Exterior Home Improvement Projects Continue To Offer the Best Returns On Investment For Homeowners…
Remodeling Magazines “2011 – 2012 Remodeling Cost versus Value Report” rates exterior home improvements, as the most valuable home investment projects homeowners can make to retain and increase the value of their homes. This report compares construction costs with resale values for 35 midrange and upscale remodeling projects including room additions, complete home remodels and home replacements in 80 markets across the nation.
Inexpensive exterior home replacement projects are crucial to a home’s upkeep and a homeowner can expect to recoup close to 70 percent of their costs. Exterior home improvement projects such as siding, window and door replacements are the most common exterior home maintenance projects.
Two additional siding replacement projects were at the top 10 of this list. The first siding replacement included foam backed vinyl siding, which is expected to return 69.6 percent of its costs. The second siding replacement is upscale vinyl siding, which is expected to recoup 69.5 percent of its costs. Three door replacements were also among the top exterior replacement projects. The steel entry door replacement is the least expensive project in the report, costing little more than $1,200 on average and expected to recoup 73 percent of its costs.
The upscale garage door replacement jumped seven spots to number six this year, primarily due to the average cost of the project declining more than 15 percent nationally. The upscale and midrange garage door replacement projects are expected to return more than 71 percent of their costs. One window replacement project, the installation of upscale vinyl windows, rounded out the last exterior replacement project in the top 10, which is expected to recoup 69.1 percent of its costs.