Luckily, you don’t have to throw good money after bad. With the help of experts, we’ve rounded up the best ways to add value to your home. And if you’re looking for ways to spruce up your space in a hurry, check out these 23 Genius Home Improvement Projects You Can Do in an Hour (or Less!). Removing and replacing your cabinet fronts or hardware is a project so simple even novices can DIY it, but one that can make your home more valuable, too. “It’s an affordable way to make a kitchen look new and modern,” says Maryana Grinshpun, design director of interior design company Mammoth Projects. “A DIY version can be executed for under a thousand dollars for standard sized cabinets and a compact space.” And for more ways to refresh your home’s culinary center, check out these 27 Amazing Ways to Upgrade Your Kitchen Without Remodeling. Even if you don’t have money in your budget to remodel your entire kitchen, you can still upgrade your space by resurfacing your cabinets. “Just because something looks worn or beaten down doesn’t mean it needs to be replaced,” says Earl White, founder of House Heroes Realty and House Heroes, LLC. “Resurfacing adds considerable market value—without breaking the bank.” While having uniform kitchen cabinetry might seem like one of your house’s selling points, you should opt for light upper cabinetry and dark lower cabinets if you want your abode to sell for a premium. According to a 2018 report by Zillow, homes with so-called tuxedo cabinetry fetched $1,500 more than anticipated on average. Spring cleaning shouldn’t just be reserved for the interior of your house—cleaning up the outside can help you reap major rewards when it’s time to sell. “Power washing the sidewalks and driveway can quickly remove years of dirt,” as well as making it more valuable in the eyes of buyers, according to house flipper Nick Disney owner of Sell My San Antonio House. And for more great tips delivered to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Even if you don’t have a huge amount to spend, you can upgrade your house in no time with a little landscaping. “Make sure that the bushes and yard are neatly trimmed before your showings,” suggests Disney. “These little things can have buyers wanting to see what’s inside instead of wanting to move on.” Eager to make your outdoor space every bit as gorgeous as your interiors? Discover these 20 Genius Ways to Spiff up Your Backyard. “Landscaping is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your home value,” says Patrick van den Bossche, president of Realty Executives International. “Healthy trees, plants, and flowers along with a well-manicured lawn can improve the home’s appearance. Also, remove dead vegetation, hide hoses, and keep everything looking pristine to make the best first impression.” The first step toward turning your backyard into a perfect entertaining space with optimal resale value? Installing some outdoor lighting. The NAR reports that landscape lighting costs an average of $5,000, and sellers recoup half that cost when they put their properties on the market. While homeowners love the look of a lush lawn or garden, their desire to put in the legwork to maintain their greenery is a different story. So, if you’re eager to boost your home’s value, try having an irrigation system added to your outdoor space. In the NAR’s 2018 Remodeling Impact Report, the addition of an irrigation system ranked ninth on the list of projects most likely to add resale value to a home, yielding an 86 percent ROI on average. Building a patio in your backyard can instantly add appeal to your space. New patios were the sixth most desirable outdoor upgrade in the NAR’s 2018 Remodeling Impact Report on outdoor features. And they yield a 55.2 percent ROI, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2019 Cost Versus Value Report. Creating a little outdoor seating space could be the finishing touch you need to boost your home’s exterior appeal. “Set up a deck or porch as an outdoor living area with comfy cushions on furniture, an outdoor rug, a grill…or a TV if the area is covered,” says Sheila MacDonald, a realtor with J Barrett & Company. “This expands the square footage of your home in a buyer’s mind.” One of the easiest ways to add value to your home doesn’t even require a contractor. Per the 2018 Remodeling Impact Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the estimated cost of tree care service—including the application of tree fertilizer, trimming, pruning, tree removal, and tree spraying—is $2,000, a whopping 100 percent of which is recovered when buyers sell their homes. If you’re eager to turn your outdoor space into one that will significantly boost your home’s value, building a deck is a great place to start. According to Remodeling’s 2019 2019 Cost Versus Value Report, composite deck additions yielded a 69.1 percent return on investment when it came time to sell—or about $13,000 on a $19,000 project. Who says that your outdoor space should only be usable in the summertime? Adding