Increase your home value with improvements

We give you some ideas to help boost your value of your house

For those homeowners whose property is "under improved" for their neighborhood, more substantial work may be warranted to bring the property up to the level of the surrounding homes. Although many homeowners are reluctant to tackle such projects, upgrading can be the key to realizing your home's potential.

Be careful not to push your home above the value of the neighborhood. It is rare that a house sells for more than 15% above the neighborhood median, regardless of the extent of the improvements. The following is a listing of common improvements and their typical return on investment for a 25 year-old three bedroom 1.5 bath cape.

The estimates are based on Practical Homeowner's How to Increase Your Home's Value. They are intended to be general guidelines. Each situation is unique.

Beyond the return financially, you should consider whether it is worth the aggravation and/or whether you intend to stay long enough to enjoy the improvements yourself. Please feel free to call me if you would like my input.

Interior Surfaces

• New paint, carpeting and vinyl flooring for the kitchen and bath.
• Professional job: 90% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 150% Return

Bathroom Renovation

• New fixtures and flooring for 7x8 foot bathroom
• Professional job: 75% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 200% Return

Kitchen Renovation

• New cabinets, appliances, countertops and flooring
• Professional job: 70% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 150% Return

Fireplace Addition

• Pre-fab unit with hearth, mantel and chimney top
• Professional job: 70% Return
• Do-it-yourself: Not recommended

Deck Addition

• Footings, pressure treated lumber, stairs and handrails for a 224 square foot deck
• Professional job: 65% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 200% Return

Exterior Repainting

• Scraping loose paint and painting trim and siding with one coat of paint
• Professional job: 60% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 1000% Return Attic Conversion
• Two rooms, two closets, two windows, four doors, wiring, insulation, drywall and flooring for 16x36 foot attic
• Professional job: 50% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 90% Return

Wood Siding

• 1500 square feet of six-inch cedar siding
• Professional job: 30% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 90% Return

Basement Conversion

• Suspended ceiling and paneling
• Professional job: 30% Return
• Do-it-yourself: 70% Return

In-Ground Pool

• 16 x32 foot plastic-lined pool with sidewalk and grading
• Professional job: 35% Return
• Do-it-yourself: Not recommended

Major home improvements should be carefully considered in relationship to the surrounding neighborhood. Unless your home is the exception to the rule, moderation is the key to gaining a return on your home improvement dollars.

Helpful Reading

Visit Our Featured Home Value Resources

What is my home worth is something we all ask before selling or getting ready to refinance a mortgage. If you are here simply to find out the current house values of your property, then be sure to visit this page that will give you the current values in your neighborhood. If you're not ready to search for a comparative market analysis or look for house appraisals in person, you can receive a free home value report online by filling out our simple online form that will give you an estimate on the worth of your property.

We'll try to provide as much helpful info as we can before you decide to refinance your house, with so many choices it can be hard. Many home owners search online for information to refinance a mortgage but don't know where to start, or who to ask. We can also provide you with a way to refinance your mortgage online using our secure form that will help you get started.

If you want to increase the value for your property with home improvement that you can do yourself, we'll provide hints, tips and some suggested reading to help you increase house values before you sell. We have quite a few excellent books for sale on the subject, in addition to other resources to help you get started on home repairs or improvements.

Once your have sold your house you may be in the market to find homes for sale in your area. Well, what if you are a first time buyer and are looking for help? Or maybe you have bought a home before, but want to do it right this time. We'll do our best to set you on the right path with links and up to date information for the modern home buyer.

If you already know you want to sell, you're going to need to find a real estate agent to sell your home. Feel free to use our resources and find a qualified agent who is eager to sell your house at the highest possible price and shares the same values as yourself. We give you access to a large database of qualified real estate agents who want to help you sell.