A minor kitchen remodel, such as updating obsolete tiling, can mean the difference between selling and not selling your home.

A good rule of thumb is that any remodeling project which brings your home up to the level of the others in your neighborhood is a worthy investment. 

For example, if your home has just one bathroom, adding a second bath will probably more than pay for itself when you sell the home, since the average home has two and a half baths. 

The same is true for a minor kitchen remodel where you add a few amenities and resurface worn and obsolete tiling, counter tops and cabinets. 

Not only will projects such as these raise your home’s value, but they may mean the difference between selling and not selling your home.

Potential buyers will be comparing your home to ones newly built. When planning a remodeling project, you’ll want to look at the design trends and amenities built into new homes. Master bedroom suites, media rooms and improved use of natural light are three trends often found in newly built homes.

Be sure to consider, too, the quality of the craftsmanship. During the housing boom of the last few years, home prices were rising so quickly that even remodeling projects of mediocre quality could raise a home’s value. That’s not the case now, as the economy has leveled out. Buyers are better informed than ever before, and they are demanding a higher level of quality and professionalism.

By making careful choices of projects and contractors, you will ensure that the investment of your hard-earned dollars in a remodeling project is worthwhile.

To find out more about remodeling, or to locate a professional remodeler in your area, visit www.nahb.org/remodel. [ return to top ]