HomeOutdoor Living BlogWhat Adds Value to a Home: Inspiration & Insight From Experts

What Adds Value to a Home: Inspiration & Insight From Experts

June 30, 2022

When considering a home renovation project, some of the first questions that might come to mind are “what adds value to a home?” and “does a deck add value to your home?” Because when it comes time to sell, you want to know you chose home upgrades that gave you the best return on your investment.

To help you decide which improvements might be right for your home, we’ve partnered with HGTV real estate experts Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson. The designer and contractor duo take a creative approach to increasing home value through smart investments that help provide the most benefits to homeowners. So you know the work you put in is well worth the effort.

Meet Egypt & Mike

The husband-and-wife pair best known for their HGTV show Married to Real Estate, Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson create functional, beautiful homes that deliver the greatest value to homeowners.  

What adds the most value to a house?

When considering what adds value to a home, it’s important to understand that there is no single upgrade that will guarantee a value increase.

But to maximize the benefits of any home improvement project, Egypt and Mike recommend focusing on where you can make the biggest impact in your home design. And you’ll get even more value out of your project when you choose to make renovations that will help you save money long-term. Think: replacing your windows with energy-efficient options or replacing a wood deck with durable, sustainable composite decking. While these types of updates may cost more upfront, the overall value you’ll add to your investment will be well worth it.

Interior ideas: What adds value to a home

A renovated modern kitchen can be what adds value to a home.
Photo courtesy of Egypt Sherrod

When thinking about upgrades, most homeowners start with the interior. Once you’ve tackled standard upgrades like adding fresh paint and replacing hardware on cabinets and drawers, focusing on larger renovations will add more long-term value.

According to Egypt and Mike, these interior upgrades will make the biggest impact:

  • Increase your livable square footage. Wherever you can, increase your finished and heated square footage to increase your home value. Consider renovating an unfinished basement, a storage room, or an enclosed garage to add more livable space.
  • Add bedrooms to increase home appeal. Check with your local municipality to see what qualifies as a “legal bedroom.” Typically, all that is needed is an above-grade window and closet. However, there are some cities that do not require closets to be in bedrooms.
  • Wherever possible, add a bathroom. A full bathroom addition can increase the median resale value by 5.7% on average. So, if it’s a $500,000 home, then you have increased its resale by $28,500.
  • Add energy-efficient systems and appliances. State-of-the-art and energy-efficient along with sustainable building materials go a long way with buyers. For example, smart hubs allow you to plug your home’s devices in and control their usage from the palm of your hand. You can even optimize the settings to use less power during off-peak hours and more during peak hours which saves big money.

Exterior ideas: What adds value to a home

When considering what adds value to a home, it’s important to remember that first impressions are lasting impressions, and your home exterior is one of the first things potential buyers will see. Egypt and Mike say there are two main ways to increase resale value when renovating a home’s exterior:

  1. Upgrade your outdoor living space, such as adding a deck or a patio, to make your home more appealing to buyers who value spending time outside.
  2. Boost curb appeal by remodeling your front porch, adding new siding and trim, or upgrading your home’s landscaping to impress buyers before they step in the front door.

1.) Upgrade your outdoor living space

By adding or renovating an outdoor living space, you can appeal to the wants and needs of today’s homebuyers while also giving yourself and your family a beautiful space to spend time together. So, if an outdoor space is what adds value to a home, where to begin? A deck is a great place to start.

HOW MUCH DOES A DECK COST?
See what factors affect the cost to build a deck to plan for your budget more accurately. DECK-BUILDING COSTS

Does a deck add value to your home?

When asked “does a deck add value to your home?” both Egypt and Mike responded with a resounding “yes.” “It’s the kind of thing that adds aesthetic value, but it also adds inherent value,” says Egypt. “An appraiser sees a TimberTech deck, they know that you’re going to get decades out of this.”

Not only does it significantly increase your home value, but it also makes your yard a more beautiful and usable space.

Egypt adds “A beautiful deck, especially one that’s made of composite materials, offers a great ROI for homeowners. Upgrading decking or porches to a composite product is one of the best and most common eco-friendly upgrades to make for long-term cost savings and an easy way to increase home value.”

