As a homeowner trying to improve the value of your property, how do you know which upgrades will give your home that wow factor and make the most difference when buyers make their decisions?
This is a question that many owners ask. But sadly, there is no magical way of knowing what buyers will prefer. Every buyer is different and their idea of what makes a perfect home will vary. Some want a yard where they can grow a vegetable garden, some want new hardwood flooring, and yet others may be more interested in a green home.
Moreover, because the trends that dominate home design are constantly changing, what a specific buyer wants one year may be completely different from what they want the following year. And even if you somehow managed to find out all the desires of the average buyer, it is highly unlikely that you would have enough money and time to do all the projects.
This is why when renovating your home, the best strategy is not to try and satisfy everything buyers could possibly want in your home. Instead, you should focus on projects which have the most appeal to the greatest number of people. As WRents.com explains, investing in such projects will increase the probability that your home will interest more buyers and that one of them will end up paying for the property.
So what are the home improvement projects that meet this criterion?
The two best renovation projects for your home
Kitchen and bathroom upgrades have consistently proven to add the most value to a home and to attract the attention of the majority of buyers. The kitchen and bathroom are two of the most utilitarian areas of the home. How well they perform their respective functions plays a huge role in how buyers perceive a home and how much they are willing to pay for it.
The value of a kitchen lies in its role as a social hub. Humans have always built ceremonies around the preparation, sharing, and eating of meals. The kitchen is the place where family members gather to share food, play, enjoy each other’s company, and indulge in catching up. It is also one of a homeowner’s favorite places for receiving visitors and showcasing their home.
Bathrooms, on the other hand, are essential to sanitation and health. It is where we go to take care of many of our physical needs, and we spend a lot of time in them accordingly. People expect their bathrooms to be inviting and comfortable. They want the room to energize them before work and to help them relax when they come home.
An investment in the home’s kitchen and bathrooms touches every member of the family in a very personal way. No other home upgrades have this unique quality. For other types of home renovations, one member of the family will usually value the changes more than other family members. But bathrooms and kitchens are equally loved and used by everyone in the home.
How much do bathrooms and kitchen renovations impact your home’s value?
How will a bathroom or kitchen renovation impact the resale value of your home?
Based on data from the market, a kitchen upgrade will add between 60-80% of the project cost to the value of the home when the property is sold. Midrange kitchen renovations fetched a higher return on investment (ROI), averaging around 80%, while upper-end bathroom renovations resulted in around a 60% improvement to the value of the home.
Conversely, a bathroom renovation will add between 60-67% of the project’s cost to the home’s resale value. As with kitchen renovations, midrange upgrades outperform upper-end bathroom projects. For midrange renovations, homeowners were able to recoup 67.2% of their costs, while they only regained 60.2% of the costs from more expensive renovations.
But this does not necessarily mean that renovating the kitchen is better than renovating the bathrooms. This is because kitchen renovations cost more than bathroom renovations.
Several factors determine if your home will benefit more from a bathroom renovation or a kitchen renovation. Kitchens are more visible than bathrooms, so visitors are more likely to see them. But you also spend more time than you realize in your bathroom, and renovating it will take less money out of your pocket.
If you have difficulties deciding which project will make the most impact, speaking with an experienced real estate agent can help. That is because the value-add of a bathroom or kitchen renovation also depends on the location. Some locations value one type of renovation over the other. Talking to an agent who knows the market will give you some valuable insights.
Whether you choose to renovate the kitchen, bathroom, or both, the agent can also help you determine which specific areas of the rooms you should focus on.
Guest post from Rob Lancaster of Windermere Property Management.
