Thinking of selling your home in the future? To maximize on your potential earnings, home improvements may be in order. Knowing where to start with renovations can be confusing, which is why we’ve narrowed down the best home improvement projects for every homeowner. Here are our top 15 home improvements to increase home value for you (and the next person) to love your home.

Where Should You Start With Home Improvement Projects?

It can feel overwhelming figuring out where to start with home improvement projects. Every home functions differently in terms of what needs to be improved, but there are general rules of thumb to follow for successful home improvements that have a generous ROI if you decide to sell.

Some homes need improvements in functionality while others need simple cosmetic upgrades. The best place to start with home improvements is with the basic fundamentals of the home. Checking all electrical and plumbing work is crucial for a functional home that plays a key part in the overall value. Once the basics are out of the way (and working properly), next comes the cosmetics and making the interior or exterior more appealing and modern.

Best 15 Home Improvements to Boost Home Value

Needing some inspiration for your home improvement goals? Check out these 15 best home improvement projects to get started.

1. Update Your Wall Colors

A simple, quick and easy way to increase your home’s value is to give your walls a fresh coat of paint. Updating your interior wall colors isn’t only beneficial for increasing your home’s value, it’s also one of the fastest and more cost-effective methods for boosting your ROI. But, not just any paint.

Painting your walls with trendy, stylish colors is the best way to update your walls. According to real estate experts, the best shade–or shades–to select are timeless neutrals such as grays, beiges, and soft blues to make your home more appealing. These refreshing shades have the power to make your rooms seem larger and are more likely for potential buyers to view as a blank canvas. Not to mention, these shades are universal and easy to pair with most home decor, furniture, and aesthetics.

2. Create a Better Flow (if you can)

Who doesn’t love a functional home? Making your home more functional by creating a better flow or larger areas is one of the most practical home improvements that increase your ROI significantly. This can be done by knocking down walls to transform congested rooms into more open spaces.

However, this is much easier said than done. It’s not possible to simply knock down every wall. Some walls in the house may be load-bearing and part of necessary structure to add support to the home’s foundation. In those cases, other structural components must be added such as LVL/Steal beams. Before you start knocking down walls to create a more open environment, it’s highly recommended to have a home remodel expert come out to inspect your home to see if any walls are load-bearing.

If your walls are given the green light to knock down, you can see a 15%-20% ROI. Homebuyers view open floor plans as making the home more accessible for entertaining and family time, especially when this open floor plan occurs in the kitchen and living room areas.

3. Upgrade The Bathrooms

Bathrooms are one of the most sought after rooms of any house that can make or break a sale, along with the kitchen. Planning a bathroom remodel to increase your ROI doesn’t have to be anything hefty as in changing the layout (though if your budget permits, this is a great idea). The best way to go about a bathroom remodel is making this space modern and functional, which in a lot of cases, is achieved by giving the room a cosmetic makeover.

Before you tackle your bathroom remodel, inspect the room for any leaky plumbing or areas that need to be recaulked or grouted. If it’s been decades since your bathroom has seen any freshness, swapping out the outdated hardware for modern pieces will make a significant difference. A modern change most buyers gravitate towards is the swap of a garden tub for a spa-like shower or freestanding soaker tub. These showers include a showerhead (or several) with a rain-fall feature to make the space more relaxing.

There are other areas of a bathroom remodel that should be considered when investing in updates to boost the home’s value, such as a vanity with storage. This is crucial if your bathroom is on the smaller side where storage space is limited. Having a vanity with storage maximizes the space in the room without minimizing storage to hold all of the room’s necessities. If you’re looking for a personal way to freshen up the room, replacing your floors with tile that has a fun pattern keeps your floors waterproof and adds charm to the overall design.

4. Add a Kitchen Island

Do you ever find yourself wishing your kitchen has more counter space? Or storage? If room allows for it, adding in a kitchen island will solve your storage issue while adding to your home’s value.

Kitchen islands have the potential to make the room feel larger than it really is, which is attractive to potential buyers. The key to adding an island to your kitchen is to choose the right size, as islands that are too large can have a negative effect on the sale of your home. To find the size that’s right for your kitchen, speak to a remodeling expert who will evaluate your space and give you the best measurements to keep the room functional with this addition.

