Thinking of Remodeling? These projects have the most return on value!

According to the report, seven of the top 10 most cost-effective projects — nationally, in terms of value recouped — are exterior replacement projects. It deemed fiber-cement siding replacement as the project expected to return the most value, with an estimated 78 percent of costs recouped upon resale.

• Vinyl siding projects were expected to return more than 69 percent of costs.
• Steel entry door replacement was the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,200 on average, and was expected to recoup 73 percent of costs.
• Garage door replacements have seen prices fall more than 15 percent nationally and can be expected to return more than 71 percent of the cost.
• A “midrange attic bedroom” is expected to return 72.5 percent of costs upon resale, in part because it is “the least expensive way to add a bedroom and bathroom within a home’s existing footprint.”
• A minor kitchen remodel (budgeted at roughly $20,000) is expected to recoup 72.1 percent of costs.
• A wood deck addition is expected to make back 70.1 percent of its price tag.
• Among the least cost-returning projects are a sunroom addition and home office remodeling, both estimated to recoup less than 46 percent of what they cost.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/blog/2012-03-07/beware-of-value-killing-home-renovations/