Harv Balu's blog

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 2 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Drive down any street in Fremont or Union City and the homes that catch your eye usually share one thing: a front entry with some texture and depth. Manufactured stone veneer is one of the most popular ways to get that look. But before you spend real money on the front of your house, you probably want to know one thing. Will you see that money again when you sell?

The short answer is encouraging. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, this project ranked number 2 out of all the...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 3 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Your kitchen works fine, but it does not feel fresh. The layout is fine, the cabinets are solid, yet everything looks a little tired. So you are asking the question most sellers ask. Do you need a big remodel before you list, or is there a smaller move that makes more sense?

The short answer: the small move wins. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a minor kitchen remodel returned about 72 cents back for every dollar spent, on average. That was good enough to rank number 3 of...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 4 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Walk around your house and take a hard look at the siding. If it is cracked, faded, or curling at the edges, you have probably wondered what a full replacement costs, and whether any of that money comes back when you sell.

Here is the short answer. It comes from the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, the study a real estate training course was built on. Fiber cement siding ranked number 4 of the 20 projects this guide covers, returning about 69 cents for every dollar spent. That is...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 5 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

New windows are one of those projects you can feel every day. The sash that sticks, the draft in January, the street noise at night. But a full set of replacement windows costs as much as a used car, so it is fair to ask whether that money comes back when you sell your home.

Here is the short version. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, vinyl window replacement ranked number 5 of the 20 projects this guide covers. That is a strong finish. Even so, the average seller got back...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 6 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

New siding can make a tired house look ten years younger from the curb. But if you are thinking about selling, the real question is simple. Does the money you put into vinyl siding come back to you at the closing table, or does most of it stay on the walls?

The short answer: vinyl siding does better than most projects, but it still does not pay for itself. It ranked number 6 of the 20 projects this guide covers, returning about 68 cents back for every dollar you spend, on average....

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 7 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Your windows are original to the house, the fog is creeping in between the panes, and you are wondering if new wood windows would pay you back when you sell. It is one of the most common questions homeowners ask before listing, because windows are one of the first things buyers notice from the curb.

The short answer: new wood windows return a good share of what you spend, but not all of it. Wood window replacement ranked number 7 of the 20 projects this guide covers, based on the...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 8 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

A backyard deck is one of those projects that feels like a sure thing. You picture summer dinners outside, and you tell yourself the deck will pay for itself when you sell. But does a wood deck really put money back in your pocket at closing, or does it mostly buy you a nicer backyard?

Here is the short answer. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a wood deck ranked number 8 of the 20 projects this guide covers. On average, sellers saw about 66 cents back for every dollar they...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 9 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Your front door is the first thing buyers touch. If yours is dented, drafty, or just plain tired, you have probably wondered whether a new steel door is worth the money before you sell. Or would paint do the job?

Here is the short answer. A basic steel entry door is one of the better small projects on the list. It ranked number 9 of the 20 projects this guide covers, the study a real estate training course was built on. On average it brought back about 65 cents for every dollar...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 10 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

A deck is one of those projects you can picture right away: summer dinners outside, kids running in and out, a quiet coffee on a Saturday morning. Then the quotes come in, and the question changes. If you spend real money on a composite deck, will you see any of it again when you sell your home?

The short answer: some of it, but not all of it. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a composite deck ranked number 10 of the 20 projects this guide covers, returning about 63 cents...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 11 of 21

Illustrative photo, not a Bay Area property. Photo from Pexels.

Your front door is the first thing a buyer touches. Before anyone sees the kitchen, they stand at your entry and form an opinion. So it is fair to ask: if you spend real money on a beautiful fiberglass entrance, does any of it come back when you sell?

The short answer: some of it comes back, but on average not all of it. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, this project ranked number 11 of the 20 projects this guide covers. It returned about 61 cents back for every dollar you...