5. Swap Old Lighting

Lighting fixtures should be swapped for newer models similar to fixtures and hardware for keeping the house modern and appealing. Replacing lighting fixtures is another simple home improvement project that’s easy and cost-effective, plus ultra stylish.

The best way to increase home value with lighting fixtures is to select intricate features with sharp lines and modern design to boost the aesthetic appeal. Popular lighting choices include gold finishes or bold statement pieces to create a focal point in every room.

6. Fix Your Fixtures (and appliances)

Appliances and fixtures play an important role for boosting your home’s value more than you realize. While replacing outdated appliances and fixtures for newer ones aids functionality in the home, they also complement the aesthetic and design. This is one of the simpler home improvements that makes a significant impact in increasing home value by 60%-80%.

Go through your home and observe your appliances such as the oven, dishwasher, refrigerator, washer and dryer. If you’re still using an oven from the 70s with dials, it sounds like it’s time to swap for a new digital stainless steel appliance. Updating the appliances to a newer modern option increases your home’s value and makes it more energy-efficient. Not only are these appliances easier on the eyes and complementary to design, it also tells potential buyers that necessary repairs have been made and there’s longevity with the appliances.

Hardware fixtures such as drawer knobs and faucets should also be replaced for stylistic purposes to increase the modern feel in the home. These little swaps are one less thing that homebuyers have to worry about, which is attractive and leads to a faster sale.

7. Transform Spare Rooms

In the era where remote work is increasing, transforming spare rooms that might be used to hoard items is one of the smart moves for boosting your home’s value, especially if a spare room is converted into an office.

But that’s not all spare rooms can be turned into. Spare rooms being converted into extra playrooms, home gyms, or extra bathrooms have been known to lead to faster sales and a significant ROI.

Unsure of what the room should become? Take a day to go through and clean everything out before measuring the square footage of the room to make the final decision. Spare rooms on the smaller side work best for a home office or bathroom while larger rooms transform into the perfect playroom or home gym. The opportunities are endless of what to make of smaller rooms that lead to more than a 10% ROI, which will potentially increase depending on what it becomes.

8. Spice Up Your Curb Appeal & Landscaping

The outside of your home is what will attract home buyers to look at the inside. It’s where you make the first impression of what’s to come and set the tone for how the rest of the house has been treated over the years

Curb appeal isn’t just having a gorgeous, well-kept flower bed upfront (though that certainly wouldn’t hurt), it’s also about ensuring the basics are in proper condition. Touching up the exterior paint/siding and fixing broken windows should definitely be added to your curb appeal checklist. Start by walking around the exterior of your home and taking note of what needs to be touched up and fixed before moving on to cosmetics.

When your basics are fixed, it’s time to start on the landscape. Homes with kept-up landscape design sees an ROI between 1%-5%. This includes keeping your lawn freshly mowed, your flower beds or garden neatly trimmed, and freshening up any mulch or chippings.

Adding landscape or pathway lighting is a simple addition that increases home value and adds more cosmetic appeal. Pathway lighting warms up your home and highlights your landscaping at night while giving it a luxurious appeal.

9. Choose Complementary Molding

Crown molding is a decorative element to add a nice trim to your walls that comes in many styles. While fully replacing the crown molding in every room may not be a necessity, crown molding still has a positive impact on home value.

Most buyers appreciate the crispness of white or cream molding that adds visual contrast to each room. If your crown molding is still in pristine condition, it’s important to clean them properly so they shine and stand out when buyers come for showings. If your crown molding looks aged and dingy or in a condition where cleaning won’t fix the issue, consult with a remodeling expert about replacing the trim to boost the visual appeal.

10. Build a Deck or Patio addition

Does your backyard need something extra? Decks and patios are backyard staples every homebuyer loves to see. Home buyers are able to envision entertainment beyond the interior walls of the house and see more living environments outside with a deck or patio present.

