{"id":111112,"date":"2019-05-21T14:30:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-21T20:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=111112"},"modified":"2021-03-16T14:54:03","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T20:54:03","slug":"home-upgrades-worth-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/home-upgrades-worth-making","title":{"rendered":"Home Upgrades That Are Seriously Worth Making (Think: ROI!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There are few better things to come home to than a freshly renovated kitchen with modern appliances and pristine cabinetry. Whether you\u2019re enjoying your new kitchen, <a href=\"\/renewsblog\/2014\/09\/14\/6-bathroom-remodel-tips-every-house-flipper-should-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bathroom<\/a>, or backyard addition yourself, or hoping to increase your property value in an effort to sell, there are a few home upgrades that make more of an impact than others. Before demo day begins, be sure to consult this guide to help you make the most of your home improvement budget.<\/p>\n<p>In this post, we\u2019ll be exploring different types of home upgrades and how they translate to ROI, as well as appeal to home buyers and tenants.<\/p>\n<h2>Garage Door Replacement<\/h2>\n<p>Depending on where you live, your garage door can easily be the focal point of your home from the street\u2019s view. In fact, a garage typically makes up 30 to 50 percent of what\u2019s seen from the street, which means improving its appearance is actually a pretty high-impact item when it comes to making home renovations.<\/p>\n<h3>What it means for buyers:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Improved curb appeal<\/li>\n<li>More space for storage<\/li>\n<li>Potential for livable space<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What it means for you:<\/h3>\n<p>According to Realtor.com, a garage door replacement has one of the highest ROIs at 98.3 percent, with a low job cost of $3,470. This means you\u2019re making a cost-effective upgrade that has a huge impact on the value of your home.<\/p>\n<h3>Things to consider<\/h3>\n<p>When revamping your home\u2019s garage door appearance, it\u2019s best to consider the weather in your area before buying a new door. Materials like fiberglass have poor insulation and can become dull when exposed to harsh weather, hot or cold. Steel is actually the most popular material for garage doors thanks to its reasonable price, durability, and low maintenance.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also want to keep in mind which color you decide to paint your garage door as different buyers will have different tastes. Stick to neutral tones that match the rest of your home\u2019s exterior and one that suits the feel of your neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-92785 size-main-slider\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/art-wall-brush-painting-702x336.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<h2>Landscape Improvements<\/h2>\n<p>If you live in an area where residents spend a lot of time outside, you may want to consider making some landscape improvements before selling or leasing your property. Just like a garage door, great landscaping adds curb appeal and can make your home more attractive to buyers and prospective tenants alike. Depending on the type of landscaping improvement you make, your property could see a reasonable or substantial value increase.<\/p>\n<h3>What it means for buyers:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Large trees and hedges can create added privacy<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/10\/landscaping-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Xeriscaped<\/a> areas tend to be more low maintenance<\/li>\n<li>Fenced-in areas make property more attractive for buyers with kids or pets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What it means for you:<\/h3>\n<p>Changing up your home\u2019s outdoor space can be as big or as small of a change as you want to make it. If you want to add a wood deck for example, you might expect a bill of just over $10,000 with an ROI of 82.8 percent. Or a xeriscaping project could end up making more sense for your budget.<\/p>\n<p>Sacha Ferrandi, CEO of Source Capital Funding, offers this tip: \u201cIf you\u2019re thinking about upgrading your home\u2019s landscape, you should take a look at what\u2019s popular in your neighborhood before starting the work. A xeriscaped front yard with cacti might not survive in your rainy climate, for example\u2014creating more of a hassle for buyers rather than providing value.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Related: <\/strong><\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2015\/06\/10\/landscaping-real-estate\/\" target=\"_blank\">Landscaping: 4 Tips to Instantly Improve Your Yard\u2019s Curb Appeal<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h2>Smart Home Features<\/h2>\n<p>Smart home features may not have been on your to-do list of home renovations before, but they might need to be. Why? Home automation features like temperature control, home security, and lighting appeals to millennial buyers that are used to accessing just about everything they need to right from their fingertips.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, integrated security systems add peace of mind for first-time homebuyers and families. In fact, 81% of homebuyers said they\u2019d rather buy a home with smart home features already installed, according to Digitized Home.<\/p>\n<h3>What it means for buyers:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>More robust security<\/li>\n<li>Efficient utility management with an average savings of $98.30 per month (per Digitized Home stats)<\/li>\n<li>Modern, innovative, exciting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What it means for you:<\/h3>\n<p>According to HomeAdvisor, the average cost of a home automation system installation is between $381 and $1,771.