

7 Home Remodeling Projects With Top-Dollar Returns
Not all home improvements are created equal.
These will reward you the most when it comes time to sell.
Image: J.E. Evans Photography
SPOTLIGHT
Ways to Lessen the Stress of Remodeling
Your home is in the perfect location, came at the perfect price, with the perfect lot. (Yay southern exposure!)
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But the home itself? Perfect isn’t the adjective you’d use. But you knew that moving in, and now you’re ready to start making it just right.
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But where to begin? How about with data? Data is that friend who tells you like it really is.
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Because while any home improvement that brings you joy is priceless, not all add as much home equity as you might expect.
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The National Association of REALTORS®’ 2015 Remodeling Impact Report and 2016 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features (full disclosure: NAR is a sponsor of HouseLogic.) have tons of data on how much improvements cost — and how much of those costs you can recoup.
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Here are the best seven home remodeling projects with equity-building might:
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#1 Upgraded Landscaping
This one might be a bit of a surprise. (Maybe you expected a major kitchen reno to top the list.)
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But if your yard is one of your home’s imperfect parts, a little color and a touch of hardscaping can make a huge difference to your curb appeal, which is a great immediate equity-booster.
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What does a basic landscaping upgrade include?
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Flowering shrubs
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A 15-foot-tall deciduous tree
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A flagstone walkway
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Two 6-by-2 stone planters
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Fresh mulch
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The cost: $4,750
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The return: 105% at $5,000
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Related: 5 Awesomely Easy Landscaping Projects
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#2 New Roof
If you find yourself sprinting for the buckets when it starts to sprinkle, getting a new roof should be your No. 1 to-do. Measuring rainfall from the indoors isn’t cool.
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The cost: $7,600
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The return: 105% at $8,000
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Considering it’s what’s between you and the elements, it’s a no-brainer.
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Not sure if you need a new roof? Signs you might include:
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Shingles are missing, curling up, or covered in moss.
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Gritty bits from the asphalt shingles are coming out the downspout.
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The sun’s shining through your attic.
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You notice stains on ceilings and walls.
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Your energy bill is sky high.
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#3 Hardwood Floors
You flip on the TV to see that your fave home reno-ing duo is it at again, flipping a ranch that’s stuck in the ‘80s.
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They make it to the living room, pull back the dingy carpet to reveal hardwood floors in great condition. They’re psyched — and for good reason.
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Hardwood floors are a timeless classic. Refinishing is a no-brainer. Neither will you regret adding new hardwood floors if you have none.
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The cost to refinish: $2,500
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The return: 100% at $2,500
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The cost to buy new: $5,500
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The return: 91% at $5,000
Related: Should You Refinish Hardwood Floors Yourself?
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#4 Patio or Deck
If your home is your castle, your yard is your kingdom. After giving your yard a much-needed overhaul, you need a place to watch over you handiwork. How about that deck or patio you’ve been dreaming of?
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The cost of a patio: $6,400
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The return: 102% at $6525
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The cost of a deck: $9,450
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The return: 106% at $10,000
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#5 Insulation
Insulation is tucked out of sight, so it’s often out of mind — that is, until you’re forced to wear your parka indoors because it’s sooo darn cold.
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The cost: $2,100
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The return: 95% at $2,000 plus the added savings on heating and cooling costs
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#6 New Garage Door
No surprise that a garage door replacement project made it onto this #winning list — a new garage door provides a big boost for your home’s curb appeal at a relatively modest cost.
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The cost: $2,300 (for a two-door)
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The return: 87% at $2,000
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There are options galore, too. A host of factory-finish colors, wood-look embossed steel, and glass window insets are just some of the possibilities that’ll give your doors bankable personality.
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#7 Vinyl Siding
In any color! And never paint again.
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Those are two of the three benefits of vinyl siding. The third, of course, is your home’s value.
But if long-time homeowners look at you funny when you mention vinyl siding, just tell them that today’s vinyl is way better than what they remember because of fade-resistant finishes and transferable lifetime warranties.
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The cost: $12,000
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The return: 83% at $10,000
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Want fiber-cement siding instead? It also shows a strong payback of 79%. Although it’s the pricier option — you’ll spend $19,100 — it has one thing vinyl still lacks — the perception of quality.
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And quality matters. In a survey from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), “quality” was the one of the most important traits that home buyers focused on when house hunting.