The National Association of Realtors (NAR) produces the “Remodeling Impact Report,” which contains a wealth of information available to help you with home remodeling decisions.
Every year when spring arrives, homeowners think of remodeling, repairing and improving their homes. Reasons might include enhancing the sheer enjoyment of the home, practical updates, or getting the home ready to sell.
When a homeowner is remodeling a home for enjoyment or practical reasons, that’s one thing. Getting it ready to sell is another. If you are replacing single-pane windows because you can’t stand the drafts anymore, and you are planning on keeping the home for more than five years, the payback on the sale may not matter to you. However, if you’re prepping the home to sell, why spend money on specific home improvement projects if they don’t offer an immediate return? Sometimes the answer is that the project increases the attractiveness of the property to sell more quickly but may not return 100 percent of the amount invested. When you work with a Realtor®, you have the benefit of your Realtor’s access to research from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). NAR produces the “Remodeling Impact Report,” which contains a wealth of information available to help you with these decisions.
The annual report on the impact of remodeling and its return on the investment is produced each year based on a survey of both Realtors and homeowners across the country. The report covers both internal and external home improvement projects. The results of the 2019 national survey are shown below:
Typical interior projects and their estimated return upon sale:
• Complete kitchen renovation – 59%
• Kitchen upgrade – 52%
• HVAC replacement – 85%
• New master suite – 50%
• Bathroom renovation – 57%
• Basement conversion to living area – 64%
• Add new bathroom– 50%
• New wood flooring – 106%
• Hardwood flooring refinishing – 100%
• Attic conversion to living area – 56%
Typical exterior projects and their estimated return upon sale:
• New roofing – 107%
• New vinyl windows – 71%
• New fiber-cement siding – 76%
• New wood windows – 57%
• New vinyl siding – 63%
• New garage door – 95%
• New steel front door – 75%
• New fiberglass front door – 74%
Remember, this is information based on a national report and all real estate is local. Be sure to consult your Realtor to determine which renovations are best for your neighborhood and can offer the best return on investment for your remodeling dollar.
By Duane Duggan. Duane has been a Realtor for RE/MAX of Boulder in Colorado since 1982 and has facilitated over 2,500 transactions over his career, the vast majority from repeat and referred clients. He has been awarded two of the highest honors bestowed by RE/MAX International: The Lifetime Achievement Award and the Circle of Legends Award. Living the life of a Realtor and being immersed in real estate led to the inception of his book, Realtor for Life. For questions, e-mail DuaneDuggan@boulderco.com, call 303.441.5611 or visit BoulderPropertyNetwork.com.