Top Remodeling Tips to Help Sell Your Home-from NAR by Kevin Aizenshtat

Pay attention to the exterior of your home. Exterior work on a property, from new siding to replacing windows, dominate the list of projects that offer the biggest bang for your buck. Buyers usually assume if the exterior of a house hasn't been maintained then the interior hasn't been either.

Add NEW SQUARE FOOTAGE. Any new addition to your exisiting home will add value to your sales price.

Remodel older bathrooms. Remodeling Magazine’s quoted cost includes updating an existing 5-by-7-foot bathroom and replacing all fixtures, including installing a porcelain-on-steel tub with ceramic tile around it, new shower, standard toilet and new tile floor. This type of investment usually returns 74% of your investment.

For our northern clients go ahead and finish your basements. Finished basements or built out areas that are non-permittable may not add value in the eyes of an appraiser but it will in the eyes of a buyer.

New windows look sharper, insulate a home better, save on energy and, for buyers, avoid the cost and hassle of doing upgrades.

The kitchen is always a good place to invest money, because it’s the heart of the home. As Remodeling Magazine defines it, a minor kitchen remodel consists of replacing cabinet fronts with raised-panel wood doors and drawers, along with new hardware; replacing wall oven and cooktop with energy-efficient models; replacing laminate countertops; installing a mid-priced sink and faucet; and repainting and replacing flooring.

Replacing your garage door is another way to improve the exterior of your home. But while it’s typically inexpensive, an upgrade isn’t necessary unless your garage door is old, beat-up or a particularly visible part of your home. A more upscale version would cost $2,791 and offers an 83 percent ROI.

Converting an attic to a bedroom, especially when you can also add a bathroom, adds value in the same way as a two-story addition. While it will not add to the square footage of the overall home, it does add another bedroom. That puts a home in another category, allowing sellers to charge more.

While fiber cement siding is typically tougher and more fire-resistant than vinyl siding, it is significantly more expensive. Other siding replacement projects also came in strong. Vinyl siding replacement costs about $9,978 and has a 78.7 percent ROI; foam-backed vinyl siding replacement costs $14,236 and has a 78.1 percent ROI.

Outdoor spaces are becoming more popular, buyer interest is again piqued by a quality wood deck out back. Wooden decks with planters, railings, stairs and built-in benches fetch a whopping 90% return when selling your home.