We answered this question after the sale of our first house (short version: we bought during the market peak and sold during a downturn). Now we’re revisiting the question after selling our most recent home, and this time the numbers landed more in our favor. We sold in a somewhat stronger market and avoided major, costly structural repairs—no new roof or wholesale window replacements—so our return looked different than the last time.
Here’s the bottom line: we sold the house for $23,000 more than our 2010 purchase price. We estimate we invested about $14,500 in permanent improvements that remained with the house (this excludes furniture and decor that moved with us). That suggests a net increase in value of roughly $8,500. Below is a clearer breakdown of the improvements that contributed to that total and what we spent on each:
- Kitchen renovation (appliances, flooring, backsplash, lighting, counters, opening the wall, etc): $6,955
- Deck building, staining, and sealing: $1,783
- New patio: $1,252
- Custom built-in desk in the office (conveys with the house): $124
- Laundry appliances and built-in shelving: $712
- Hall bathroom update: $168
- Guest bathroom update: $51
- Crown molding added throughout the house: $218
- Fireplace upgrade with new tile and mantel: $147
- Board & batten in the hallway: $57
- Pergola over the carport: $214
- Porch column updates: $198
- Window boxes and plantings: $132
- Paint and stain for every room, built-in, and exterior areas (furniture painting not included): $800
- Landscaping, light fixtures, curtains, and other miscellaneous items that remain with the house (including replacement border tile and a new toilet in the main bath): $1,700
- Total: $14,511*
*A note on the math: some project totals include consumables or decorative items that we ultimately took with us, so this list isn’t a perfect ledger of only items that conveyed. Still, it gives a realistic picture of how much we invested in upgrades that substantially improved the home’s appeal and function.
Whatever slight imprecision exists in these numbers, we’re grateful that over a relatively brief period we were able to increase the home’s marketability and sale price. Our first house barely budged in terms of resale value, so this result felt particularly satisfying. It’s also worth noting that we paid a 3% fee at closing to cover the buyer’s agent commission. If we had used a listing agent, that fee likely would have been larger, so that choice helped preserve more of our proceeds.
At the end of the day, we probably broke about even in real cash terms—house flipping wasn’t our aim, and we’re not professional flippers. But we do consider ourselves devoted homeowners who enjoy improving living spaces. The real win for us was being able to roll the equity we built over seven years across two previous homes into our next purchase, which dramatically lowered our new mortgage balance. That payoff—reducing our mortgage nearly in half—made the entire process feel worthwhile.
Have you ever totaled up how much you spent on a house versus what you recouped at sale? In our experience, kitchen remodels, bathroom updates, and increasing usable outdoor living space (decks, patios, etc.) tend to provide measurable returns. Built-ins aren’t always talked about in resale analyses, but we find them particularly valuable: they add practical storage and personality. We installed a custom desk in the office for about $124, inherited built-ins in the dining room, and added a built-in in the laundry room—small investments that enhance daily function and appeal to buyers.
Built-ins will be part of our next home too. They create a sense of customization and usefulness without a large price tag; several of ours cost under $125 and still delivered noticeable value. Ultimately, thoughtful, targeted improvements—especially those that increase function and curb appeal—tend to make the biggest difference when it comes time to sell.