9 DIY Projects to Improve Your Home Value

Your home should be a sanctuary where you rest, spend time with your family, care for yourself, and live your day-to-day life. It's also one of the most significant sources of wealth you'll ever own, maybe even passing it down to future generations. While the aesthetics of your home and its overall cash value (also referred to as equity) don't always intersect, you can enhance them both with home updates and renovations. So, when you're spending money updating your home, you want to ensure your hard work will make your living space more appealing and add value to your home.

To help you determine where to put your hard-earned cash, we've collected this list of the nine best home improvement ideas to increase home value. While you may only make some of your money back on these projects, you should see some returns and improve the overall value when selling your property. Not to mention — they'll improve the time you spend at home! Be aware that the cost to perform these upgrades and the recoup percentage vary greatly depending on the quality of materials and even your location.

Replace Garage Doors

Average material cost: $590 to $1,650 per door

Average labor cost: $150 to $500 per door

Potential recoup percentage: 89% to130%

Few things can mar the curb appeal of a beautiful home more than damaged or worn garage doors. They can be a blight on the entire exterior of your home and seriously drive down its value. Replacing old garage doors is one of the best home improvement ideas to increase home value. Plus, savvy homeowners and homebuyers know that properly fitted garage doors keep cold air out of your home, keep warm air in, and prevent pests from entering your garage.

Paint Indoor Walls

Average material cost: $4.69 per square foot

Average labor cost: $1 to $3 per square foot

Potential recoup percentage: Up to 107%

What adds value to a home faster than a fresh coat of paint? Very little. And because painting the interior of your home is typically a much easier task than painting the exterior, the potential return on your investment is much higher.

The cost of hiring professional painters to do the job may not seem like much. However, many contractors will tack on a minimum project fee just for coming out to your home, so even if you're a casual DIYer, painting your home's interior should be straightforward. You can make it a weekend family activity.

Related: Before you begin painting, consider if it's a good time for ceiling fan improvements.

Replace Siding

Average material cost: $2.25 to $18 per square foot

Average labor cost: $1 to $4 per square foot

Potential recoup percentage: 102%

The large variety of materials you can choose from for siding means this project has a wide range of costs and recoup percentages. Wood is typically the least expensive but has drawbacks like flammability and vulnerability to wet weather. Brick (or brick veneer) can be the costliest material for siding but it's also the most durable. Stone veneer siding has become increasingly popular due to its pleasing aesthetics, durability, energy efficiency, and lower cost than natural stone, and it has the highest recoup percentage of any siding material.

Transform Your Basement

Average material cost: $4 to $14 per square foot

Average labor cost: $2.80 to $9.20 per square foot

Potential recoup percentage: Up to 75%

Even unfinished basements add value to homes as storage spaces and, in some areas, storm shelters. However, finished basements can be used for storage, guest bedrooms, game or craft rooms, home offices, gyms, and more. With all these possibilities, they provide much more equity than unfinished basements. How much value does adding a new bedroom add? It increases your average property value by around 15% and can help accommodate growing families who need more space. If you're wondering how to increase your home value by $50,000, this is one of the top updates to consider.

Install a Kitchen Island

Average material cost: $3,000 to $6,000

Average labor cost: $3,500 to $5,000

Potential recoup percentage: 60% to 72%

Adding more counter and storage space to your kitchen by installing an island is a great way to add value to your home and make your time in the kitchen less hectic. Most kitchen additions or renovations like these have high recoup percentages. You may consider an island addition as part of a bigger kitchen remodel. While it may be tempting to install a marble island or one featuring sinks and additional stovetops, a medium-range island without these features can still increase home value without lowering the return on your investment.

Related: Find out how to perform a garbage disposal upgrade while you complete your kitchen updates.

Replace Bathroom Fixtures

Average material cost: $300 to $20,500 per fixture

Average labor cost: $250 to $1,000 per fixture

Potential recoup percentage: 62% per fixture

What adds value to a home? Updates to bathrooms provide some of the highest returns of anywhere in your home. High-quality bathroom fixtures like faucets, shower heads, bathtubs, toilets, and more can last a long time, so modernizing them is only occasionally at the top of home improvement lists. However, sleek fixtures like new toilets and faucets can increase home values and look particularly attractive when selling your home.

Upgrade Bathroom Flooring/Tiling

Average material cost: $4 to $12.50 per square foot

Average labor cost: $5 to $15 per square foot

Potential recoup percentage: 56% to 100%

While you're not likely to see any added value when you replace worn or damaged flooring, upgrading to stylish tile in your bathroom can significantly increase the value of your home — provided the other flooring in your home is also modern and stylish. If you're wondering how to increase the value of a home through flooring, stick to high-quality tile and avoid laminate flooring. Replacing bathroom flooring is generally better done by a professional, as poorly executed floor renovations can lower your home's value.

A New Coat of Exterior Paint

Average material cost: $500 to $2,000

Average labor cost: $25 to $100 an hour

Potential recoup percentage: 51% to 55%

Remember that there's more to painting the exterior of your home than slapping on a new coat of paint over the old one. Additional costs include power washing, stripping loose paint, sanding, and caulking window trim. And if you find that any of the wood you're planning to repaint has become rotten, that can increase the cost even more. However, like replacing garage doors, the condition of your exterior house paint dramatically affects the curb appeal, and a new coat can increase your property value by 2% to 5%.

Refinish Bathtubs

Average material cost: $335 to $1,600

Average labor cost: $17 to $550

Potential recoup percentage: 47%

When you find cracks or scratches on the surface of your tub, you may mistakenly assume that the whole bathtub needs to be replaced. While paying tons of money for a new, modern tub and its installation can add value to your home, there's no guarantee it will contribute more equity than it costs. However, refinishing the surface of a tub can eliminate unsightly damage for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Related: Learn more about bathroom remodeling.

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The contents of this article are provided for general guidance only. First American Home Warranty does not assume any responsibility for losses or damages as a result of using this information.

Please be aware that if you disassemble a covered system or item, it can invalidate your home warranty or manufacturer's warranty.