Updated October 2026. Thirty small and mid-size ways to raise your home’s value, grouped by how much work they take, with the projects REALTORS® recommend before a sale.
The cheapest way to increase your home’s value is to fix what buyers notice first: paint, repairs, light, clutter and curb appeal. In the NAR and NARI 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, painting the whole home was the top project REALTORS® suggest before listing (50%), and a new steel front door recovered an estimated 100% of its cost. Below are 30 tips, from an afternoon’s work to hiring a pro.
Jump to: ⏱️ An afternoon · 🪜 A weekend · 🤝 Hire a pro · 🏠 Bigger projects · 💲 Before you sell · ❓ FAQ
Raising home value, in numbers
- REALTORS® most often suggest painting the whole home (50%), one room (41%) and new roofing (37%) before listing (NAR, 2025).
- Top cost recovery: new steel front door 100%, closet renovation 83%, fiberglass front door 80% (NARI estimates, 2025).
- The federal energy-efficient home improvement credit covered work through December 31, 2025 only (IRS).
- Interior paint lasts about 10 to 15 years and exterior paint 7 to 10 (InterNACHI).
What can you do in an afternoon?
These cost little and take a few hours. They won’t show on an appraisal line by line, but they change how the home feels in photos and showings.
1. Walk through like a buyer. Go outside, come back in the front door and write down everything you’d notice. That list is your plan.
2. Ask for a second opinion. A friend with a good eye, a local agent or a designer can spot what you’ve stopped seeing.
3. Swap dead bulbs and go brighter. Use the same color of light in each room. Dark rooms look small.
4. Clean the windows inside and out. More light, no cost beyond an afternoon.
5. Replace worn hardware. New cabinet pulls, doorknobs and a fresh house number freshen up a dated look fast.
6. Fix the drips and squeaks. Leaky faucets, running toilets and squeaky hinges tell buyers the house wasn’t looked after.
7. Clear the counters. Put away all but two or three things in the kitchen and bath.
8. Gather ideas. Save photos of rooms you like from magazines and sites. For bathrooms, Forbes’ roundup of the 2026 bath trends from the National Kitchen & Bath Association is a quick read. Bathrooms deliver excellent returns when you pick broadly liked updates; the piece warns that very personal or niche features may add less at resale.
What can you finish in a weekend?
A weekend or two of your own work can make a real difference. These are the jobs REALTORS® point to most.
9. Paint. It’s the top pre-listing project REALTORS® suggest: 50% recommend painting the whole home and 41% a single room (NAR, 2025). Pick soft neutrals. Our guide to painting to increase value covers colors and finishes.
10. Paint or replace the front door. A new steel front door recovered an estimated 100% of its cost in the 2025 report, the highest of any project.
11. Edge, mulch and trim. Clean lines along the walk and beds make the yard look cared for.
12. Plant native or drought-tolerant plants. They look good with less water and work, which buyers like.
13. Pressure-wash. Driveway, walkways, deck and siding, if the material allows it.
14. Declutter every room. Pack a third of what’s in closets and on shelves. Rooms look bigger, and moving gets easier.
15. Re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks. Fresh caulk and clean grout make an old bathroom look kept.
16. Organize the closets. Closet renovations recovered an estimated 83% of cost (NAR and NARI, 2025). Even simple shelving helps buyers picture their stuff.
17. Use mirrors and light to open up rooms. A large mirror opposite a window adds light and makes a room feel larger.
Which jobs are worth hiring a pro for?
Some work needs a license, a ladder or a trained eye. Get written quotes and check licenses and insurance first.
18. Get a home inspection before you need one. An inspector finds what you can’t see: roof wear, wiring, plumbing and pests like termites. Fixing them early is cheaper than fixing them in a buyer’s repair request. Our page on dealing with a pest infestation has first steps.
19. Book a deep clean. Professional cleaners reach places most of us skip, like vents, baseboards and the oven.
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Buy a home →20. Get an energy audit. Some utilities offer one free or at low cost. Note that the federal credit for energy-efficient improvements, worth up to $3,200 a year, only covered work placed in service through December 31, 2025 (IRS). Check your utility and state for current rebates.
