If you’re currently living in your forever home, tinker to your heart’s content. Re-create Barbie’s DreamHouse or make your house look like a castle, moat and all. Your only limits are your budget and imagination (and maybe approval from the HOA).
However, if you’re looking into home improvement projects to increase your house’s value in anticipation of an eventual sale … you might just want to skip that moat, and a number of other jobs, to boot. That’s because what you consider visually appealing or a home necessity might differ greatly from someone else’s vision.
And even if prospective buyers appreciate the changes you’ve made, some investments won’t increase your resale value enough to justify the renovation costs.
Today, I’m going to list the home improvement investments that are least likely to make you a profit when you sell your house. They range from relatively affordable to downright extravagant—but every last one is generally expected to recoup less than their costs.
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Consider Skipping These Home Improvements
All of the national averages listed in this article come from The Journal of Light Construction’s (JLC) Remodeling 2024 Cost vs Value Report. Specifically, I’m homing in on three figures:
— Job cost: Estimates based on product costs and installer wages, provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
— Resale value: Estimates about the added value of a remodeling project, provided by an online survey of more than 6,000 Realtors.
— Cost recouped: Calculated by dividing resale value by job cost.
Every project on this list is estimated to add less to a home’s resale value than the job’s price tag. The home improvements are listed in order from the highest cost percentage recouped to lowest. (In other words: The projects you might want to avoid the most are listed last.)
10. Roofing Replacement (Asphalt Shingles)
— Job cost: $30,680
— Resale value: $17,461
— Cost recouped: 56.9%
Replacing your roof is a good idea in many situations. For one, if you’re selling your home, a roof in disrepair might deter homebuyers—especially first-time or low-income buyers. Many government financing options used by first-time home buyers have inspection requirements, and a damaged roof might not pass. Also, if a roof is making your home unlivable, by all means, replace it!
But if your roof is in decent shape, you might want to consider skipping this task.
On the upside, roof replacement (at least with new asphalt shingles) is the cheapest home improvement project on this list, and it’s the only one that is expected to recoup at least more than its original cost. But generally speaking, if you sell your house, the added value to your price will likely recoup you less than 60% of your initial cost. (It can also be a lengthy process, taking weeks or even months to complete, especially if there’s bad weather.)
If your roof is in OK-but-not-great condition, you can always lower your list price to account for how much buyers might need to spend on eventual shingle replacement.
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9. Major Kitchen Remodel (Midrange)
— Job cost: $79,982
— Resale value: $39,587
— Cost recouped: 49.5%
On average, you’ll only recoup slightly less than half of your costs when you do a major midrange kitchen remodel, which might include getting new flooring, appliances, countertops, and cabinetry.
You may be better off with a minor midrange kitchen remodel, which includes replacing just the fronts of cabinets (rather than fully replacing), replacing laminate countertops, and painting walls. According to the JLC’s report, you can recoup nearly all (roughly 96%) of your job cost, on average, when you sell your home.
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8. Bath Remodel (Universal Design)
— Job cost: $79,982
— Resale value: $39,587
— Cost recouped: 49.4%
A bathroom remodel with a universal design typically involves making your bathroom more accessible. It may include replacing the toilet, shower, and flooring, as well as enhancing lighting, adding hand bars, and making a space more wheelchair-friendly.
This is a great idea for people who plan on aging in place or want to make the space more comfortable for older visitors, but you won’t recoup your costs if you plan to sell your home soon.
Unfortunately, while making a bathroom more accessible is wonderful for older adults, these changes aren’t always the most aesthetically pleasing. For younger buyers who can’t visualize themselves in the space, these features may be a deterrent, rather than a selling point.
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7. Roofing Replacement (Metal)
— Job cost: $49,928
— Resale value: $24,034
— Cost recouped: 48.1%
I already discussed how you’re unlikely to recoup your costs if you replace your roof with asphalt shingles.
Well, a metal roof replacement isn’t likely to pay off on your home sale, either.
A metal roof can last a long time—anywhere between 40 to 70 years is typical, but you can stretch to roughly a century if you maintain your roof well. Comparatively, asphalt or wood shingles usually last only 15 to 30 years. So, considering the lifespan, it’s unlikely your home is due for a metal roof replacement, anyways.
Instead, save your money and educate prospective buyers about your roof’s durability. Because if you do install a new metal roof, you’ll only recoup a little less than half the job’s original cost, on average.
