Harv Balu's blog

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 12 of 21

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

Your roof does its job quietly until the year it does not. Maybe your insurance company just asked how old it is. Maybe you are thinking about selling and wondering whether a tired roof will scare buyers away, or whether a new one will pay you back. It is one of the biggest checks a homeowner writes, so the question deserves a straight answer.

Here is the short version. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a new asphalt shingle roof returned about 61 cents back for every...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 13 of 21

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

Your hall bathroom is stuck in another decade, and you are wondering the obvious thing. If you spend real money to redo it, will the sale price of your home pay you back?

The short answer is no, not fully, and that is normal. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a midrange bathroom remodel ranked number 13 of the 20 projects this guide covers. It returned about 60 cents back for every dollar spent. That is the same study a real estate training course was built on. Keep...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 14 of 21

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

Maybe a parent is moving in. Maybe you want to stay in your home for decades to come. Either way, you are wondering the same thing: if you make your bathroom wheelchair accessible, will you get that money back when you sell?

The short answer is no, not most of it. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, this project brought back about 58 cents for every dollar spent. It ranked number 14 of the 20 projects this guide covers. But resale is only half the story, and for many...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 15 of 21

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

You are standing in a kitchen that has seen better days, and you are wondering the same thing most Bay Area homeowners wonder. If you spend real money on a full kitchen remodel, will the house sell for enough more to cover it?

The short answer is no, not on average. A midrange major kitchen remodel ranked number 15 out of the 20 projects this guide covers. Homeowners got back only part of what they spent. That does not make it a bad project. It just means the remodel should be for...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 16 of 21

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

Your roofer just quoted you a metal roof, and the number made you blink. Now you are asking the same thing most Bay Area homeowners ask: if I spend that much, will I see the money again when I sell?

The short answer is mostly no. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a standing seam metal roof ranked number 16 of the 20 projects this guide covers. It brought back about 56 cents for every dollar spent. This post walks through the numbers so you can decide with clear eyes.

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 17 of 21

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

You have seen the pictures: a deep soaking tub, warm tile underfoot, a stone counter with two sinks. If your bathroom feels cramped and dated, a full upscale remodel is tempting. But before you spend serious money, you probably want to know one thing. When you sell your home, how much of that money comes back to you?

The short answer: not much of it. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, an upscale bathroom remodel ranked number 17 out of the 20 projects this guide covers for...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 18 of 21

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

A bigger bedroom. A walk in closet. A tub you can actually soak in. If your home feels tight, a primary suite addition sounds like the fix. But before you call a contractor, it is fair to ask what that new space will be worth on the day you sell.

Here is the short answer. A primary suite addition is one of the weakest projects for payback. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, it ranked number 18 of the 20 projects this guide covers. You may love the new space, but do not...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 19 of 21

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

You have seen this kitchen in magazines. The stone island, the pro style range, the cabinets built just for the space. If you are dreaming about building it in your own home, one question probably keeps coming up: when you sell, does that money come back?

The short answer: on average, most of it does not. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, the upscale major kitchen remodel ranked number 19 of the 20 projects this guide covers. Only one project in this guide returned a...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 20 of 21

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

Thinking about adding a bathroom before you sell? It feels like a sure winner. More bathrooms, more buyers, a higher price. That is the hope. The numbers tell a different story, and if you own a home in Fremont, Newark or Union City, you should see them before you call a contractor.

Here is the short answer. Out of the 20 projects this guide covers, a bathroom addition ranked number 20. Dead last. On average, only part of the cost shows up again in the sale price. That does not...