We all want the absolute top dollar we can get for our home. That's why many homeowners undertake major renovations and remodeling projects prior to listing.

However, our experience on both the remodeling/renovation side and the real estate agent side has taught us that not all home remodeling projects are created equal. In fact, some even have a negative ROI - which means your money is better spent elsewhere. So how do you know which way to go? Well, if you're the DIY type... keep reading! If you're not interested in putting in the elbow grease yourself, let us know... we can help. Either way, let's take a look at some of the best home remodeling projects... as well at the thought processes behind them!

Sometimes It's About Staying Competitive

As mentioned above, sometimes it's not about getting a boost in how much your house sells for, it's about making sure you can even get a fair price in a competitive market. All too often, otherwise great homes can take months to sell because of an extremely outdated room or area. When your home sits on the market, it's losing money.

If your home has a problem area, it's ideal to get that fixed and renovated before anything else. It might not earn you more bucks at closing but it will help to insure you aren't losing money instead.

Kitchens and Bathrooms

There's a lot of confusion on remodeling and renovating bathrooms before listing. For most buyers, these rooms can be the most important part of the house. Because of this, some sellers rush to renovate these rooms first and foremost.

Here's the catch - most people aren't looking for your dream kitchen or bathroom... they're looking for theirs. They don't want a fixer-upper in these areas, and they don't want to tear out everything you just put in to make it feel more "them."

So our advice is this: unless your kitchen and bathrooms are in terrible shape or have a very dated look, either leave them as-is or focus on clean and easy-to-build-on updates.

Renew Instead of Replace When You Can

When discussing ROI, it's easy to get caught up in the "R" part - the return. However, don't forget the investment! Three $100 projects that pay off in a listing price increase of $500 each are better ROIs then a $1k project that nets you $2k. So whenever possible, renew, repurpose, or refresh what you have instead of replacing it all. Sometimes that's as easy as a good pressure wash, a new paint job, or an overdue coat of sealant.

You know your home better than anyone, so you know all the little things that could use a spit-shine. Sweat the small stuff!

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Simple fixes sometimes are the best... and most profitable. That's why a fresh coat of paint can work wonders for getting your house sold quickly and at a better price. Warm, cheerful, bright colors can literally (by reflecting ambient light) light up a dimmer or smaller room, making it seem bigger and more appealing to potential buyers.

Just be sure to stay away from deep hues and dark colors, even if you think they'd be a good fit!

Know Your Audience

We've touched on it a few times now, but it's worth going over in detail: you don't remodel a home to your tastes, you remodel your home to the greater market's taste. So when considering a project, don't get caught up in whether or not it's your style or something you'd do at your next home. Take some time to research current trends and consult with your listing agent to see what is selling right now, and plan your remodel accordingly.

Avoid Remodels With Low Resale Values

Historically, certain remodeling projects just don't increase the value of your home enough to be worth it. That includes:

Offices
Attics
Decks
Patios
Garages
Additions (more on this below)

Additions increase the square footage of your home as well as its value and listing price, without question - but the cost to get them done is generally way too high to be very profitable in the end, unless the addition is to fix a problem area of your home (like a barely functional bathroom or bedroom). And the worst part? You don't even get to enjoy the extra space for long before you move.

Leave the additions to the buyer after they've moved in to your old home. Spend your time and money on other more profitable projects!

Cost vs Recouped Value

You don't have to take just our word for it - Remodeling publishes a Cost vs. Value Report for free, every year, that you can check out. They even have different reports for each region, so you can further drill down what will be the best ROI in your area.

Remember, ROI can also be calculated with time. If you have 3 months to get a handful of projects done, you have to choose those can get actually get completed before your home hits the market. Keep that in mind!

Leave it to the Pros at RENOMAX!

If just reading all of these remodeling ideas has your head hurting and your back sore, let us help! Take a look at the RENOMAX program! As both a licensed contractor and real estate agency, we're able to renovate, remodel, list, and sell your home. You'll work directly with us, just one team, throughout the entire process. This makes it considerably easier and less stressful for you. Here are some other bonuses to our program:

We'll offer up to $25,000 to renovate your home (paint, flooring, curb appeal, kitchens, bathrooms, etc.) with no upfront cost to you.
We schedule, coordinate and pay for your home’s renovations.
We offer up to $2,500 to assist with mortgage/rent payments, security deposits, moving and storage expenses.
We get paid when you do - at the closing table!

It's the perfect solution if you're looking for a hands-off way to remodel and then sell your home for more.

Contact Us

We hope you found this blog helpful! If we can be of any more assistance, please get in touch. Call our team at (540) 737-5617, contact us online, or send us a message on Facebook if you have any questions.

Good luck on your big remodeling project!

Get a Better Listing Price with these Home Remodels!