The perennial chart toppers for ROI are the cheapest to pull off.

Not exactly sexy . . .

1. In first place was installing loose-fill fiberglass insulation in the attic. Not exactly sexy, but boy, is it cost-effective! In fact, this is the only project that regularly pays back more than you invest, with an average 107.7% ROI.
2. Next up is replacing a run-of-the-mill entry door with an attractive yet tough steel replacement at 90.7%
3. Manufactured stone veneer at 89.4%. Glamorous, no. Valuable, very.

Homeowners all need to come to grips with the fact that most renovations won’t pay them back in full. On average, in 2017, you can expect to get back 64% on every dollar you plow into home improvements.

Beware HFTV-ready renovations

Plus, your returns will vary widely by project—and sorry to bring your expectations down another notch, but the payoff on big, alluring, “HGTV-ready” renovations isn’t so great. Adding a bathroom, for instance, will bring only a 53.9% ROI when you sell; a master suite, 64.8%.

The growth of universal design

One new category this year speaks to another hot trend: universal design, which ensures that a home’s features can be used just as easily by the elderly and disabled as anyone else. That means things like grip bars in showers, lever-style doorknobs, and wider, wheelchair-friendly doors. A universally designed bathroom, for instance, reaps a respectable 68.4% ROI. “This is the first year we’ve included universal design, and it’s truly a rising category,” says Webb. “It’s based on a growing desire to age in place and a greater awareness of people with disabilities.”

The importance of curb appeal

Curb appeal projects (such as new doors and exterior siding) generate higher returns than improvements done on a home’s interior. In other words, it really isn’t what’s on the inside that counts. If you’re trying to sell, pretty up the outside and it’ll pay off in spades.

Contact Keith Katzman for Moraga Real Estate: 925.376.7776

Looking to buy or sell a home in Moraga? Contact Keith Katzman–a Moraga native with more than 30 years of industry experience.