This Low-Cost Home Improvement Can Deliver A 484% Return On Investment
If you are attempting to sell your house and your property needs multiple upgrades, you may not have the budget or timeframe to accomplish all the home improvements. You may have to prioritize the home improvements by time and price. One relatively simple and quick home upgrade can deliver a whopping 484% return on investment.
When deciding which home improvements to make, you may be considering the bathrooms or appliances or kitchen cabinets to be a priority. While those are all very important home upgrades, a very moderately priced upgrade that can bring a significant ROI is staring you in the face every time you come home – the front door.
Upgrading your front door can score a return on investment of up to 484.55%, according to homeowner data firm Realm. After all, the front door is what people, including potential buyers, see first when they approach your home. An old broken-down door isn’t inviting.
To get the maximum curb appeal, you’ll likely need to replace your front door entirely with a swanky new door. According to Angie’s List, the average cost of replacing and installing a new front door ranges from $475 to $1,560. Plus, you can upgrade to an energy-efficient door to lower your energy bills.
However, there are several less expensive ways to upgrade your front door, including giving it a fresh paint job with an eye-catching color to enhance your house’s curb appeal. The national average for a professional to repaint your front door ranges from $78 – $176, according to Porch, a website that connects homeowners with contractors. If you want to do it yourself, the project will only cost you an average of $6.67.
Home improvement site HomeAdvisor recommends vibrant colors for modern homes, including turquoise, bright orange, taxi yellow, eggplant, and lime.
If you prefer natural wood hues, the website suggests sleek espresso, mid-century walnut, and driftwood grey.
Another way to upgrade your front door is to add trim around your entrance, which will make your door stand out and pop if you use a contrasting color. You can use brick, stone, vinyl, or wood materials for the trim.
You can give your doorway a signature appearance and a more personal feel if you replace your front door hardware. Consider changing door knockers, hinges, doorknobs, and house numbers to provide more pizazz. If you want a more advanced vibe, you could upgrade to a digital keyless entry system or install a smart doorbell camera to monitor your front door in real-time and provide more security.
A less expensive way of enhancing the approach of your home is to upgrade the light fixtures. More light will make the entrance look more welcoming and safer.
If your door is already in good shape, you may want to consider adding colorful plants to your front entrance.
“The front door is a big part of the first impression of your home, your curb appeal,” Laura McGurk, a licensed real estate agent with Century 21 Breeden Realtors in Columbus, Indiana, told Apartment Therapy. “If it’s clean, new, and fresh, buyers will assume the rest of the house is, too. Conversely, if your front door is a drab paint color scratched up from years of use and sticks when you try to open it, it’s easy for a buyer to assume the rest of the house is tired as well.”
Whatever home improvement you decide on will give your house a much-needed facelift that can bring in buyers and higher offers.