a fire pit will not only make it possible to spend chilly fall nights outdoors, but it’ll also boost the overall value of your home. The NAR reports that adding an outdoor fire feature costs an average of $6,000, but recovers $4,000 of that cost—or 67 percent—when it’s time to sell. It may only take a few hours to complete, but adding a fresh coat of paint to a room can completely transform your space for the better—and add serious value along the way. “Matte finishes look more sophisticated, and we prefer to stay away from eggshell. Choosing contrasting colors, even if two shades of white—one for walls, the other for trim, doors, and ceiling—will add detail and depth to the space,” says Grinshpun. Better yet, according to NAR data, repainting had one of the highest joy scores for any home project. Want to add major value to your space? Knocking down a few walls is a great place to start. “Creating an open concept floor plan starting with the kitchen into the living or dining room is a very effective renovation that adds value to homes,” says Yeheskel Sharbani, owner of Elite Kitchen & Bath/Express Contracting. Sharbani notes that this is an especially desirable layout at the moment, “when more people work, eat, entertain and study at home.” And if you want to keep that pricey investment pristine, make sure you know these 25 Silent Signs Your House Is Falling Apart. If you want to make your home more valuable, then it’s time to start thinking smart. Investing in some smart home technology can increase your home’s value quickly, without the expense of a huge renovation. “Make smart enhancements like your thermostat, lighting, keypad door looks, fire detectors, and security cameras. If all else is the same between several homes that buyers are looking for, your home would win with a smart boost,” says Shawn Breyer, owner of Breyer Home Buyers. In fact, smart home technology was identified as a top trend in Zillow’s 2019 Design Forecast. “Modern home buyers are turned off by carpeting,” says White. “Laying down a shiny new wood floor across easily pays for itself several times over.” And if you’re worried that authentic flooring is going to cost you an arm and a leg, there are always “good alternatives to traditional wood floors,” says White. “Home renovators can buy engineered or laminate wood for a fraction of the cost of an expensive floor.” A drafty home—or one that doesn’t hold in the cool air being pumped by its air conditioning units—is a turn off for home buyers. Luckily, all it takes is a little insulation in your attic to seriously improve your home’s value both now and in the future.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “On average you will see a 108 to 116 percent return on investment [when you add attic insulation],” says April Palomino, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Winter Park, Florida. “That is because insulation protects the home from the transfer of heat, thereby reducing energy bills. Insulation also prevents moisture from entering delicate parts of your home, preserving your investment.”
Transforming that unfinished space in your basement could be the key to selling your home for a premium price. “An unfinished basement can be a gold mine,” says Morgan Franklin, a realtor with Atlas Trust Real Estate. “In my market, below-grade square footage is worth $60 to $80 per foot and can be completed for less than $40 per foot.” News flash: That dingy garage door you’ve backed into a hundred times is ruining your home’s curb appeal. Luckily, replacing it isn’t a hugely pricey investment, and doing so can make your house much more attractive in the long run. “By installing a new garage door, you can see up to a 92 percent return on your investment,” says Palomino. “Garage doors boost curb appeal, provide safety and security, and even help on energy bills if insulated.” “Steel entry doors boost curb appeal—they are sleek and clean and come in a variety of finishes and paneling,” says Palomino. “They increase the security of your home and stand up to wear and tear…and [are] not subject to warping or rotting.” They also have a 91 percent ROI, she notes. All it takes is a little stone veneer to completely change your home’s exterior aesthetic and increase that curb appeal. “Manufactured stone veneer siding can bring you up to 92 percent return on investment,” according to Palomino. You may think those little repairs around the house are a waste of time, but if don’t attend to them in a timely manner, you could end up losing a lot of money. “Make minor repairs around the home,” suggests Palomino. Per the expert, leaky faucets, Sheetrock damage, cracked plaster, broken windows, missing screens, and dented door jambs are good places to start. Want to make your home quieter, lower your energy bills, and add value when it comes time to sell? Then swap out those old windows for a new set of vinyl ones. While you’ll pay approximately $17,000 to replace 10 windows in your home, doing so will yield a 73.4 percent ROI.