<\/p>\n<h3>Things to consider<\/h3>\n<p>As smart home systems are becoming more and more popular, the options are becoming expansive. When choosing a home automation system, consider what features are going to be most useful for homebuyers in your area. For example, remote AC control might not be as useful in a cold place like Seattle, but maybe lighting control would be.<\/p>\n<h2>Backyard Deck<\/h2>\n<p>Another home upgrade on the lower end of job costs is a backyard deck addition. This project has a national average cost of just under $11,000, with an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-brrrr-increases-roi\" target=\"_blank\">ROI <\/a>of 82.8%, according to realtor.com.<\/p>\n<p>What it means for buyers\u2026<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>More appealing outdoor space<\/li>\n<li>Room to host<\/li>\n<li>Less maintenance than grass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Brian Kelley, VP of BCCU, offers this pro tip<strong><em>: \u201c<\/em><\/strong>Compared to other projects like a major kitchen remodel or a master suite addition, a backyard deck addition still resides on the cheaper end of the spectrum, with a substantial ROI.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Things to consider<\/h3>\n<p>If you live in an area where residents might not spend a lot of time outside, building a new deck may not be as much of a property value increase than a bathroom remodel or other comparable project. You will also want to take weather into consideration as you choose materials for your deck. If you live in a super wet climate, wood may not be as sustainable as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) material.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-109758\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/luxury-home.jpg\" alt=\"Luxury home interior boasts amazing white kitchen with custom white shaker cabinets, endless marble topped kitchen island with drawers and stainless steel appliances over wide planked hardwood floor.\" width=\"702\" height=\"336\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/luxury-home.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/luxury-home-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 702px) 100vw, 702px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Minor Kitchen Remodel<\/h2>\n<p>The kitchen is most often the center of your home\u2014it\u2019s the place you cook meals, kids do homework, and friends and family gather. That\u2019s why kitchen remodels are amongst the most popular (and most expensive) home upgrades. Now, you don\u2019t have to replace every cabinet, backsplash, or fixture to boost your home\u2019s market value. A few simple upgrades and modern enhancements could do the trick to make your home more appealing to buyers.<\/p>\n<h3>What it means for buyers:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>More storage<\/li>\n<li>New appliances with less maintenance<\/li>\n<li>Improved aesthetics in the home\u2019s interior<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>Related: <\/strong><\/em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/22\/repair-or-replace-appliances\/\" target=\"_blank\">Appliances \u2013 To Repair or Replace: That is the Question<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<h3>What it means for you:<\/h3>\n<p>A minor kitchen remodel is what you make of it! A few simple changes like swapping out cabinet pulls and new appliances automatically make the kitchen look newer. Another low-budget change is simply taking the doors off of main dish cabinets for a more open, modern feel.<\/p>\n<h3>Things to consider<\/h3>\n<p>When visualizing a design for your new kitchen, be sure to choose features that will appeal to the general homebuyer\u2019s market. A pink kitchen, for example, might be your dream\u2014but it could turn off potential buyers when it\u2019s time to sell.<\/p>\n<h2>Takeaways<\/h2>\n<p>Increasing your property\u2019s value doesn\u2019t have to mean a full on HGTV-scale remodel. With these tips, you can make an upgrade that fits into your budget and gives you a great return on your investment!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/real-estate-investment-calculator\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-91220\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-02.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"85\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-02.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/blog_ads-02-300x36.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em>What other renovations do you think offer the most bang for your buck?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>I&#8217;d love to hear from you in the comment section!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to renovations, whether you\u2019re enjoying your new kitchen, bathroom, or backyard addition yourself, or hoping to increase your property value in an effort to sell, some home upgrades make more of an impact than others. This guide will help you make the most of your home improvement budget.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":558092,"featured_media":88761,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5524],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-111112","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-estate-investing-for-beginners"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111112","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/558092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=111112"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/111112\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88761"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=111112"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=111112"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=111112"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}