North Lake Tahoe Real Estate-Getting the Most from Your Remodel

Get the most from your dollar

Despite a slow market and a decrease in the resale value of some remodeling projects, Realtors report that the smartest home improvement may also be some of the least expensive. According to the Results from the 2009 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report the small-scale exterior projects are the most profitable at resale.

Eight out of the top 10 projects in terms of costs recouped were exterior replacement projects that cost less than $14,000. Certain types of door and siding replacements, as well as wood deck additions all returned more than 80% of project costs upon resale. A steel entry door replacement - a new addition to this year’s list - recouped 128.9% of costs, followed by upscale fiber-cement sliding replacements at 83.6%. Wood deck additions recouped 80.6 % of costs.

Giving your home curb appeal still wins out as a smart investment.  First impressions can be the most lasting and lucrative to investing in the remodel of your home to sell it.

On a national level, the project with the biggest improvement from 2008 was the attic bedroom addition, recouping 83.1% of remodeling costs compared to 73.8% in 2008. The only other interior project that landed in the top 10 was a minor kitchen remodel with 78.3% costs recouped.  Cities on the Pacific coast such as Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington once again outperformed the rest of the nation in terms of remodeling costs recouped upon resale.