Top 5 Home Improvement Projects

Not all home improvement projects are created equal. Some such as the five home improvement projects mentioned below can add significant value to your home when it comes time to sell. According to Remodeling Online, the following projects enabled homeowners to recoup more than 80% of the costs at resale.
 

Minor Kitchen Remodel

A minor kitchen remodel is the home improvement project that is most likely to increase the value of a home at resale and allow homeowners to recoup more than 90% of the costs involved. Minor kitchen remodeling consists of improvements such as updating kitchen cabinets by painting or staining them, changing the cabinet hardware, or modernizing kitchen sink faucets. Painting or wallpapering the walls, or replacing the existing linoleum flooring with a modern pattern or replacing it completely with another flooring material are two other improvement projects that are beneficial as well.

Siding Replacement

Replacing the siding on your house is a close second to a minor kitchen remodel. Homeowners can expect to recoup more than 90% of their costs on this home improvement as well. The type of siding referred to in this case is replacing existing siding with vinyl siding, which most potential buyers view as being maintenance free as well as durable. Obviously if you are replacing existing clapboard siding in kind, the expense would be much more significant.

Deck Addition

Adding a deck to your home is a simple way to add more living space. Homeowners can add an extra 320 square feet of living space by building a deck off the kitchen or living room for instance, and can expect to recoup more than 85% percent of their costs. A deck doesn’t even have to be fancy, just safe, secure, and functional. In addition, a deck is more cost effective than several other outdoor home improvement projects related to recreation and leisure such as landscaping or an in-ground swimming pool.

Adding a Second Bathroom

Whether it’s upscale or mid-range, adding a second bathroom to a home with only one or one and half baths is another winner in the home improvement arena. Homeowners will typically recoup more than 85% of their costs at resale. Like many other cost effective home improvement projects, adding a second bathroom is a functional upgrade not a frivolous one.

A mid-range bathroom might include a cultured marble sink and vanity, a ceramic tile floor and tub and shower surround, wallpaper, a mirrored medicine cabinet, and storage space for linens. An upscale bathroom, which is typically associated with the master bedroom, is usually more luxurious. Lighting may be more direct and there may be a whirlpool tub in addition to a tub and shower. Very often there are his and her sinks and medicine cabinets, and possibly heated floors.

Family Room

Homeowners that add a family room can expect to recoup about 80% of their costs, provided the new addition ties into existing heating systems and is built over a crawl space not a basement. Amenities might include hardwood floors, skylights, and French doors. If you live in a smaller older home adding a family room is a good idea, even if you don’t have young children around.

~Heleigh Bostwick Staff Editor

Growing up in Vermont, her education and work as a botanist and landscape architect, and now her job as a mom of twins, have all contributed to Heleigh’s “Green Living” lifestyle. She has a BA in Botany from Connecticut College and a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.