21 Best Home Renovation Projects to Use Your Tax Return On
Updated: Aug. 12, 2019Invest your refund money into your home.
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Garage Door Replacement
Replacing your garage door is a tremendous way to boost your home’s curb appeal and, of course, add value to your property. If you’re looking for a less expensive way to spruce up your look, consider buying faux windows for your garage doors.
Manufactured Stone Veneer
Installing manufactured stone veneer comes routinely ranks among the best investments you can make in your home. It provides a modern look at an acceptable price whether you’re hiring out the work or going DIY.
Steel Entry Door Replacement
A steel entry door will add to you home’s resale value. It makes a statement right when potential homebuyers go into your home.
Wood Deck Addition
A wood deck addition is a great way to create more living space without breaking the bank. Go big with a stylish look or keep it simple and budget friendly.
Minor Kitchen Remodel
Minor kitchen updates can make a big difference when you go to sell your house. Updates to consider include replacing major appliances with more energy-efficient models, and removing and replacing resilient flooring.
Siding Replacement
Replacing siding is great for a number of reasons, including protecting your home from inclement weather. But for this purpose, using your tax refund to replace your siding is a great idea for the increase to your home’s value.
Vinyl Window Replacement
By replacing your old, outdated windows, you’ll see an immediate impact on your energy bills and also go a long way toward increasing your home’s value.
Universal Design Bathroom
The bathroom may be far from the first thing that people see when coming into your home, but it’s a very important room. The more spacious and updated, the better — especially for the elderly. Here’s how to make a home safe for older folks.
Bathroom Remodel
A midrange bathroom remodel isn’t a cheap project, but it does drive a lot of value to your home. Updates to consider include a standard white toilet, solid-surface vanity counter with integral sink and a recessed medicine cabinet with light.
Wood Window Replacement
Replacing 10 existing 3 x 5-foot double-hung windows with insulated, low-E, simulated-divided-lite wood windows doesn’t retain its value spent as well as vinyl but is another great option to consider.
Roofing Replacement
One of the most important parts of a home, a new roof is a big deal to home buyers. It’s a decent investment, too. Here are common roof problems and how to fix them.
Fiberglass Grand Entrance
Make a great first impression. Removing your existing entry door and cutting and reframing the opening for a larger fiberglass entrance door with dual sidelights, threshold and upscale locket will drive a lot of value to your home.
Composite Deck Addition
A composite deck may not have the same recoupment as wood, but it still is a great investment. Do you know how to avoid staining a deck? Build it from something other than wood!
Major Kitchen Remodel
A major kitchen remodel will cost a pretty penny, but it does recoup a lot of the expenses when it comes down to your home’s value. After all, how doesn’t love a great kitchen?
Bathroom Remodel
A bump-out addition is a great way to expand a small bathroom without messing with other nearby rooms. It’s complicated, but the spaced gained can be well worth it.
Conversion to Bedroom
Finishing an area of the house, especially an attic or basement, into another bedroom can greatly increase the resale value of a house. This is because it adds more square footage, creates a new usable room and opens the house up to buyers with larger families.
Attic Insulation
Attic insulation is one of the very best ways to improve your home’s energy expenses while also improving its resale value. Make sure all gaps are covered and cracks are sealed against pests.
Enclose a Patio
Enclosing a patio is going to be a lot of work. Putting up walls and a roof, along with a foundation but it could potentially become additional square footage if done correctly. It needs to feel like a part of the home and be accessible through the house.
See what your home might look like with a screened-in patio if you don’t want as big of a project or discover how a deck over a concrete patio can change a backyard.
Finish a Garage
It’s a bit of a Catch-22. If you want to add square footage, finish your garage. But as soon as you finish your garage, in order for it to be considered additional square footage, it must no longer be a garage. Hmm?
Learn some garage remodeling tips you haven’t thought about and different garage floor styles that can make your garage last longer.
Build Over the Garage
A room above a garage might prove the perfect tonic for a house with a small lot and a need for additional rooms. Be sure to check your local building codes and zoning ordinances before starting a project. You’ll save on some of the construction because there will be a foundation already in place with the garage. But there will need to be a vapor barrier to block car exhaust and of course, a new roof.
Add a Dormer
Looking for a simple expansion that’ll give you more space in your home? A new dormer in a cramped, underused attic might just be the ticket. It’ll create the additional headroom you need to make a comfortable living space–an extra bedroom, studio or playroom. And a dormer window provides natural light, fresh air and perhaps some dramatic treetop views. Dormers look great from the outside, too, adding variety to a plain front and improving your home’s curb appeal, not to mention the resale value.