4 DIY Projects To Boost the Value of Your Home

If you’re looking to sell your house, there’s no better time than summer. According to Bankrate.com, the median sales price for homes peaks in July, and the housing market’s highest-earning months are May and June.

That means now is the time to tackle those DIY home projects to increase your home’s resale value. So don’t consider these to-do list items as chores; instead, view them as investments whose return may pay for itself (and then some). 

How Much Do Renovations Increase Home Value?

It isn’t easy to pinpoint an exact dollar figure increase for any home renovation. Regional differences play a considerable factor: an HVAC conversion may add more value to your home if you live in Phoenix than in Omaha.

If your goal is to maximize the return on your DIY renovation investment, you should look at average numbers taken both nationally and regionally. That will help you determine how much of the cost of your project you should be able to recoup when selling your house.

Looking at our HVAC example, in 2023, the national average for the cost of a conversation was around $17,700. The national average for how much that raised the resale value of that home was around $18,500 — so you’d end up making enough money to cover the costs of the initial conversion. 

But if you lived in the west-north-central region, you’d likely recoup only around 93.7%. While that’s still a high percentage, it wouldn’t quite cover the entire cost of the HVAC conversion.

What Renovations Increase Home Value the Most?

The renovations that add the most value to homes tend to offer improvements to what’s already in the house. Additions, such as new bathrooms, bedrooms, or decks, tend not to recoup as much of the initial financial investment.

So, that’s why our list of home projects to raise home values is focused on DIY tasks. These projects tend to have a lower upfront cost, which makes it much easier to get a return that pays off that initial investment.

We’ll dive into specifics later, but even when you consider something as essential to a home as its kitchen, minor upgrades are more likely to recover most of its initial costs when compared to major remodels. So, when picking a DIY renovation project to increase the value of your home, don’t think big; think smart. 

1. Add Hardwood Floors (and Keep Them Looking Beautiful)

It seems like everyone loves hardwood floors — including potential home buyers. As we wrote a couple of years ago, installing hardwood floors can raise the price of your home by 2 to 3%.

Breaking the numbers down even further, the National Association of Realtors projected that merely refinishing hardwood floors returned 147% of the initial costs after selling the home. New wood flooring, on the other hand, offered a still robust return of 118%.

So, if you’re focused on raising the value of your home, the first place you should look are your floors. 

When installing new wood floors, you have a wide range of options at your disposal.

Trendy choices like Brazillian cherry or ebony can give your home an exotic yet still natural look. If your home is large enough to raise a family, durable woods like bamboo and cherry may entice home buyers with their own kiddos.

You may be tempted to go with engineered hardwood here. In most cases, that’s a perfectly reasonable option, especially if you’re working on a budget or installing in a place with high humidity.

However, even though solid hardwood flooring is more expensive, you will likely recover the installation cost (and more) when you sell your home. Since hardwood flooring can also last up to 100 years with proper care, that means both you and the person purchasing your home will receive a hearty band for their buck.

Now, if your current hardwood floors are separating, cupping, fading, losing their luster, or defaced with scratches, you should refinish them before putting your house on the market. As we mentioned at the beginning of this section, refinishing your hardwood floors is one of the best home renovations that add the most value to your home.

If you’re not prepared to go the DIY route, expect to pay between $1,000 and $2,500 for professional refinishing. However, your home’s value should rise even more.

2. Upgrade Your Lighting Fixtures

Sometimes, lighting makes all the difference. What may seem like a dreary room may feel vibrant with only the help of a new light fixture.

In many cases, lighting is the key ingredient for setting the right ambiance in your home. That means you can help make your living spaces feel more welcoming by upgrading your home’s lighting fixtures. 

If it’s too harsh and clinical, it may make your guests (or potential buyers) feel uncomfortable. Swing too hard the other way, though, and a beautiful bathroom can instead feel gross and icky.

Bathrooms, in particular, can be a spot where lighting gets a little tricky. Most bathrooms require two sources of light: one overhead fixture to light up the room and another more practical light source for applying makeup or checking if that pesky whitehead still clings to your nose.

There are a lot of fun, creative, and simple solutions to lighting problems throughout your home while also boosting its resale value. Ecologically-minded fixtures, such as those made from bamboo or recycled glass, can benefit the environment and, ultimately, your pocketbook.

You can also give your home a one-of-its-kind aesthetic by visiting antique shops, boutiques, and estate sales for fixtures. While you don’t want the lighting situation to become garish, a unique, well-placed element can add charm and personality to an otherwise staid interior.

3. Update Your Kitchen

It’s a question that many realtors have to answer: how much does a kitchen renovation increase home value? As we mentioned in a previous section, the answer will depend on how much (or how little) you end up upgrading.

Per the numbers, a complete kitchen overhaul will increase your home’s value, but likely not so much that you’ll receive most of your initial investment back. A more minor or mild upgrade, though, may return pretty close to the cost of the upgrade when selling your home.

So, let’s talk about what types of DIY kitchen upgrades will boost the value of your home the most.

We can start with something simple. A fresh coat of paint can go a long way to making a well-used kitchen seem new again. 

Along those same lines, a new backsplash can leave a kitchen looking reinvigorated. It can also add another eye-catching design element that entices potential home buyers.

Additionally, refreshing your appliances, especially if they’re on their last legs, can help transform a dated kitchen into a modern one while adding functionality. Replacing your sink fixtures may help along both lines, too.

But if your goal is to improve your home’s value without straying too far from your kitchen’s current vibe, we recommend refacing your cabinetry. Refacing your kitchen cabinets is a straightforward DIY task but one that can leave your kitchen feeling entirely new.

Refacing your cabinets only requires updating the exterior. Because the interior remains the same, you can save time and money while ensuring day-to-day kitchen use stays the same.

You have plenty of options and materials to choose from here. Bronze drawer and cabinet handles help make a kitchen feel warm, while smooth stone knobs are ideal for a coastal, natural look.

4. Clean Your Home’s Exterior

The phrase “curb appeal” exists for a reason. The first impression your home gives off will likely guide the overall opinions of a potential home buyer.

That means if you’re looking for a quick, easy DIY renovation project to increase the value of your home, consider your home’s exterior.

So, if your home’s siding is old, warped, or damaged, you should replace it before putting your home on the market. Replacing your siding, though expensive, is another practical renovation that will raise your home’s resale value.

That said, even if your siding is in nominally good condition, ugly green or black stains may mar its surface. That can be a huge turn-off to potential home buyers, even before they take their first step inside.

If you’re looking to maximize your home value, removing exterior stains may offer the most value. That’s because you can remove organic stains in only a few minutes of work with Wet & Forget.

A single bottle costs around $38, and you’ll only need a few minutes of work to spray your entire house. The Xtreme Reach™ nozzle can reach distances of up to 30 feet, perfect for second-floor exteriors or roofs.

To use, attach to your hose and apply to your home’s exterior surfaces on a mild, dry day. The spray will work over time with the wind and rain to gently clean up moss, mold, mildew and algae stains.

A single application is often enough to keep your home’s exterior stain-free for up to a year. And it’s safe to use on almost any outdoor surface, including sidings, roofs, driveways, walking paths, and patios or porches.

While a clean house exterior won’t save your home’s value if the interior is a mess, creating an inviting first impression can help set the stage for a potential home buyer. 

DIY Home Renovation Projects to Boost Your Home’s Value

We’re about to enter the busy months of home buying. So, make sure you’re prepared with our list of DIY home projects that will help raise your home’s resale value!