Looking for a home improvement project that will provide a high return-on-investment at resale? What about one that won’t need a small loan to accomplish? A national Cost vs. Value Report recently evaluated projects across our area in order to come up with the ones that have the most bang for your buck.
Three of the projects they outlined cost less than $1,500 but have returns on investment of 73 to 129 percent.
Here are the short project descriptions and cost breakouts.
Attic insulation with fiberglass
Whether you use your attic as a storage space or are thinking of repurposing it as a living area, it’s critical that the area is insulated. By sealing off your attic with fiberglass insulation, you’ll spend an average of $1,300 and you could recoup $1,470 upon resale. That’s right, you should theoretically make money by insulating your attic. Additionally, you should see a drop in your heating and cooling bills once your attic is insulated. When it comes to your return on investment, attic insulation is one of the top-returning home improvement projects you can take on.
Garage door replacement
Whether your garage door has had an unfortunate run-in with your mini-van or it’s simply dingy after too many Central Kentucky winters, the time has likely come for it to be replaced. With a cost of just $1,650 on average and a 73 percent return on investment, you won’t lose much money on this project whether you sell this spring or in a few years.
Entry door replacement
There’s a reason front doors are often used on homeowner magazines, movie posters and book covers — they’re eye-catching and draw in attention. This is especially true when it comes to buying a new home. Most staging and home seller tips recommend that sellers purchase a new front door or paint their current front door so it’s bright and inviting. Whether a buyer is looking online or driving by in person, a bright front door will capture their interest.
The Cost vs. Value Report verifies that this isn’t just a great trick for drawing buyer attention, it can also pay off at closing. Across our area, this project should cost $1,380 and could recoup $1,775 — a return on investment of 129 percent!