Harv Balu's blog

Home Improvement Payback Guide, the full picture

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

You are getting a home ready to sell, or just tired of the kitchen, and the same question comes up every time. If I put money into this house, how much of it comes back when I sell?

There is a real answer. A national remodeling study called the Cost vs. Value Report tracks common projects across the country, what each one costs and what it adds at resale. A real estate training course was built on its 2021 national numbers, and this series walks through all 20 projects it...

Home Improvement Payback Guide, part 1 of 21

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

You are thinking about selling, and the garage door is the biggest single thing on the front of your house. It shows up in every listing photo. So the question is fair: should you replace it before you list, or leave it alone?

Here is the short answer. In the 2021 national Cost vs. Value study, a new garage door ranked number 1 of the 20 projects this guide covers. On average, sellers got back about 94 cents for every dollar they spent. That is an average from a study, not a quote...