Best ROI Home Improvements for Your Home

Are you planning to sell your home soon? Even if you hope to stay put for another year or two, it never hurts to consider making home improvements to the value of your home now. Updating your home to keep its aesthetic fresh and appealing will enhance your home’s comfort level now while positioning you for better returns on a sale.

Arizona has experienced 13.6% population growth over the past decade, demonstrating the ongoing appeal of living in a Sun Belt state packed with urban amenities and natural beauty. With a savvy approach to updates, you can be ready to command top dollar for your home in this in-demand state. Keep reading to find out how to get the best return on investment for home improvement projects.

While major bathroom overhauls can cost upwards of $21,000, smaller changes can elicit a positive response, too. Keeping your bathroom’s layout as-is can cut down on costs so you can focus on cosmetic updates.

If your bathroom is swimming in beige and faux wood paneling, add some color. Repaint walls to brighten bathrooms without windows and inject a dose of contrast against floor tiles and vanities. Upgrade bathroom hardware, including faucets, showerheads, and cabinet knobs, to brushed nickel or glossy brass. Paint vanity cabinets, install a new mirror over the vanity, and add decorative touches, like woven baskets for towels and toiletries.

You can enhance your home by enhancing the landscaping that surrounds it. If your home lacks vegetation, it can look dull and lifeless. Even in the Arizona heat, creating a visually interesting and lush environment is possible. Turn to groundcovers like Lantana, tufted evening primrose, or trailing dalea. These options can tolerate intense temperatures and add texture and color to a front yard. Add a few desert-friendly plants like prickly pear cacti and mesquite trees or creosote and hop bush shrubs to create even more visual interest.

An updated kitchen always will be a showstopper for potential buyers. And while large-scale remodels can come with a price tag that exceeds $100,000, minor remodels can achieve great success with less sticker shock. Rather than tearing out everything, for example, retain your cabinet box if it is in good condition and simply replace or refinish the cabinet doors. With some new cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, you can introduce a more contemporary style into your kitchen layout.

Other options include swapping outdated laminate for quartz countertops in a fresh white finish or adding a new apron sink. Replace aging appliances with smart appliances in matte black or stainless steel, or upgrade to an induction cooktop with a powerful new exhaust fan above it. Do not overlook lighting, either. An elegant black pendant light above your sink and new recessed lighting to brighten the entire room can transform your space.

A deck or patio can extend your home’s living space to the great outdoors. Even a simple concrete patio can serve as a platform for an inviting backyard oasis that will only help your home’s appeal. With an area rug, table and chairs, and a few plantings, you will establish a space that takes advantage of Arizona’s ample sunshine and warm breezes. A teak or composite deck is another option when designing a backyard space. Build one around a pool or outdoor kitchen for a complete entertainment zone to impress potential buyers.

Problematic windows showing their age will not help you sell your home. Rotted frames, broken seals, ripped screens, signs of leaking water, and sticky frames are among the common issues indicating it’s time for an upgrade. Moreover, many older windows lack double-paned glass with enhancements that prevent UV rays from damaging furniture or contributing to higher energy bills. When you can tell a prospective buyer that your home features new windows, you are identifying a major selling point.

New windows will have tighter seals to block outside noise and high-quality glazing for UV protection. Double-hung windows are a reliably classic choice to suit most home exteriors, while casement and awning windows are excellent choices to promote indoor airflow. And although picture windows cannot be opened, their uninterrupted glass panes make them the best way to highlight a picturesque view.

The right home improvements can increase your home’s value and give you a competitive edge when it is time to sell. For buyers who want turn-key properties, tasteful updates may seal the deal. However, it's best to be selective rather than pour your money into random updates. Working with a local real estate agent can help ensure that your dollars will yield a positive return and meet the expectations of Arizona buyers.

M.O.R.E. Homes has the Arizona real estate expertise to help you begin your journey toward buying or selling. Even if you are not quite ready to sell, taking steps to enhance your home’s interior spaces and facade can pay off later. REALTOR® Michael Osborn brings deep market knowledge plus a background in construction that will help you identify practical updates so your home can look its best. Contact Michael when you have questions prior to updating your home.