There are lots of sources available via Google suggesting what the return on your investment likely will be for various projects . That said, some things may not return 100% of cost to accomplish, but may sell your home faster.

Have you asked your realtor? They should have a good insight into the local market.

Thank you both! I'm new to this so will check Google. We don't have a realtor yet and probably won't get one for awhile, but know we need to get moving on this!

Who knows what the market will be like in a year or two. Taking that into consideration, you may not get a return on your complete remodel of kitchen/bathroom. I wouldn't do too much to it as the new owners may have their own ideas and tastes regarding the kitchen and bath. Spruce it up some, declutter. I wouldn't even think of putting on an addition.

We are putting a rental home on the market very soon and our realtor said not to bother doing anything to the property. Most likely it will be a flip job. I'm hesitantly taking her advice, trying not to go in and "fix" things.

Start by fixing what is broken, follow by decluttering and cleaning. Last to consider are aesthetics. Even if you are not ready to list, local real estate agents will probably be happy to give you advice. You may not always want to follow every bit of it. Follow local listings on zillow....you can not only see what's for sale in your area at what price, you can find out how much homes actually sold for. Compare them to yours...lots of homes sell well with no updates, just clean and in good shape. If your landscaping is in really bad shape, that maybe a good place to start, because it can take a couple of seasons to fix up a lawn or give shrubs time to recover from a severe pruning.

If you expect to move so soon, I wouldn't waste money on an addition.

I also wouldn't waste money on what you THINK would matter. Start interviewing to choose which realtor you'll be using and then follow their advice. Most remodeling and additions rarely pay off in increased sales value anyway. If what you're envisioning wouldn't be for your at least medium-term use and enjoyment, I wouldn't bother.

Fix anything that's broken and clean, clean, clean and then clean some more. While you're cleaning, get rid of extra "stuff", you don't want to list a house that's full of clutter. That's it. You DO NOT need to remodel in order to sell your house. This mentality boggles my mind. As long as the house is priced appropriately, taking the need for updates into account, it will sell.

I disagree with the advice to see what a realtor has to say about remodeling. Realtors can pull comps and advise what to list the house for, but remember their end game is to sell the house quickly for as much money as possible. They don't care if you take a net loss on your remodel if it yields them more money in commission, so they're not the ones to ask.

Thank you all. The comments are a real eye opener for me. We live where houses sell fast and for a decent price, but given that we haven't updated parts the house in over 30 years I figured we needed to keep up with the houses around us to get anywhere near a decent price. Thanks so much. And it's true, who knows if there's a recession coming or what's in the cards.

THIS is your chance to catch a sellers market. Increasing interest rates are already culling the field of buyers. I'd consider renting for a while to catch this bubble. Declutter and clean. Fresh paint is inexpensive. Skip window 'treatments'. Remove excess furniture. De-personalize. Spiff up the front of the house. Buyers want clean spaces and turnkey -- the imaginary no-maintenance house.

Interview Realtors, but also do some 'shopping' on your own to compare your home with what's on the market. Look at the 'sold' figures more than asking prices. (You may be surprised how well your home stacks up against the competition!)

Yes, do remember that any sale profits the Realtor. Getting 'top dollar' doesn't increase the commission by much, and a quick sale enables him or her to move on to the next sale faster, with less work and advertising expense. Get an attorney to review paperwork; it's a small percentage of your expense.

Something I think I mentioned in a different thread - relatives listed a house for sale that had been owned for 60 years and never updated or remodeled, problems fixed with cheap band aids at best (and with band aids on top of other band aids) over the years, visible rot in floors and under several windows. Many more problems to mention and most things as worn out as you'd imagine after so many years of use. A clogged drain on a flat roof caused a roof leak 6 weeks before listing, destroying 1`/2 of the ceiling in a bedroom. No one remembers when the last roof work (besides patching leaks) was done.

The realtor said - leave it as is, spend no money, don't fix the roof leak or the ceiling. Disclose everything known. The house was completely emptied, the realtor paid to stage two front rooms, and it sold in 2 days for nearly 15% more than a very optimistic listing price, with no contingencies, no inspections, no nothing other than an agreed price and a quick close.

That's why I suggested speaking with a realtor and be hesitant to spend any money thinking it will help to sell a house in a hot market area.

Elmer that is a crazy story! Was this recently?

Yes. The 3 week escrow closes in a bit more than a week, Tuesday or Wednesday of the first week of May. I won't disclose the sales price but it's 7 figures and not just barely so.

The buyer asked and was granted permission for a building contractor he's hired to visit the place. There was no risk in allowing it, he's in a binding contract with no contingencies and he can't back out. I suspect they're weighing the two obvious alternatives, knocking it down or taking it down to the foundation and starting mostly from scratch. It needs new everything, little or nothing of what exists is suitable to remain.

I agree with your hubby. Since summer is upon us concentrate on the outside first. Don't go overboard though. Trim shrubs, power wash hard surfaces, seed bare spots in the lawn, repaint any peeling paint, etc. Then you can concentrate on the inside during the winter. Locals will likely drive by to see the house and the neighborhood before booking an appointment to view. If it's shabby on the outside they might assume it is shabby on the inside.

92 yr old Relatives just sold their 1962 home. it looked exactly like the day they moved in, draperies and furniture a la 1962. Sold in 1 week. it was spotlessly clean, no clutter and in good repair.

Depend where you are located? How the market is. What comparables to yours and how much they sold for in their condition. Would your home be the only one available for sale? I suggest a realtor asap. You may not need to even touch your house. Some buyers want to put their own touch on a home especially if it's original and the only one in the neighborhood available. They don't care what it looks like.

My parents house, while very well maintained was 45 years old and had all original kitchen and baths and had last been redecorated about 30 years earlier and it sold within a matter of days in a buyers market.

Do you mean to say “sellers’ market“? That’s when inventory for sale is limited and buyers compete with ever higher prices to be able to purchase something.

We have bought and sold several houses over the years. The things that make us wary are the condition of the roof (good move), how the cellar smells, the septic system (who is responsible, the buyer or seller) the circuit board and the condition of the windows ( but that wouldn't be a deal breaker). That's it. What does make an impression is a clean, uncluttered home. If there is hardwood flooring, yeah, and I don't care if refinishing is necessary.

We love older homes, (3 houses ago it was an 1840 half Cape) in good working order. We don't care about the kitchen or bathrooms. Actually, we don't want your new kitchen, or your new bathroom. We want to do those. And, do not paint anything. I don't want S W Accessible Gray or B.M White Dove.

Rambling on...get the big ticket things in decent working order. Tell hubby, no expensive landscaping. We will change it, anyway.