October 15, 2025

Thinking About Renovating Your Home? These Updates Have the Highest Return on Investment

People renovate their houses for three reasons: function, aesthetics, and resale.

Updating the place in which you live to better accommodate your lifestyle or to inspire joy will benefit your family immediately and is reason enough to make the changes. And the boost in resale value from additions and improvements is the icing on the cake.

Renovating for resale alone is merely a numbers game. In those cases, a simple cost-benefit analysis helps determine whether a project is a wise investment. Owners should pursue renovations that yield a positive return on investment (ROI) to maximize the payoff for what they put into the home.

That said, the best time to remodel a home is when you live in it, and the best mindset with which to embark on a remodel is to optimize your own living experience.

Adding space for a growing family, updating dated bathrooms, or sprucing up curb appeal to boost your mood every time you return home – those deliver an emotional return on investment every day. Remodeling to sell a house means the next person reaps all the benefits.

The High Value Renovations

Let’s consider the best home renovations from both an emotional and financial standpoint.

Pursuing a high ROI as the primary driver usually means smaller, more targeted projects. These tend to have the best return:

1. Paint! – The old saying, “paint solves everything,” is a universal truth with a bit of tongue-in-cheek exaggeration. Transform an old, tired house with paint, wherever it’s needed. That might mean something as small as painting a room or a door. Paint is a small investment with a potentially big payoff, and at that scale, it might even be a DIY project.
2. New garage door – Remodeling Magazine reports that new garage doors increase home value by nearly double the cost of the door. That’s because they are functional while adding curb appeal.
3. New front door – Upgraded front doors often deliver the highest financial impact of any renovation relative to their cost. For just a few hundred dollars, a new front door can add a splash of color or style that elevates the look of the entire property.
4. Minor kitchen remodels – Kitchens have become the linchpin of American homes in recent decades. They serve many purposes, from a gathering place to a workspace. Making small improvements, like adding a backsplash, updating appliances and replacing sinks and countertops increases salability and recoups roughly the full investment.
5. Add or replace siding – For a few thousand dollars, siding can transform a house from eyesore to eye candy. The Journal of Light Construction reports new vinyl siding will generate an 80% expected return for homeowners.
6. Build a screened-in porch – A screened-in porch is a great space for you and your family to enjoy time together. And when you’re ready to sell, buyers will visualize themselves relaxing on the back porch, sipping wine, and viewing sunsets.

Finding the Right Balance for Your Investment

Some remodeling projects, like in-ground pools, major bathroom additions, or highly customized features, may not deliver the strongest financial return when it’s time to sell, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth considering. 

The key is striking the right balance between creating the home you’ll love today and planning with resale in mind for the future. Our Renovation experts at Classic Remodeling, can help homeowners design spaces that fit their lifestyle while also making thoughtful choices that support long-term value. 

Renovations That Make Us Happy

Of the $603 billion Americans spent last year on home renovations, much of it focused on improving the living experience, with only a sideways glance at resale. According to a National Association of Realtors survey, the remodeling projects that made homeowners happiest were:

1. Adding a primary bedroom
2. Upgrading the kitchen
3. Replacing the roof
4. Bathroom renovations
5. Complete kitchen renovation
6. Painting an interior room
7. New wood flooring

Lower on the list are a new front door, a new garage door, and new siding.

Combining financial payoff and improved homeowner happiness suggests that a minor kitchen rehab and painting a room are the two big winners, with an updated front door, garage door, and siding also scoring high.

Let Us Help You Love Where You Live

Whatever is the best home investment for your circumstances, partnering with a reliable professional home remodeling company will save you time, money, and headaches.

If you’re ready to make your home inspiration a reality, reach out to Classic Remodeling. Our 30 years of superior performance, craftsmanship, and service provide you with peace of mind that the job will get done the right way, and provide you with years of enjoyment.