8 Home Renovations Where You'll See the Biggest Return on Investment, According to Pros

Home renovations require more than just a healthy budget and the right team of pros in your back pocket. There’s also a fair amount of strategy involved, especially if you’re renovating to sell, whether that’s five months or five years down the road.

A home renovation that benefits you both short and long term requires striking a balance between what you love, what suits your lifestyle, and what can pay off in dividends down the road. An impending “For Sale” date can make the stakes feel even higher, causing many homeowners to default to the “safest,” most low-risk design options possible. Do that, though, and you may be short-changing your own bottom line when it comes time to list.

“The most impactful upgrades create emotional resonance and instant appeal, especially for discerning buyers who expect a home to feel curated from the moment they walk in,” says interior designer Cheryl Eisen, founder of Interior Marketing Group (which specializes in luxury staging and interior design) and design firm Eisen Design House. “Buyers aren’t just purchasing square footage; they’re buying a feeling. More than ever, they want homes that feel turnkey, tactile, and transportive.”

In fact, a recent Zillow survey shows that remodeled homes sell for an average of 3.7 percent above listing, with features like soapstone countertops, white oak floors, and Venetian plaster walls drawing the big bucks from buyers. And that’s just a start; the real magic comes from dialing into what sways buyers in your specific area and catering your renovation decisions to that, while also cultivating a sense of personality in your home.

“I always tell my sellers that I'll only ask them to spend a dollar if it's going to make them five dollars in return,” says Annabel Taylor, an associate broker with Sotheby’s International Realty working out of the Hudson Valley, Berkshires, and Litchfield County. “You pick the projects with the highest ROI, like painting the house if it's an unappealing color or renovating the master bath that hasn't been touched since 1987.”

Wish you had a few ground-level experts who could help steer your upgrades? Well, we can help. Below, we tapped several high-end real estate agents, home stagers, and experts to determine which renovation upgrades, big and small, will move the needle most when it comes to home value.

Spruce Up Your Foundational Elements

An updated kitchen or luxe primary bathroom is great, but buyers will look right past those enviable features if you don’t first shore up the foundational aspects of your home, like the floors and walls. “We always say: ‘Paint solves everything,’” says Lori Levine Harris of Brock & Lori Harris Real Estate Team and Keller Williams Los Feliz. “A coat of paint absolutely returns in a future sale, so repainting the exterior of your home, coating your powder room in a moody color (we’re loving a mocha plaster or burgundy right now), or refinishing your cabinets can transform a space.”

Likewise, making sure your flooring is in good shape should also be a top priority, especially if you have dingy carpet that’s seen better days or wood flooring that is warped or water-stained. “It’s always a good idea to refinish wood flooring throughout to unify the home,” suggests Eisen. “If your flooring feels especially dated, consider replacing it in key areas like the kitchen, entry, and primary suite.” According to data provided by Zillow, an upgrade like white oak floors can secure you a sale price that’s as much as 3.2 percent above list price.

Install Soapstone Countertops

Replacing the countertops in your kitchen is no easy feat, but it’s a swap that can pay out in dividends when it comes to selling your home. “When renovating a home before putting it on the market, we might replace countertops with a natural stone like marble or soapstone,” says Taylor. “It can be a pretty expensive job, but doing so can elevate a kitchen or bath to the next level.”

Investing in natural stone is always a good choice, and studies show that soapstone in particular has serious sway with prospective buyers. “While it may come with a slightly higher price tag, this natural, nonporous stone can help a home sell for 3 percent more than expected,” says Zillow trend expert Amanda Pendleton. “This is compared with a 1.7 percent price premium for quartz and 0.5 percent for marble countertops.”

Upgrade Your Appliances

Not looking to undergo a full-blown kitchen renovation? Consider upgrading a few key appliances in your cook space to give it a fresh appeal. “Buyers are always excited by new appliances and kitchens that appear to be fully updated,” says Jason Saft, founder of Staged To Sell Home. “If you don’t want to spend on a full renovation, I suggest buying the absolute best appliance package you can—remember, you will make a return on great products.”

