Whatever the reason - change, comfort, convenience, preparing for a sale - remodeling your home can be a rewarding, thoroughly satisfying experience. It can enhance the salability as well as your home's value. Or it can be a costly nightmare.

If you are thinking that you may someday be selling and you want to reap the financial rewards of your remodeling investment, approach it with careful thought, planning AND consult your REALTOR. The time — and money — you spend on planning will pay for itself many times over in a project that stays close to budget and deadline and produces the results you expect.

Enhance Curb Appeal - First Impressions Say It All

Curb appeal is the impression your home's exterior conveys. It should create an emotional desire to own the home and to live the lifestyle and status it represents. Adding curb appeal to your home will help you beat the competition and pad your bottom line when it's time to sell. If house looks like it needs work, potential buyers see a hassle. Good Curb appeal makes visitors want to go inside.

New Paint There's nothing like a fresh coat of paint to give your home that "newly built" look.
New Landscaping Well-manicured landscaping helps frame curb appeal.
New Roof Curb appeal remodeling mandates a good roof, gutters and downspouts.
Concrete affordable stamped concrete with the impressions can really made a plain house look custom.
Doors Front doors should make visitors feel welcome. New garage doors add a final touch to curb appeal.

Right A Wrong - Perform Deferred Maintenance Repairs

In many states, you are required to disclose known conditions that could affect the value or salability of your home. Consult a local REALTOR for the proper disclosure forms for your area.

Fix or replace broken items and systems. Put the home and its components in good working order by replacing missing roof shingles and broken or cracked windows. Make sure lights, plumbing fixtures and other items are all working properly.

After closing, if a buyer discovers work completed without a permit and the local building department decides not to approve the work, a chunk of the home's value could become a legal issue. Any difference in value based on what was not permitted at the time of sale, can become a point of litigation.

Major Repairs - Involve The Buyer -Use Escrow Agent

If an inspection or appraisal turns up the need for major corrective work, for example termite or moisture damage, put money in escrow with instructions for the escrow officers to pay the contractors once they complete the work.

Let the buyer select the contractors based on several fair bids, and have the work done after the close of escrow to avoid a construction zone in your home while you are trying to sell it and move.

"If the buyer supervises the work, you won't incur liability for it and the lender knows the property will be restored to its proper condition, which enhances its loan value," says a mortgage expert.

In A Buyers Market - A Marketing Edge With Out Overdoing It

In a buyer's market, along with making certain your home and its components are all up to code, the idea is to give your home a marketing edge without over doing it.

The improvements you might consider first on a low budget aren't those that necessarily give you a return on your money. Instead, they should be largely generic, cosmetic improvements that enhance your home's functionality, efficiency and aesthetics – all to give it an up-to-date feel.

Start by cleaning and removing clutter. Neutralize loud or bright colors. Other suggestions include a new coat of paint to tone down or cover wear and tear, clean carpet or replace badly worn carpeting, manicure your lawn and clean up your yard, update worn fixtures.

Best Improvements - For Today’s Market

According to an article written by the New York Appraisal Management Company, these are the best improvements cost vs. return in today’s market:

Minor Kitchen Remodel
      cost $14,773 and returned $13,039 or 87 percent of the initial cost.
Bathroom Addition
      cost $9,455 and returned $8,048 or 84 percent of the initial cost.
Two-Story Addition
      cost $67,744 and returned $56,770 or 83 percent of the initial cost.
Bathroom Remodel
      cost $9,748 and returned $7,952 or 81 percent of the initial cost.
Major Kitchen Remodel
      cost $38,769 and returned $31,344 or 80 percent of the initial cost.
Family Room Addition
      cost $46,739 and returned $37,217 for 78 percent of the initial cost.
Deck Addition
      cost $5,865 and returned $4,498 for 75 percent of the original cost.