What Adds Value to Your Home (and What Doesn't)

A luxury kitchen remodel returns just 36%, but a new garage door returns 268%. We break down where your renovation dollars actually pay off before you sell.

It's summer, which usually means a little more time and a lot more daylight, and right now that's bringing one question across our desks again and again: what should I do to upgrade my home? 

We're hearing it constantly, so we want to walk through the best things you can do to get a return, and the worst things you can do, before you start pulling things out of the yard or repainting a single wall. 

I'm Tiffany Fykes with FYKES Realty Group, and here's our take.

Start with what NOT to do. Our number one piece of advice is actually about what doesn't add value, because the expensive mistakes are the ones that hurt most. 

According to the latest Cost vs. Value report, a luxury kitchen remodel returns only about 36% of what you put into it. Spend a dollar, get roughly 36 cents back. A major kitchen renovation is wonderful if you're doing it for yourself, but it won't return dollar for dollar at the closing table, and the same goes for major landscaping projects, those are for the love of living there, not for resale. 

The other mistake is starting a project and not finishing it. It sounds obvious, but I can't tell you how many times I've had to go back and finish something I'd left undone for years once it was time to sell.

Focus your money on first impressions. Here's where it gets interesting, because the highest-returning project on the report surprised even me: the garage door. A new garage door returns about 268%, meaning roughly $2.68 back for every dollar you spend. A new steel entry door, the kind that looks and feels secure, returns about 216%. 

And manufactured stone veneer, a cost-effective, polished exterior accent for your columns or foundation wall, returns about 208%. Notice the theme: nearly all of it is visible from the street. Buyers decide whether they want to see your home from the photos and the drive-by, so the dollars you put into curb appeal are the dollars that work hardest.

“The biggest return on the whole report wasn't a kitchen or a bath. It was the garage door, at 268%.”

If you touch the kitchen, keep it minor. The big remodel returns about 36%, but small, well-placed kitchen upgrades, new countertops, and resurfaced or refreshed cabinets return about 116% of what you spend and help your home sell faster. Buyers right now want spaces that feel fresh, updated, and move-in ready, so a smart minor refresh does double duty: it returns more than it costs, and it shortens your time on the market.

Who you hire protects the whole investment. Our third piece of advice is about getting the most out of the work you do: don't scrimp by picking the cheapest contractor. Who you hire matters, what the work looks like matters, and how quickly it gets done matters, both to your result and to your experience. 

Find people you can trust, check the Better Business Bureau, or call us, because we keep a list of contractors we work with. A solid contractor stays on budget, stays on time, and takes ownership when something goes sideways, because something always does. Get at least two or three written quotes, ask to see photos of past work, and ask for their last three clients so you can call and hear what working with them was actually like. The work might look great while the experience is anything but, and you deserve both.

If you're planning to sell next spring, now is the time to start getting your home ready. The goal is to invest in improvements that genuinely add value, not the flashy, expensive ones. Every market is different, and what buyers want shifts year to year, so it pays to get sound advice from people who know your market. 

Call or text us at (615) 315-9223, email our team at homes@fykesgroup.com, or visit fykesrealtygroup.com to set up a free, low-key strategy call. We'd love to talk through what makes the most sense for your specific home.