Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 7 | Page 11

Some Home Improvements that
Pay Off and Some that Don't
By Suzanne De Vita

Favorable economic conditions have long
triggered investment in home improvements—
more money, more upgrades—and progress on
the housing front is set to spur the next wave
of homeowner spending on both necessary and
discretionary projects.
How should homeowners invest their remodeling dollars this year? By and large,
homeowners can expect to reap the highest
returns on projects that cost relatively less,
according to REMODELING magazine’s 2016
Cost vs. Value Report.
On a national scale, the top five projects with
the greatest return on investment (ROI) in the
report’s “midrange” cost category are:

1A
 ttic Insulation (Fiberglass)
(116.9% ROI)
Average Cost: $1,268
Average Resale Value: $1,482

2M
 anufactured Stone Veneer
(92.9% ROI)
Average Cost: $7,519
Average Resale Value: $6,988 

On a national scale, the top five projects with
the greatest ROI in the report’s “upscale” cost
category are:

1G
 arage Door Replacement
(90.1% ROI)
Average Cost: $3,140
Average Resale Value: $2,830

2 Siding Replacement (Fiber-Cement)
(78.1% ROI)
Average Cost: $14,520
Average Resale Value: $11,342

3 Window Replacement (Vinyl)
(73.3% ROI)

4 Window Replacement (Wood)
(72.1% ROI)
Average Cost: $18,087
Average Resale Value: $13,050

5G
 rand Entrance (Fiberglass)
(69.6% ROI)
Average C