Remodeling Magazine is once again answering the age-old question about  which kinds of remodeling yield the highest returns.  In its exhaustive “2007 Cost vs Value annual report released at the end of last year, they offered city-by-city research on what 29 different home projects will pay back at resale. 

I did a recap on a Cost vs Value reports in 2005, right after I started writing The Buzz. In many ways, the same kinds of projects are yielding the same kinds of returns.  Here’s how you can get the most ‘bang-for-your-buck’ on San Francisco home remodeling costs (please keep in mind that the magazine has fairly exact specs for each project):

Add a Deck:  a $13,500 investment in a big wooden deck (16X20 feet) with railings and a built-in planter and bench will yield a 130% return. Skip the TREK or composite materials if you have an eye towards resale. It becomes more expensive ($17,000) and only yields a 116% return.

Attic bedroom remodel:  This is an expensive investment ($61,500), but can yield a 121% return. It’s also pretty involved, with a bedroom, a bathroom, and four new dormered windows. The magazine assumes that your house comes with a stairway to your attic (as opposed to that funny ladder in your laundry room or trap door in the hall) . They also assume that your neighbors won’t pitch a fit when you want to alter your roof line with the dormers.

Bathroom remodel:  You get a 117% return on your $20,000 investment in a new porcelain tub with tile surround, new standard white toilet, new vanity top with integral sink, new recessed medicine cabinet with light and a retiled floor and vinyl wallpaper (italics mine– I actually love wallpaper but rarely see it in San Francisco). New base cabinetry is not mentioned, but I bet it’s included in the cost.

Easier projects that yield nice returns are: 

Wood window replacement: replace 10 double hung 3X5-foot windows for $14K and you’ll get 112% percent on your investment.

Cosmetic kitchen remodel: I actually love this one because it can have such a huge impact for so little effort. Reface your cabinetry with raised wood panel doors, add new hardware, new appliances, new sink and faucet, new flooring and new paint or wallpaper and you’ll grab a 113.6% on your $24,000 investment.

If you would like me to send you a complete copy of the San Francisco report in PDF form, please email me and I’ll send one out to you.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 3rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Home Design, Selling Strategies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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