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6. Bath Remodel (Upscale)
— Job cost: $78,840
— Resale value: $35,591
— Cost recouped: 45.1%
An upscale bathroom remodel may involve expanding the room, adding a freestanding soaker tub, and installing ceramic tile walls. One might also enhance the lighting, add an extra sink, or install electric in-floor heating.
That’s a lot of changes that will make your bathroom shine! And yet … you still probably won’t recoup even half of the money you throw at this job.
While smaller updates might be worthwhile ahead of selling your house, avoid creating a bathroom opulent enough for a king. There’s just no reliable way of telling whether these changes will be appreciated enough by potential buyers. Expensive tile floors that delight one couple might horrify another couple with especially accident-prone children. Some people may fall in love with the new whirlpool tub you installed, but others might see it as an expensive maintenance item over time.
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5. Major Kitchen Remodel (Upscale)
— Job cost: $158,530
— Resale value: $60,176
— Cost recouped: 38.0%
A major upscale major kitchen remodel is great if you’re enhancing your forever home. But if you’re thinking about selling anytime in the near future, you could end up recouping even less money than you would from a midrange remodel.
An upscale kitchen remodel might involve installing new premium countertops, custom cabinets, and designer faucets. Other popular jobs include upgrading appliances, such as a commercial-grade cooktop or built-in refrigerator.
According to Realtor.com, new cabinets and increasing countertop space can offer a good return on your investment. However, the website warns that making those countertops too fancy—say, marble or granite—will add a lot of cost but might add little actual value.
In general, avoid adding any nonessential luxury items before a home sale, too.
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4. Primary Suite Addition (Midrange)
— Job cost: $164,649
— Resale value: $58,484
— Cost recouped: 35.5%
A midrange primary suite addition is the second-most expensive home improvement on the list. That’s because it involves structural changes to your house, and close attention to detail in picking the right materials—after all, you probably want this addition to look like it was part of the original home.
But you’ll want to make this kind of addition for yourself. Because as far as adding home value is concerned, you’ll put in a lot more than you’ll ultimately get back out.
Market conditions will be a significant factor in just how much value an addition will provide. For instance, Norman Builders says that during a seller’s market, you might see a higher return on home additions, whereas during a slower market, even the best additions might not increase a home’s resale value much.
Another major factor is how your house compares to others in your neighborhood. You generally want your home to be comparable to your neighbors. A two-story home in the middle of a one-story neighborhood will stick out—and not necessarily in a good way.
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3. Bathroom Addition (Midrange)
— Job cost: $58,586
— Resale value: $20,334
— Cost recouped: 34.7%
A midrange bathroom addition may be a treat while you live in your current house, but you’re unlikely to recoup your costs when you sell it.
Bathroom additions require the necessary plumbing and fixtures, and a full bath addition will come with a higher price tag than a half bathroom. And because this is an addition, you’ll need basically everything—a toilet, faucets, cabinets, and more.
Overall costs for this project, including labor, materials, and any necessary permits, can vary depending on where you live. But on the whole, you can expect to recoup only about a third of your costs in a home sale.
Alternatively, you could expand one of your bathrooms, convert another area of your house into a bathroom, or remodel one or more of your current bathrooms. All of these will typically cost less than adding a new bathroom outright.
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2. Bathroom Addition (Upscale)
— Job cost: $107,477
— Resale value: $34,997
— Cost recouped: 32.6%
“Well, what if I throw more money at it?”
An upscale bathroom addition will cost you nearly $50,000 more than a midrange addition, on average, but you’ll recoup even less of your costs as a percentage, by roughly two points.
Some of the features that differentiate an upscale bathroom addition from a midrange one could include a steam shower or jetted tub and natural stone or metal.
As previously mentioned, bathroom remodels may give you more value than additions, but you’re still unlikely to recoup your cost. Furthermore, your luxury tastes might not match those of prospective buyers. For instance, while some people might find a jetted tub relaxing, others may dislike the noise and how much space they take up.
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1. Primary Suite Addition (Upscale)
— Job cost: $339,513
— Resale value: $81,042
— Cost recouped: 23.9%
An upscale primary suite addition may involve a fireplace, walk-in closet, soundproofing, or upgraded lighting. And while it might provide that “wow” factor, it’s both the most expensive home improvement on the list (by more than double a midrange primary suite addition, the second-costliest expense!) and recoups the lowest percentage of its cost.
Said differently: This project can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars yet may only increase the resale value by less than one-fourth of that.
Keep in mind that a primary suite addition can decrease your yard space—a downside for some buyers who prioritize a larger yard. Plus, the added square footage to your home might increase property taxes, which can be another downside for cost-minded buyers.
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