Those old laminate or tile counters are bringing down your home’s appeal and its potential selling point. Luckily, installing granite or quartz counters is easy and it can quickly improve the look and value of your place. “Replacing counter tops can be completed for under $10,000 and will have a huge impact on value,” says Franklin.
Those metallic light switch covers may have once gone with your home’s décor, but now they just look dated and it’s time for them to go, says Brenda DiBari, a licensed real estate broker with Halstead Real Estate. Fortunately, it only costs a few dollars and takes mere seconds to replace cheap plastic covers with more elegant wooden, ceramic, or metal ones with better aesthetic appeal and ROI.
Want to make every room in your home look brighter, more beautiful, and more expensive? The answer is simple: recessed lighting. “Living rooms should have four recessed lights, [and] hallways and kitchens should have a few too,” suggests Brian Dougherty, managing partner at Robert Paul Properties in Boston. “Depending on the electrician and the complexity of the wiring, a single recessed light can cost between $150 to $250 installed. If money is tight, I would recommend focusing on entertaining and living spaces first before bedrooms.” “Adding under-the-counter lights will really brighten up [a kitchen] space,” says Ralph DiBugnara, president of Home Qualified and vice president of Residential Home Funding. Luckily, all it takes is a few stick-up LED lights to achieve the look you want, so this is an affordable and easy way to increase your home’s value. Ask any real estate agent or designer, and they’ll tell you that those cheap home supply store light fixtures won’t earn you a major payday when you go to sell your house. Upgrade your lighting, however, and you’ll be upgrading that check from a potential buyer, too. “If you are still living with the original builder fixtures (think rounded flush mounts and cookie-cutter chandeliers)…then I’m looking at you!” says New York-based interior designer Denise Gianna, owner of Denise Gianna Designs. “Lighting fixtures, like hardware, are the jewelry of your house.” The good news? “Fixtures that compliment your home style and are stylish come in literally every price range,” she says.
If you want to increase your home’s value, it’s of the utmost importance that you reduce clutter wherever possible, especially in frequently-used spaces like your kitchen. For this, DiBari says, there’s an easy fix: an overhead pot and pan rack. It can instantly make your space look more cohesive and earn you some extra money when you go to sell. Eager to make your kitchen a major selling point for your home? “An investment in new energy-efficient appliances will not only make [your kitchen] look better, but will save you money on your electric bills,” says DiBugnara.
Simply adding a new faucet in your kitchen can make all the difference when it comes to the value of your space. “Updating the sink with a modern-looking faucet will add that ‘wow’ factor to any kitchen,” says Nancy Wallace-Laabs, a licensed real estate broker with KBN Homes, LLC. “A minor kitchen remodel will enhance the overall look and feel of your kitchen without breaking the bank.” Sometimes increasing your home’s value is as simple as swapping out that dated family portrait for something a little fresher. “Home furnishings and artwork make a huge impact on the feeling and value that your house gives,” DiBari says. She suggests you “rearrange or replace wall hangings with fresh new artwork.” Your entryway can be a major selling point when it comes to potential buyers. “Does the lock work? Is it an inviting entry? [Is there] chipping paint on the front door? Broken glass?” asks Trey McCallie, principal broker at Urban Toolbox Real Estate. “Make the entryway a showplace and set a positive impression from the start.” A gallon of paint isn’t a huge investment. However, choosing the right color can make a huge difference in the sale price of your home. According to Zillow’s 2018 Paint Color Analysis, a light taupe living room added nearly $3,000 to homeowners’ pockets at sale time. Simple though it may seem, just painting your front door can seriously increase your home’s value. “It takes someone one minute to decide if they want to enter your home. If you are selling, that minute can cost you thousands in lost opportunities and days on the market!” says Gianna. “Give your home a fighting chance. Paint your front door and shutters (your garage doors too if it applies). This is cheap and a must—akin to washing your face before leaving the house! Use deep, bold blues, greens, and wine tones to add style.”
