{"id":19612,"date":"2020-10-30T09:00:40","date_gmt":"2020-10-30T16:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=19612"},"modified":"2026-03-20T04:55:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T11:55:56","slug":"buyer-tips-to-increase-home-value","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-tips-to-increase-home-value\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips to Increase Home Value That Balance ROI With Immediate Enjoyment"},"content":{"rendered":"

The moment you close on a new house, you\u2019re hit with an excited impatience to move in and transform it into a home. With no landlord dictating how you decorate your living space, you\u2019re free to go crazy expressing your unique design style in every room. But should you?<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fine to let your creativity run wild with small projects that\u2019ll be inexpensive to change when you\u2019re ready to sell \u2014 like cool cabinet pulls, vivid paint colors in one or two rooms, or even unique light fixtures.<\/p>\n

But for those big projects that\u2019ll cost several grand to change out<\/a>, you need to stick with styles and materials that have mass appeal. Just ask April Stephens<\/a>, a Raleigh, North Carolina agent who earned the Best of HomeLight Award in 2018 for being in the Top 1% of agents in the area:<\/p>\n

\u201cAlways put yourself in the mindset of a seller when you\u2019re making home improvements, even if you\u2019ve just bought your home. It\u2019ll help you avoid any taste-specific projects that are very expensive to undo when you sell in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Morgan Housel \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tackle low ROI projects now vs. later<\/h2>\n

The real estate world measures the value a project adds to a home by the return on investment (ROI). This makes sense for homeowners renovating right before selling, because no one wants to pour major dollars into a house you won\u2019t own in a few months.<\/p>\n

But for new homeowners picking out your first home improvement projects, ROI isn\u2019t the only factor that matters.<\/p>\n

The truth is that some of the most desirable projects \u2014 like kitchen and bathroom remodels \u2014 don\u2019t have the best ROI.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

So, it\u2019s smarter to do these low-ROI upgrades when you first buy your house while you\u2019ve got years of homeownership ahead of you. That way you\u2019ll get some mileage out of your upgrade investment as a trade-off for the lack of a return you\u2019ll get in real world dollars.<\/p>\n

When you balance long-term personal satisfaction with actual added value and ROI, these five upgrades come out on top.<\/p>\n

1. Kitchen upgrade<\/h2>\n

Kitchen upgrades top the list with a joy score of 10 out of 10<\/a> according to the National Association of Realtors\u2019 (NAR) 2019 Remodeling Impact Report. While the value recouped on a complete kitchen renovation is only around 59%, new owner customization comes in at number two on the top reasons for the upgrade.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (National Association of Realtors<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getting your money\u2019s worth out of your kitchen remodel isn\u2019t the only reason to complete the project before you even move in:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a major pain to remodel a kitchen once you\u2019re living in the house, so I would go ahead and knock it out before you move in,\u201d suggests Stephens.<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing without a stove and dishwasher isn\u2019t fun, especially when the project takes a lot longer than anticipated.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Speaking of buying new appliances, you need to pay just as much attention to their style as you do to the look and finish of your kitchen\u2019s cabinets and countertops.<\/p>\n

According to HomeLight\u2019s Top Agent Insights Q3 2019 Report<\/a>, style is the most important factor to almost 58% of buyers, higher than quality or energy efficiency.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Steer clear of any appliance finish fads, like slate or black stainless steel. Almost 75% of buyers prefer traditional stainless steel over other finishes.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And while your overall ROI on your kitchen remodel may not be great, you could actually recoup up to almost $2,000 more than you spend<\/a> on new appliances.<\/p>\n

2. Master suite makeover<\/h2>\n

Rejuvenating your master suite slips into number two with a joy score of 8.4 in the NAR\u2019s Remodeling Impact Report.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (National Association of Realtors<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Unfortunately, you\u2019ll only make back about 50% of what you spend when it comes time to sell. That\u2019s why it\u2019s best to tackle the remodel early, so you\u2019ll still have years to enjoy your relaxing retreat.<\/p>\n

The master suite remodel isn\u2019t quite so inconvenient for homeowners who have a full guest bathroom and a spare bedroom to get them through the project \u2014 so there\u2019s no need to postpone your move-in date.<\/p>\n