Taylor agrees, noting that big-name luxury appliances, like Lacanche, La Cornue, and AGA, tend to leave potential buyers seeing stars. “If you're considering updating your kitchen for the sale of the home, certain stove brands can take it to the next level aesthetically,” she adds. “While it might not make sense to invest in a $10,000 Lecanche range as you're selling your house, you might consider the gas version of the AGA. It's an iconic brand that you see a lot of in English country houses, and the $6,000 investment can really make a kitchen go viral.” Bonus: Zillow reports that new appliances can score you up to 2.7 percent more on your home.

Paint Your Front Door

When it comes to renovating—and selling—your home, first impressions are everything. If you’re looking for an easy spot to upgrade, the front entrance is a prime opportunity. “The entry sets the tone for the entire experience of touring your home,” says Saft. “Make sure your front door is painted in a welcoming color, like robin’s egg blue, buttery yellow, or a complex and sophisticated neutral, like Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone.” Want to really wow them? Saft recommends a high-gloss red to turn every head on the block (and at the open house).

Incorporate a “Lifestyle” Room

These days, sophisticated buyers aren’t just looking for a beautiful home; they want to see that they can have a beautiful life there, too. “Lifestyle rooms, like moody media lounges and cocktail dens, add emotional value,” explains Eisen. “These moments of personality and indulgence help buyers imagine entertaining, unwinding, or retreating in a space that feels entirely theirs.” Eisen recommends giving purpose to any flex room in your home (like an extra spare bedroom) by transforming it into a wellness lounge, meditation room, or reading retreat. “Today’s buyers crave spaces to unplug and recharge,” she adds.

Prioritize Layered Lighting

Lighting is one of the most transformative design tools at your disposal, and getting it right can make the difference between a home that falls flat and one that garners multiple offers. The best part? Updating your lighting is typically a small swap, and the most you’ll need to do may be adding a few new wires with an electrician.

The trick comes down to layering your lighting options and working in a few standout fixtures. “It’s not just about illumination; it’s about creating warmth, drama, and a tailored sense of sophistication in every room,” says Eisen. “I like to layer lighting throughout a home; think ceiling fixtures, sculptural sconces, elegant table lamps, even discreet, battery-powered picture lights. This is also your chance to have a little fun and flex your creative muscle. In one Manhattan penthouse, we installed a 180-pound chandelier suspended from a 25-foot ceiling. It was a logistical puzzle, but the payoff was a double-height statement moment that set the tone for the entire home. When done right, lighting doesn’t just accent the architecture, it becomes it.”

Landscape Like a Luxury Resort

According to Zillow, functional outdoor spaces continue to help homes sell for more. Enviable features, like an outdoor shower, can help your home sell for 2.8 percent more, while outdoor kitchens and bluestone patios can both help boost resale value by 2.2 percent. In fact, outdoor upgrades accounted for over 53 percent of all home renovations last year, according to Houzz’s Houzz and Home Study, demonstrating very clearly the importance—and impact—of an alfresco upgrade.

“Invest in layered, architectural landscaping with mature plantings and modern hardscaping,” recommends Eisen, who also suggests repaving the driveway or refreshing pathways for a “clean, finished look.”

Fresh plants and tailored gardens can also move the needle with prospective buyers, many of whom want an outdoor space they can step right into enjoying. “Landscaping makes such a difference in home sales, and it’s important to get started on it even a few years before selling, as plants and trees need time to mature and grow,” says Harris. “We often find that great landscape design can improve a sales price to the tune of six figures.”

Finish With Thoughtful Styling

You’ve put in the hard work (and money) with a renovation, but now it’s time to truly make it sing. One of the most overlooked and undervalued parts of listing a home, even one that’s newly renovated, is investing in luxury styling. Sure, it may be tough to stomach spending money to rent furniture when you have a “perfectly good” couch already in your living room, but the right furnishings can earn you double or even triple your investment.

“Bring in an expert stylist to prep for photographs and be on site for the photography session itself. They'll bring small items like side tables, art, and pillows, but also work with what you have to make your property as appealing as possible to your target demographic,” says Taylor. “It can take a house from 'good' to 'great' in a matter of hours and will affect both your sale price and the number of days your home spends on the market.”