For any homeowner, you are trying to find ways to boost the value of your home. In case you need to sell your place one day, you want to leave it better off than you found it. By making improvements to your home, you can increase the property value and potentially get more money than you paid for it initially.
There are a lot of factors that go into that, including housing demand and the economy. But, for the most part, if you make upgrades to your home, you can increase its value and boost your return on investment. There are some tried-and-true ways to enhance your home’s value that have been staples for years. Many of them are exterior projects, including the top option in 2026.
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Replacing your garage door can boost your curb appeal
It can be one of the first things people see
When people come to visit, they might be parking in your driveway or driving up the street and seeing the side of your house where the garage is. It’s a gateway into your home, as many homes have an entryway that leads from the garage into the house.
Having a good-looking garage door is important to the look of your house. According to Zonda’s 38th annual Cost vs. Value report, which looks at common home improvement projects by the return on investment (ROI) value they bring, the number one renovation that you can make the biggest difference for your home is a garage door replacement.
On average, a garage door replacement costs about $4,672. The value of a new garage door when a home is sold averages to about $12,507. That means you’re boosting the amount you’re recouping from the investment by 267.7%.
This doesn’t just include repainting your garage door. You need a more modern and improved garage door to have this return. Replacing garage doors is not something that an amateur should do. This should be done by professionals, as the door needs to be installed properly and calibrated to go with your garage door opener.
If you only had a turnkey garage door, upgrading to a garage door opener would also add value. Even if you are going to leave the garage door open most of the day, consider a door with windows, as that increases curb appeal as well.
Your front or side door can boost your home’s value as well
It really depends on what it’s made of
One of the parts of my home that I want to change is the front door. We haven’t had a chance to do it yet, but there is no window in the door and the foyer is incredibly dark because of it.
While it’s eventually on our list, a steel door replacement is #2 on Zonda’s list. Adding a steel door for your front or side door can not only boost appeal, but also security. Steel doors are harder to break into than wood doors, automatically making the home safer. Even if a wood door has a smart door lock, a steel door is still more secure.
The cost of a steel door replacement averages $2,435 and the ROI is $5,270. You’re recouping 216.4% of your expenses. Steel doors are built to last, as they are more durable than nearly any other kind of door. You can get 40 to 50 years out of your steel doors, meaning you may never need to replace them again.
Another entry on the list is a fiberglass grand entrance. This includes a door with two sidelights, so you’re redoing a larger portion of your front, rather than just the door itself. This adds more accents and flourishes to the entryway. Fiberglass doors are more durable and are lower maintenance than wood doors.
You can expect to spend $11,754 on a fiberglass grand entrance and receive 84.7% of your costs back as the value at sale for it is around $9,959.
Changing a wood door for a fiberglass one, even if it isn’t an entire grand entrance system, will also boost the value of the home.
I’ve added one of the major additions to my home in recent years
It was a must-have for our house
Credit: Chris Hachey / MakeUseOf
While replacing the vinyl siding is something else on our list, a renovation that would recoup 96.5% of our investment on average, we did add a backup power generator to our home. When we moved in, we realized that our home lost power a lot. The number of times was in the double digits in the first year, which was not something we wanted to deal with for years.
While portable power stations might work in some instances, losing heating or air conditioning for long periods of time is not ideal. We would always hear our neighbors’ generators kick on as soon as the power went down. It became apparent that we should invest in a backup generator, one that powered the whole house. Because my wife and I both work from home, it made sense to get one that would keep the Wi-Fi running at any time we needed it.
Since the generator was installed, it has turned on about 10 times, making it seemingly already worth it in the less than two years we’ve had it. It has provided peace of mind for my family and me as well as comfort.
The average cost to install a full home generator is $13,534, which is right around what we paid. The value at sale for a generator is $12.902, which would recoup 95.3% of our investment. I’ll say with confidence that the extra 4.7% is worth it for the mental load being calmed.
Home renovations can boost your property value
If you want to potentially sell your home for more than you paid for it, it’s important to invest in valuable renovations. Addressing the curb appeal of the home is usually top of mind for any potential buyer, so replacing garage and entry doors is what people care about the most. While some people want to make their home the best possible option for them to live in, there is a way to find a balance between improving your home’s standing right now and its future marketability.