In fact, you may want to let the weather dictate when you schedule your master suite remodel. According to our Q3 Agent Insights Report, you\u2019ll save on both materials and labor if you wait until autumn or winter to makeover your master suite.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Install wood flooring<\/h2>\n

Consider this tale of two homes:<\/p>\n

House No. 1 has engineered hardwood in the dining room and master bedroom, different tiles on both bathroom floors, vinyl in the kitchen, and dingy carpet in the living room and the smaller bedrooms.<\/p>\n

House No. 2 has gorgeous mosaic tile floors<\/a> in the kitchen and baths, and polished wood flooring throughout the rest of the house.<\/p>\n

Which house would you pay more for?<\/p>\n

Just as you would, your future buyers will pay more for a house that has consistent, quality wood flooring throughout than one with hodgepodge flooring. Wood floors are so popular with buyers that they have a joy score of 9.2<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Plus, you\u2019ll actually make a 51% ROI when you install new wood floors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNew homeowners should replace the flooring sooner rather than later, because once you get all of your furniture in, you\u2019re much less likely to do it,\u201d advises Stephens.<\/p>\n

Remember those hodgepodge floors in house one? That happens when homeowners tackle new flooring room-by room, because it\u2019s a pain to install new flooring throughout the house when you\u2019re already moved in.<\/p>\n

So they do one room now, then they replace the floor in the next room a few months later \u2014 only to discover the flooring they purchased for the first is no longer available. Or worse, they buy the same flooring, only to discover the new batch has a slightly different color or finish that doesn\u2019t match the other.<\/p>\n

The only way to avoid issues like those is to purchase flooring for the whole house at the same time. And if you\u2019re going to spend money to buy the materials upfront, it just makes sense to install them while the home is still empty. That way, you won\u2019t have to also pay the installers to shuffle your furniture and belongings from room to room.<\/p>\n

\"Flowers<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Samantha Gades \/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Plant new landscaping<\/h2>\n

A whopping 94% of surveyed HomeLight agents say that great curb appeal<\/a> has a major impact on your home\u2019s value.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

As an added bonus, the NAR\u2019s 2018 Outdoor Features Remodeling Report found that an overall landscaping upgrade has a joy score of 9.6<\/a>, and you\u2019ll recoup up to 83% of the money you spend on landscaping improvements.<\/p>\n

The trouble is, many homeowners only consider the impression made by the design and condition of the front yard when it\u2019s time to sell. Landscaping improvements made right before listing have little time to grow.<\/p>\n

By planting your landscaping when you first move in, you\u2019re allowing plenty of time for your new lawn, shrubs and trees to mature and grow lush, which adds more value over time \u2014 provided you plant foliage that\u2019ll flourish in your area.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where you plant your greenery is just as important as the type of plants you pick:<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see a lot of new homeowners making the mistake of planting trees and bushes too close to the house. After five years or so of growth, those trees and bushes are now eating your siding, or scratching the windows, or even damaging the foundations,\u201d explains Stephens.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Digital Buggu \/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Replace the roof<\/h2>\n

Roof replacement is less about the look and more about the overall health of your new home. The good news is you will recoup about 94% of what you spend<\/a> on a new roof.<\/p>\n

We admit that a roof replacement isn\u2019t the most exciting update, and you\u2019re not likely to buy a house with a bad roof in the first place, so do new homeowners really need to think about reroofing first thing?<\/p>\n

The real question you need to answer is this: How often do you have an extra $10,000 to $12,000 sitting in your bank account?<\/p>\n

Because that\u2019s what reroofing will cost you (depending on the style and materials used).<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Unsure which upgrade will best boost your new home\u2019s value? Ask your agent.<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, making all 5 upgrades upfront is out of the question for most new homeowners. Figuring out which one will add the most value to your home is a guessing game that you can win if you ask an expert:<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to ask for your agent\u2019s opinion on any expensive home improvement projects you\u2019re considering, so you don\u2019t wind up spending too much on fads that won\u2019t last,\u201d says Stephens.<\/p>\n

Your new home is your most expensive possession. If you want to preserve and improve your home value, it\u2019s a wise idea to start investing in renovations soon after closing on your home, and even before moving in.<\/p>\n

Header Image Source: (Sidekix Media \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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