Andi Dyer

Let me help you find your future home

  • About
  • Contact Page
  • Refer a Friend
  • Subscribe
  • Community Service
  • News
  • DMCA Notice
You are here: Home / Uncategorized / The Best (and Worst) Projects to Improve Your Home Resale Value

The Best (and Worst) Projects to Improve Your Home Resale Value

November 8, 2017 By Andi Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a specific renovation project that will improve the resale value of your home more than the cost of the project? Your return on investment is important but not all home projects add much value to your house. Here are the best and worst projects if you want the most bang for your buck.


Best: Kitchen Remodeling
Kitchen remodels tend to involve a lot of usability upgrades, which buyers love. This remains one of the best projects to increase resale value, and will probably always have a top spot. Bonus: a $20,000- mid-range renovation can recoup an average of 80 percent of the cost through increased value.


Best: New Fireplace
Installing a new fireplace can quickly increase resale value. And if it’s an upgrade from an older, less efficient wood stove to a gas or electric stove, bonus points. Even renovations for appearance and safety can make a big difference in climates where fireplaces see a lot of use.


Best: New Front Door
These days, a new front door is seeing a massive 90 percent resale value: The reason? A new door is immediately apparent, adding to curb appeal while also allowing you to improve security and smart device features.
Photo: Lighttraveler/Shutterstock


Best: Resale Value Conversion to Bedroom
Finishing an area of the house, especially an attic or basement, into another bedroom can greatly increase the resale value of a house. This is because it adds more square footage, creates a new usable room and opens the house up to buyers with larger families.


Best: Attic Insulation
Attic insulation with fiberglass is seeing over 100 percent cost recouped. And this means you are technically gaining resale value at no expense when adding important attic insulation. Make sure all gaps are covered and cracks are sealed against pests.


Best: New Garage Door
Front-facing garage doors can impact curb appeal more than most home components, leading to an return of investment of around 77 percent. Upgrade to a better garage door with windows and smart control features to really impress potential buyers.


Best: Stone Veneers
A veneer can add a skirt of stone to your siding or stone-like wall patterns to various walls inside and outside your house. It can also drastically change the appearance of your home at relatively little cost, leading to a resale value above 80 percent.
Photo: Marko Poplasen/Shutterstock


Worst: Backup Generator
A generator may be useful as a safeguard but it doesn’t add a lot of everyday resale value to homes. And this is what buyers care the most about. Exceptions occur in rural or off-grid homes where generators see a lot of use in bad weather.


Worst: Backyard Patio
The patio is a great DIY project but don’t expect to recover more than half the cost as added resale value to your home. These patios aren’t especially visible and are quite common. However, a full upgrade will be more impressive than a just a layer of stone.


Worst: Bathroom Addition
When considering a bathroom addition, it’s important to ask, “Does the house need a new bathroom, based on the number of bedrooms?” A bathroom involves expensive renovation. And it only adds resale value if you really did need a half-bath in the hallway. However, bathroom remodels see better returns.
Photo: John Wollwerth/Shutterstock


Worst: Master Bedroom Addition
An expanded master bedroom can be an expensive resale value project. And, today’s buyers don’t really care about making master bedrooms larger. Further, as a general rule, only plan a master bedroom addition if you want it and you’re planning on staying in the house for years to come.
Photo: WorldWide/Shutterstock


Worst: Sunroom
A full sunroom needs careful design, proper insulation and a lot of maintenance. And potential buyers may end up asking, “Why not something else?” Think about a gazebo or screened porch to increase resale value instead.
Photo: Photographee.eu/Shutterstock

 


Worst: Home Office Renovation
Home offices are great if you regularly use them and a renovation may be important for your work flow. But don’t expect everyone to feel the same way. Additionally, these renovations don’t contribute much to market resale value.


Worst: Garage Addition
While a garage door has a big impact on home appearance, a bigger or more elaborate garage is harder to notice. And it has limited uses compared to other indoor renovations, which add resale value.

Worst: Window Replacement
Window replacements can vary greatly for resale value. And good projects may be as high as 70 percent return of investment. But casual window installations aren’t expected to add much value at all. Look for replacements where you can expand windows for more light or greatly improve their insulation.

 

The Family Handyman

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Andi

World-wide traveler. Excellent shot. Lover of Cairn Terriers (specifically Shaymus). Vegetarian. Enthusiastic, yet amateur beer brewer. Licensed, independent Real Estate Broker and Designated Broker for Sterling Real Estate. I have the inside knowledge of the 'diamonds in the rough' hiding throughout Whatcom County. Want to learn more? Contact me at AndiDyer@gmail.com

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent Posts

  • 7 Cleaning Tips for Keeping Your Home Spotless When Selling It
  • STEP 13 – TO SELLING YOUR HOME – TIME TO DECLUTTER AND STAGE YOUR HOME!
  • June Client Appreciation!
  • Q&A With Phil Dyer – Veteran, Owner, Father
  • 5 Home Remodeling Projects With Top-Dollar Returns

Testimonials from Happy Homeowners

Andi is a very motivated and talented professional who considers all aspects of any project before quickly moving forward with precise action.
~ Teresa

Andi quickly discovered our parameters and made sure we didn't waste time looking at properties we wouldn't be interested in and stay within our budget.
~ Trulia Reviewer

Andi has a keen instinct for smart marketing and is very responsible to her clients. She is a committed Real Estate broker and has a very sunny disposition. No matter what your needs are, be it finding a home or selling your current real property, her years of experience in the field are a huge asset!
~ T.W.

It has been a pleasure working with Andi. She always has a smile and a positive attitude. She put a lot of time and effort into selling my house and I couldn't have happier with anyone else.
~J.M.

Selling a house is STRESSFUL. There are so many things to do and so many cracks to slip into. Thanks to Andi, there were no cracks with her timely checklists; she showed me that selling doesn’t have to be so stressful. A good selling experience is possible! She is the broker to keep in your back pocket.
~ Rose W.

Andi was always on our side working to make our house purchase as simple and successful as possible. The best part about working with her was that she was always more focused on answering our questions, giving us good advice, and finding homes that met our needs than she was on closing a deal. All throughout the negotiations and closing she was there quickly handling any issues that may have risen. We would recommend her to anyone. If the time ever comes when I will be looking for a new home, there isn't any question on who my Realtor will be!
~Zillow Reviewer

About Andi

World-wide traveler. Excellent shot. Lover of Cairn Terriers (specifically Shaymus). Vegetarian. Enthusiastic, yet amateur beer brewer. Licensed, independent Real Estate Broker and Designated Broker for Sterling Real Estate. I have the inside knowledge of the 'diamonds in the rough' hiding throughout Whatcom County. Want to learn more? Contact me at AndiDyer@gmail.com Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest

I can help you find your dream home.

I am located in two offices to support my Whatcom clients. Come visit me soon.

Office Locations

Downtown Bellingham Office
2011 Young Street, Suite 101
Bellingham, WA 98225

See Location

Ferndale Office
1820 Main Street
Ferndale, WA 98248

See Location

Sterling Logo   Realtor logo   Sterling Logo       Sterling Logo Top Real Estate Agent in Bellingham

Copyright © 2022 · Log in