Small Upgrades = Big Return
RISMEDIA, July 28 -- Nearly 2 million North American home owners are trying to sell their homes this month, but many don’t realize they won’t recoup money spent recently on big-ticket improvements.
HomeGain surveyed real estate agents nationwide and learned that moderately priced home improvements, ranging from $80 to $2,800, made in preparation for sale actually yield the highest returns when a house is sold.
Based on responses from 2,000 agents throughout the United States, HomeGain developed a Prepare To Sell study with cost and expected benefit information for lower-priced improvements. The survey was done a few years ago and in the U.S. but these figures are general and relative, so they can still be helpful. They are:
| Improvement | Typical cost | Incr. in sale price | Avg. return | Agents who recommend |
| Lighten and brighten | $86-$110 | $768-$935 | 769% | 84% |
| Clean & de-clutter | $305-$339 | $2,093-$2,378 | 594% | 91% |
| Fix plumbing, electrical | $338-$381 | $922-$1,208 | 196% | 63% |
| Landscape & trim | $432-$506 | $1,594-$1,839 | 266% | 72% |
| Staging | $812-$1,089 | $2,275-$2,841 | 169% | 76% |
| Paint interior walls | $1,453-$1,588 | $2,342-$2,600 | 63% | 69% |
| Kitchen, bath upgrades | $1,546-$2,120 | $3,823-$4,885 | 138% | 83% |
| Repair flooring | $1,531-$1,714 | $2,267-$2,589 | 50% | 62% |
| Paint exterior walls | $2,188-$2,381 | $2,907-$3,233 | 34% | 57% |
| Replace carpeting | $2,602-$2,765 | $3,585-$3,900 | 39% | 65% |