21. Service the HVAC. A clean system with a recent service record is one less question from a buyer.
22. Test for asbestos before removing popcorn ceilings. Older textured ceilings can contain it. Have it tested, then remove or cover with a pro if it’s safe.
23. Hand a handyman your list. A day of small repairs, like sticky doors, loose railings and cracked tiles, clears a lot of objections.
24. Refresh the lawn. A lawn service can reseed, trim and shape before photos.
Which bigger projects add the most value?
Bigger jobs cost more and recover less of it on average. Do them because you’ll enjoy them, or because they fix a real problem.
25. Replace a worn-out roof. 37% of REALTORS® suggest new roofing before a sale, and it earned a perfect 10 on NAR’s Joy Score for homeowners.
26. Upgrade the kitchen a bit, not a lot. A new sink, faucet, lighting or one appliance can update a kitchen without a full redo. Kitchen upgrades also saw the highest jump in demand (48%) among REALTORS® surveyed.
27. Update the bathroom. A new vanity, fixtures or tile can lift the room. Bathroom renovations saw a 35% rise in demand in the same report.
28. Replace stained or worn flooring. Buyers discount floors they’d have to replace right away. Start with the most-used rooms.
29. Replace old windows or exterior doors. A fiberglass front door recovered an estimated 80% of its cost (NAR and NARI, 2025).
30. Plant shade trees if you’re staying. Trees take years to grow, so this is a long-term value tip, not a pre-sale one.
For more ideas by project, see upgrading your house for better market value, property changes that increase value and what pays back in 2026.
What should you do first if you plan to sell?
Work from cheap and visible to costly and hidden. Fix, clean and paint first. Then curb appeal. Then the inspection items. Save big remodels for when you plan to stay a few more years.
Keep a folder of receipts, permits and warranties. It answers buyer questions and helps when you figure your tax basis. Then check what the work did to your price with our property value calculator. Our pages on increasing the value of your property, six steps to increase home value and top ways to raise property value go deeper on single projects.
When you’re ready, a flat fee MLS listing puts your updated home on the MLS from $99, with $0 due to Beycome at closing. Every package includes e-signature, unlimited listing changes and the Artur AI assistant for offers. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC and has helped 22,000+ homeowners save over $225 million.
Frequently asked questions
What adds the most value to a home for the money?
Small, visible fixes: paint, repairs, light and curb appeal. In NAR’s 2025 report, a new steel front door had the highest estimated cost recovery (100%), and painting was the top project REALTORS® suggest before listing.
Does painting really increase home value?
It makes homes show better, and REALTORS® recommend it most often before a sale: 50% for the whole home, 41% for one room (NAR, 2025).
Are kitchen and bathroom remodels worth it?
Smaller updates usually are. Full remodels rarely recover their whole cost at resale, so do them for your own use or to fix real problems.
Can I still get a tax credit for energy upgrades?
Not the federal energy-efficient home improvement credit for new work: the IRS says it covered improvements through December 31, 2025. Check your utility and state for current rebates.
Should I renovate before selling my house?
Usually only the basics: repairs, paint, cleaning and curb appeal. Price the home to reflect larger items, like an old kitchen, rather than starting a big project right before listing.
How do I know what my home is worth after upgrades?
Compare recent sales of similar homes nearby, or start with Beycome’s free property value calculator, then check the comps it shows.
Cost recovery figures are NARI members’ estimates in the NAR and NARI 2025 Remodeling Impact Report; results vary by market and project. Paint life spans are InterNACHI estimates.
Prices as of October 2026 and subject to change. Basic $99 and Enhanced $399 (Basic is $129 in California and Illinois, $99 elsewhere). “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; taxes, title, escrow and any buyer-agent compensation you agree to still apply. On Basic and Enhanced, offer help comes from the Artur AI assistant, not a person. General information, not tax or construction advice.
Sources
- NAR, 2025 Remodeling Impact Report release, read October 27, 2026.
- IRS, energy efficient home improvement credit, read October 27, 2026.
- InterNACHI, standard estimated life expectancy chart for homes, read October 27, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
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