While heavy drapery, upholstered furniture, and a never-ending sea of throw pillows used to be the height of interior fashion, all of that clutter isn’t going to earn you any extra money nowadays. “Remove excess pillows, throws, cushions, and drapes. Clean lines—no matter what your house style—are never out of style,” says Gianna. “Fabrics trap moisture, dust, and allergens. Layers of drapery obscure light and can make windows look smaller, ceilings lower, and everything dingy. Too many pillows and throws do not make a sofa inviting.” “If your floors are not in good condition, spend money on the upgrade,” says Brad Malow, a licensed real estate broker with Compass. “There are various financial levels of renovations you can do with flooring. If they’re hardwood, you have the options of simply sanding and buffing, staining, overlaying, or replacing completely.” Your old tub doesn’t have to be replaced with a pricey claw-foot model to add value to your home. According to Malow, reglazing a tub is an equally lucrative home upgrade that’s much more affordable. “It’s a relatively inexpensive option and will leave buyers looking at a bright white, sparkling place to relax,” the broker says. Similarly, re-grouting your bathroom tile can make your bathroom shine again in a pinch. “Nobody wants to pull back a shower curtain and see black grime,” says Malow. “Re-grouting tiles is an easy, small project that can make tiled walls feel like new.” Your laundry room—if you’re lucky enough to have one—could be the key to adding serious value to your home. “If you have a space in the laundry room or other small area, stage it as a wrapping center with wrapping paper, bows, tape, scissors, etc. or a gardening center with some clay pots, a trowel, pruning shears, [and] potting soil,” suggests MacDonald. “This turns a wasted space into an extra ’luxurious’ space with very little money.” A messy garage isn’t going to win over any potential buyers. If you want to make your space more attractive, functional, and appealing to someone willing to pay top dollar, it’s time to add some storage and clear up that cluttered space. “Invest in inexpensive storage shelving or hanging for your garage,” suggests MacDonald. “Make it the organized space that people wish they had in their current home.”
Want another easy way to make your garage shine? All it takes is a little paint. “If the garage floor is nice, perhaps paint it with the acrylic paint made for garage floors,” suggests MacDonald.
Making the most of a back entryway is an easy way to add some serious value to your home in a hurry. “Add a bench with hooks for coats and perhaps baskets underneath for shoes, hats, mittens, etc., in an area that can become a makeshift mudroom,” recommends MacDonald. As a general rule, ornate fabrics, patterns, and design styles generally won’t yield a major ROI. When you’re looking to improve your home’s value, minimalism yields maximum money. “Buyers today are very influenced by the home shows that they see on HGTV and that seems to dictate what many people say they are looking for: neutral colors, clean surfaces, [and] minimal window treatments,” says MacDonald. While neutrals may serve you well in the rest of the house, some major contrast in the bathroom could make your home more valuable in the long run. “Try repainting the rest of your bathroom a high contrasting color to really make everything sparkle,” says DiBugnara. “Bathrooms remain an area that most buyers really want to see new and shiny.” So what color should you use for your bathroom walls? Well, if maximizing your home’s sale price is the goal, then blue is your best. According to Zillow’s 2018 report, blue bathrooms earn sellers nearly $3,000 more than anticipated.
While it may seem strange, a new toilet could actually be the very thing that upgrades your bathroom enough to make it a more valuable and desirable space. If you want to see your home’s sale price soar, “Replace the toilet for a more efficient and modern look,” suggests Wallace-Laabs. Nobody loves coming home to an overheated house on those hot summer days. Luckily, even if you don’t have existing ductwork, you can easily make your home cooler by installing ductless mini-splits to keep your space a pleasant temperature all year long, says Elizabeth Bain, a real estate agent with Commonwealth Standard Realty Co., in Boston.
A little closet storage goes a long way when it comes to increasing your home’s worth. And fortunately, you don’t need to spend thousands to add major value. “Add shelving or two rows of hangers to small closets to make it feel custom and add storage space,” suggests Bain.
If you aren’t sure which renovations you should and shouldn’t invest in, just look to your neighbor’s house for inspiration. “If renovations in your neighborhood are simple, keep it simple. Otherwise you will find yourself spending too much on updating your property, but will not realize the return of your investment on closing day,” says Wallace-Laabs. “Go to open houses in your neighborhood prior to putting your house on the market. Pay attention to the kitchen, baths, flooring and fixtures—then go home and start with those ideas.” And if you want to refresh your space without breaking the bank, discover these 50 Amazing Home Upgrades for Under $50.