Adding a simple deck or patio to your exterior space has been known to add $7,000 to your resale value. If you already have a deck, replacing rotting boards or re-staining the planks spruces up the aesthetic for a well-kept area. Your deck may also have the option of adding on to make the area larger to accommodate more people or larger furniture.

11. Finish Your Basement

Basements are highly sought after in homes since it adds extra space for entertaining or extra dens for families to enjoy. Unfinished basements can look like a big project to potential buyers, so tackling this home improvement yourself before selling will have a significant reward.

A finished basement has an ROI average of 75% since you’re making the space more livable, especially when the space is configured with heating and cooling. This is a hefty (but worth it) home improvement project, so having the help of a remodeling contractor is crucial.

12. Replace Garage Doors

Does your garage door squeak? Can’t remember when it was installed? Replacing your elderly garage doors with newer ones is a simple home improvement option that has an exponential ROI of 133%. Not only are newer garage doors improving your exterior aesthetics, but they’re also tied to the security of your home by keeping external forces out. While new garage doors add value for their function, they also add value for security measures.

13. Don’t Forget Your Floors

If your floors have seen better days (and a lot of stains), replacing your carpet or flooring is essential for boosting your home’s value. Real hardwood floors have the highest ROI since these are solid planks with the longest lifespan of over 60 years if they are refinished when necessary. Engineered hardwoods are an excellent option to save money compared to sand-in-place hardwoods without sacrificing a ton of quality. Vinyl or laminate flooring with a hardwood look is another popular choice to place in your homes for a modern appeal home buyers gravitate towards. If you keep carpet in your home or are thinking of installing carpet, warm neutral shades like gray, tan, or beige are the best to put down. This creates a “blank canvas” look to buyers that’s easy to match with most furniture and styles.

14. Rejuvenate Your AC Unit

One common question that’s asked among home buyers is the condition of your current HVAC. Aging systems come with warning bells to buyers since these units have hefty (but necessary) price tags. No one wants to invest in a home that may require another heavy investment of a new HVAC system, which is why considering this as a top home improvement project is a must.

While it’s not glamorous as the fun cosmetic upgrades, new HVAC systems ensure comfort and security to potential home buyers, especially if your current system is outdated. Most HVAC systems need to be replaced every 15 to 20 years, though with proper maintenance and care, systems can last longer. If you’ve started to notice funky sounds or other odd functions from your unit, a new system is a smart investment.

15. Fix Any Gaps or Leaks

This home improvement project is all about keeping the foundation of your home functional and in line. Gaps or leaks around the home have an impact on the energy consumption and utility bill buyers can find worrisome if the problem isn’t fixed. It’s always best to check the electrical work, plumbing, and gaps in doors or windows before listing your home so buyers don’t see liability issues when inspecting the area. Better securing the home with these fixes also increases the appraisal value since this is one less task the buyers will have to worry about.

Which Home Improvements Have the Highest ROI?

While there are certain home improvements that are known to have the highest ROI than others, finding the right project to increase your home’s value is dependent on what the home needs.

The top three areas of the home that have the highest ROI are the bathrooms, kitchens, and landscaping. Remodeling these areas to look more appealing and functional is key to increasing your home value to maximize the earrings for your listing. These are also the important areas of the home to keep up with modern trends to look more appealing and up-to-date for potential buyers.

To Add Even More Value, Work With a Remodeling Expert

While some home improvements are easy to tackle DIY style, it’s always best to work with a home remodeling expert for the more complex projects. Remodeling experts ensure the projects are completed successfully to reduce the cost of potential errors if you were to tackle some projects yourself and it may save your marriage too!

See home improvements you’d like to make? Contact Keith Smith Construction today. Our team of professionals have decades of experience providing homeowners the renovations of their dreams and a great experience while doing so.

Whether you plan to sell your home in the future, or just want to modernize it, Keith Smith Construction will get the job done. Not sure where to start? One of our professionals can help you determine what your next steps should be and we will help you plan out all of the details so you can be well prepared for your upcoming projects. Ready for your next step? Give us a call to set up a Ballpark Estimate!

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15 Home Improvements to Increase Home Value