up in advance. Not at your beck and call, but someone identified as being willing to go see home with you if able to fit on his/ her schedule.

I've installed maybe a dozen new windows in buildings where they were missing, and made another dozen bigger. I've never paid anyone to do it so I don't have any real notion of cost. If there's a plain framed wall without plumbing, plaster or drywall inside and clapboards or shingles outside, then roughing an opening, installing a window, and trimming it out is pretty straightforward IF there's room for the new header you'll need to install. I can install a window in a day pretty easily, with another day (spread over time) to clean up trim, repair drywall, caulk, prime, and such. A pro should be a lot quicker. Add electric or HVAC to be moved and the cost or time goes up, if the exterior is brick or stucco it's going to be more work. Moving plumbing can send the cost up quite a bit, if like here the work needs to be done by a licensed plumber and not DIY.

If there's not room for a header you enter a whole different world of cost and complexity, and you need to be ready to explain to your inspector why what you're proposing will work, perhaps with an engineer's stamp to back it up.

Sometimes there are windows that are just too small and set high on the wall (an early 60's thing I think). Making them taller, by dropping the sill down is the easiest improvement to do, at least until you get close enough to the floor to trigger a requirement for tempered glass.

Adding and expanding windows can be one of the biggest improvements you can make to a dark house. It's very satisfying to see a place brighten up and to have new views to the outside revealed.

I’d be prioritizing natural light in my housing search…

I hear ya…

i look at it a bit differently only because i live in Maine and it gets cold here. Despite advertising, the best window has a very low r-factor compared to insulation, so there is merit in limiting the number of windows in a home.

With my newest house, i am breaking the rules and going to put in a wall of windows. It needs a whole new kitchen and it faces the river so I want to open it up for the view.