And Mike takes it a step further, “ With composite decking, homeowners don’t need to worry about yearly upkeep [for wood decks] or weathering factors like UV rays, precipitation, and the environment. Installing a deck or porch using composite decking like TimberTech is a surefire way to have a beautiful outdoor living space for 20-30-50 years. It’s a fantastic investment and you can’t beat the performance and functionality.” 

When a potential buyer sees TimberTech deck in the MLS description, they know it’s beautiful, reliable, and durable — it’s a lifetime deck.

– Egypt

Explore TimberTech Decking

With 10 collections offering a wide range of real wood looks and price points, it’s easy to find the right option for your deck.

Outdoor living space ideas to improve home resale value

A new deck adds value whether it’s an upgrade or a new addition. Get ideas for how to design your deck or improve your space to up your home resale value.

PLAN YOUR DECK BUILD
Ready to think through your deck design and layout? Get the guidance you need for your project. HOW TO PLAN A DECK

2.) Boost your curb appeal

The first thing most buyers notice is the front of your home, so it’s important to make the right impression. According to Egypt and Mike, taking the time to power wash, paint, landscape, and complete exterior repairs will set the tone for your home before a buyer steps inside.

Ideas to up your curb appeal

Whether you’re looking for simple improvements or larger renovations to your home’s façade, explore these ideas to increase your curb appeal and attract buyers.

REIMAGINE YOUR LANDSCAPE
Get the insight you need on everything you need, from types of composite decking to budgeting your project. EXPLORE YARDZEN

Not sure where to start? Speak with a professional

If you’re unsure about the best ways to add value to your, speak with a professional. Interior designers, contractors, and even landscape experts can help you identify the latest buyer trends.

Home interior

For interior expertise, you can work with a local designer in your area. To spark your creativity, get ideas and insights from Egypt Sherrod’s blog.

Home exterior & outdoor living

If you need advice on a home exterior or outdoor living space project, connect with a local contractor who’s experienced in exterior remodeling and deck builds.

Landscaping

For advice on your yard layout, connect with a professional landscaping service like Yardzen to reimagine your outdoor spaces and design something extraordinary.

Explore your home’s potential further

Now that you have a better idea of what adds value to a home and have questions like “does a deck add value to your home?” answered, you’re ready to explore your options further. For interior tips and guidance, visit Egypt Sherrod’s blog. You can also catch her and Mike on their HGTV show, Married to Real Estate, for all-around insights for both home exterior and interior upgrades.

And if you’re looking to take a deeper dive into the possibilities of your outdoor living space, we have you covered. Our 3D Deck Designer lets you design your deck shape, choose deck board colors and patterns, explore railing options, and even add décor to your deck to fully envision your space. Plus, you can save your design to show to your contractor when you’re ready to break ground on your project.

Planning tips for your project

Before exploring ideas and inspiration to see what adds value to a home, you will need to form a plan and set parameters for your project.

Buyer trends shift over time, so it’s important to identify what today’s potential homebuyers are looking for and how you can upgrade your home to suit those trends. Amenities like home offices and outdoor living spaces are becoming popular must-haves but there are also evergreen upgrades that buyers will always find valuable like a new roof, a modernized kitchen, or even a fresh coat of paint.

Set a budget

The cost of your project will vary depending on what upgrades you’re making and the extent of those changes. Be sure to think through costs in terms of materials you’ll need, whether you’ll use hired labor, and your finished project’s long-term maintenance needs to get a full picture of your budget.

Stick to a timeline

Like your costs, the timeline of your project will depend on what upgrades you’re making and the extent of those changes. Keep in mind that DIY-ing your project may save on costs but will likely increase your timeline.  

With any home improvement project, whether interior or exterior, you’ll also need to ensure you have the proper permit before work begins and that your planned changes will be up to local building codes.

Turn your deck dream into design

Play with shapes, colors, lighting, and railing to bring your deck ideas to life with our custom Deck Designer tool.

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