The National Association of Realtors released a report for the year of 2015 stating, “smaller replacement projects, particularly those that enhance curb appeal, remain the most cost effective way for sellers to improve value.”

Cleaning and staging a home are great ways to help sell your home for what it deserves, but remodeling and improving curb appeal may be the most effective way, especially for investors who need to bring the house value up to neighborhood standards. The 2015 Remodeling Cost vs Value Report denotes that large scale remodeling jobs are unlikely to return the sellers their full cost for even doing the job. However, there are some smaller improvements worth doing in preparation for a home sale.

There are three general rules when determining what project to go forward with in regards to remodeling your home before sale.
1. Simpler, lower-cost projects tend to return greater value. In general, replacements cost less and provide a bigger payback than remodels or additions.
2. First impressions are important. Replacing garage or front doors are great moves as the doors are the first things people see when looking at the home in-person or online. Freshening up the garden beds and planter boxes is a great idea, as well.
3. Kitchens still offer the most remodeling bang for the buck.

Top 5 projects nationally in terms of cost recouped:

The 2015 Cost vs. Value Report is a great place to start when looking into selling your home and what needs to be replaced or fixed and what does not. Not all returns can be estimated to bring the most money as they will vary from state to state and even from city to city. In which case, give my team and I a call and we can help you decide what improvements are necessary and can help you sell your home!

Head to 2015 Cost vs. Value Report to compare 36 remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale in 102 US markets.

To see the full 2015 Cost vs. Value Report click here.