Ask Harry · Home Values

How much does a renovation really add to my home's value?

Short answer

It depends on your home, its price band, and what buyers in your area actually want. Some projects clearly hold their value in a sale, and some are for your enjoyment, not your resale.

Full answer

There is no single return on a renovation, and anyone who quotes you a flat percentage is oversimplifying. What a project adds depends on the home it goes into: a modest home does not get a luxury kitchen's cost back, and a high-end home can be held back by work that does not match its price band. The projects that tend to hold value in a sale are the ones that fix condition and function: things a buyer sees and can check off, fresh paint, cared-for floors, a kitchen and bathrooms in good working order, a home that reads as maintained. Projects built around your personal style are riskier, because taste is not something you can price for resale.

The savvy move is to decide what to do before you spend, and that is where the real conversation happens. We look at your home's likely price band, what buyers in your area are actually willing to pay for, and which projects pay for themselves at your level versus which ones give you the joy of the work itself. I have a Renovate & Sell program built exactly for this: a prioritized list of only the updates that pay you back, trusted contractors, and a home that competes before it ever hits the market. If you are weighing a project, bring the address to a consult and we will pencil out whether it makes sense for your sale.

Want to see how the program works? Read about Renovate & Sell , or book a 15-minute consult and we will pencil out your project together.

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Ask Harry · Home Values

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