Home Improvements That Add The Most Value – Written by Mia Taylor Written by Mia TaylorArrow Right Contributing Writer Mia Taylor is a contributing and award-winning journalist with two decades of experience working as a reporter or writer for some of the nation’s leading newspapers and websites, including The Atlanta Journal -Constitution , San Diego Union-Tribune, TheStreet, MSN and Credit.com. Mia Taylor
Edited by Troy Segal Edited by Troy SegalArrow Right Homeowners Editor Troy Segal is the home ownership editor, focusing on everything from maintenance and upkeep to building equity and increasing value. Troy Segal
Home Improvements That Add The Most Value
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Home Improvements That Add The Most Value To A House
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What Home Improvements Add The Most Value?
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Improvements That Add Value To Your House
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Homeowners often take on remodeling projects with resolutions. Sure, they want to expand their space; but often they hope that the renovation or addition will increase the value of their home as well. After all, aren’t three bathrooms better than two? Who wouldn’t want a full kitchen, a full basement, or a pool?
Misguided thinking. When it comes to adding value, not all home improvements are created equal. In fact, “some home improvements can actually reduce the value of the home,” says Mischa Fisher, chief economist at Angi, a contractor search service and home improvement site.
In general, you can expect home renovations to generate a 70 percent return on investment, according to home remodeling lending platform RenoFi. However, this number can vary significantly, depending on the type of project you undertake.
Will A New Or Improved Deck Add Value To My Home?
The short answer is no, home improvement doesn’t always add value. Even if they do, it’s not quite the same as you actually making a profit on the project, or even recouping your costs. There’s a big difference between adding value to your home and getting a return on your investment, Fisher says.
You can look at project returns in two ways: First, how the project increases the overall resale or market value of your home. This is a good way to see how the value of your home has changed, based on the money you spent on the project. It can be helpful to know if you’re thinking about putting your home up for sale, considering taking out a loan against it, or just want to get a sense of its total value — and your equity stake in it — when adding up your assets.
Alternatively, you can look at the project’s return on investment, or ROI. “It’s a measure of how much the home’s value increases as a percentage of the project cost, usually expressed as a percentage of the total project cost,” Fisher explains. “For example, if a $4,000 garage door renovation adds $3,500 to the value of your home, you could say the project has an 88% ROI. This means you can recoup a large portion of the project cost. This is unlike the financial investment world, where an 88% return would mean you nearly doubled your initial investment.
The point is, don’t confuse a project’s return on investment percentage with the amount of profit – or the amount of increased home value. For example, Remodeling’s 2021 Cost vs. Value Report says replacing a metal roof costs $46,031 and has an ROI of 56 percent. That means it potentially increases a house’s price tag by $25,816 — it doesn’t mean your home’s entire value increases by 56 percent. And you’ll notice that the $25K the new roof adds is significantly less than the $46K spent on it.
Home Renovation Costs: 5 Improvements To Boost Your Home’s Value
There are specific improvements that have historically been more valuable than others. Here are a few that get the most bang for your renovation buck, based on the latest information from the 2021 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report and Angi.
Are there any rules of thumb to determine if a renovation will be a value-added proposition? David Steckel, home expert for Thumbtack, suggests asking yourself this question: Will this increase the number of people who would potentially bid on my home if I were to sell it?
“If the project adds structural improvements or makes it easier for additional projects to occur, then yes, it will add value to your home,” says Steckel.
Renovations that increase the size of a home, or create additional outdoor spaces with multiple functions, or increase the functionality of spaces, can also be relied upon to add value, says Steckel.
Adding Value To Your Home |
Not all home improvements add value to your home. Some actually discourage it, because they turn off buyers.
“Potential homebuyers don’t want features that require ongoing maintenance, such as in-ground pools and built-in electronics,” says Fisher. “Buyers also prefer homes with more bedrooms, so removing one bedroom to make another bigger can end up reducing the home’s value rather than adding to it.”
Also: Buyers reward ingenuity – hey, look how the cabinet fits in there! — but not too much originality. Over-personalized style and details can take away from the value of your home, making it harder for prospective buyers to visualize the space. It also creates an automatic to-do list of tasks before the space can feel like home to a new owner.
“If you’re getting ready to sell your home, think about whether your upgrades will appeal to prospective buyers,” says Fisher. “This will be a particularly relevant question for projects with a high visual impact, such as over-decorating, installing wall-to-wall carpeting, adding bright, patterned wallpaper to every room, or adding texture to your walls.”
The 20 Garden Improvements That Now Add The Most Value To Your Home
If you plan to stay in the home for several years to come, it’s okay to indulge your taste and make a room feel like you. But you may have to undo some of the work when it comes to putting your home on the market to sell.
While some projects increase the value of a home, it’s important to do your research and make sure you don’t make changes that could benefit future buyers.
“Talk to a local [contractor] professional before starting a new project to make sure you’re not inadvertently lowering the value of your home, especially if you’re thinking about selling,” advises Fisher. You may also get