The Most Valuable Home Improvement Project Isn’t What You Think

windows-valueThere are many different types of home improvement projects you could take on that can actually improve the condition and monetary value of your house. Many people think adding an addition onto their home is going to be the best with regard to return on investment.

While adding an extra room or several rooms onto the house is going to increase its value, it’s also going to cost an incredible amount of money to do so. Not only will permits be required, laying foundation, electrical work, plumbing, and much more are all going to be necessary. The cost of adding an addition onto any home can be tens of thousands and possibly even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

After that, most people have a tendency to think about renovating the kitchen as being the most significant home improvement project that will actually increase the value of their house. A kitchen renovation can add $10,000 or even $20,000 onto the value of the home, but the average kitchen renovation costs upwards of $22,000, with many of them exceeding $30,000. The return on that investment is not what many homeowners think about at first.

No, the best home improvement project that actually going to increase in value, when done right, is replacing old windows. In fact, the average cost of replacing the windows in an entire home is around $5,000. When done right, using double glazed windows that are sealed with argon or krypton gas, for example, and creating great views where possible, a home’s value can increase by $10,000 or more. That’s double and even greater a return on the investment.

For anyone whose windows in their home are at least 15 years old, it’s well past time to replace them. By doing so, they can actually increase the value tremendously.