Skip to content 6 Home Improvements That Increase Home Value the Most in 2026
The average seller spends $15,000 to $20,000 prepping on home improvements, but many only recoup 60 cents for every dollar spent. That’s a rough way to learn which home improvements increase home value and which ones just feel good.
I’m Josh Escobar, a licensed real estate agent here in Orange County, California. Clients ask me this question constantly, and they don’t want a long wish list. They want the projects backed by real numbers. So here are the six ranked by actual return on investment, straight from the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, the industry’s most trusted source for remodeling ROI, translated into what they mean for an Orange County home.
Key Takeaways
- A new garage door is the single highest-ROI home improvements, returning about 268% of its cost.
- A steel entry door is the cheapest project on this list and still returns 216% of its cost.
- Minor kitchen updates beat full remodels every time: 113% ROI versus roughly 36% for a luxury gut job.
- Basic landscaping costs as little as $500 and can lift perceived value by 5% to 12%.
- Energy efficient upgrades like insulation and smart thermostats help homes sell faster, even when the dollar ROI is modest.
- Over-improving for your neighborhood is the fastest way to lose money on every project above, so check your street before you spend.
Is a New Garage Door Really the Best ROI Home Improvement?
| Yes. A garage door replacement costs about $4,672 on average and adds roughly $12,526 in resale value, a 268% return. It’s held the #1 spot for two years running. |
A buyer forms an opinion before they ever reach the front door. Of all the projects tracked in the report, eight out of the top ten are exterior replacement projects, with a new garage door taking the top spot for the second year in a row. In Orange County, where so many homes have garage-forward layouts, that door is often the largest visual feature on the entire front facade.
Skip the touch-up paint. A worn door needs a full, professionally installed swap to capture this return. Choose an insulated steel door that matches your home’s style: carriage-style with windows for Spanish or Mediterranean homes, clean flat panel for modern tracts.
Replacing the Front Entry Door
| The second-best ROI project is even cheaper. A 20-gauge steel entry door costs about $2,435 and adds around $5,270 in value, a 216% return, one of the most affordable projects on this list. |
Steel entry door replacement recoups more than double its average cost, second only to garage door replacement among every project the report tracks. It also improves security and energy efficiency, which buyers sense during a walkthrough even if they can’t name why the entry feels solid.
I see this constantly in older Anaheim and Garden Grove homes still carrying their original wood or hollow-core door. Swap it for steel, update the hardware, and add a small window if your foyer feels dark. It’s a one-day project and one of the cheapest wins on this entire list.
Stone Veneer and Siding Updates Round Out the Top Three
Manufactured stone veneer is the third-highest ROI project nationally, recouping just over 200% of its cost. It solves a problem that’s hard to fix any other way: a tired, dated exterior wall.
Stone veneer adds a partial stone “skirt” to the lower front facade rather than re-siding the whole house. Manufactured stone veneer delivered more than 208% in recouped value in the most recent report, edging out vinyl siding as a top five remodeling project.
For Orange County’s stucco-heavy housing stock, targeted stone accents around the entry or windows modernize a dated exterior fast, without the cost of full re-siding. If your stucco is just faded or chalky, fresh exterior paint is the budget-friendly cousin of this project and performs well on its own.
What Kitchen Remodel Actually Pays Off Before You Sell?
| A minor kitchen remodel, not a full gut job, is the one that pays off. New cabinet fronts, hardware, countertops, and lighting return about 113% of cost. A full luxury remodel often returns less than half of what you spend. |
This is the project I talk people out of most often. A roughly $28,000 minor kitchen refresh returns 113% of its cost, while a $164,000 major upscale kitchen renovation returns only about 36%. That gap is the difference between a smart investment and a money pit.
In Orange County, a simple refresh with new countertops and cabinet refacing typically runs $25,000 to $45,000, while a full mid-range remodel with new cabinets and appliances can run $50,000 to $90,000 or more. If you’re selling within the year, stay in the lower tier and save the luxury appliance package for a home you plan to keep.
There’s a second reason to hold back: appraisers and buyers compare your home to its neighbors, not your personal taste. A $100,000 chef’s kitchen on a street of standard homes rarely returns what it cost. If you’re weighing a remodel against selling as-is, it’s worth reading through selling a house in poor condition first.
Don’t Skip Basic Landscaping and Curb Appeal
| Basic landscaping cleanup can often be one of the most overlooked home improvements and costs as little as $500 to $3,000 and can lift perceived value by 5% to 12%, one of the best returns on this entire list, and the one homeowners overlook most. |
A cleanup that includes fresh mulch, trimmed hedges, defined garden beds, and seasonal flowers costs $500 to $3,000 and can increase perceived value by 5% to 12%, according to a joint study by the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
You don’t need a backyard transformation. Trim hedges, lay fresh mulch, add seasonal plants near the entry, and power wash the driveway and walkway before every showing. I see this constantly in Huntington Beach and Irvine listings: mature landscaping that’s simply neglected makes a home look far older than it is. If your house has sat on the market and you’re not sure why, curb appeal is usually the first place to look. More on that in why your house isn’t selling.
Energy Efficient Upgrades: Insulation, Windows, and Smart Thermostats
Energy upgrades don’t always top an ROI chart, but they shorten time on market, especially in a hot, sunny climate like Orange County’s, where buyers actively ask about utility costs.
Attic insulation is the most overlooked upgrade here. Adding insulation, particularly in the attic, can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs and make a home more comfortable and affordable to operate. High-efficiency windows and a modern HVAC system follow the same logic: they remove a future expense from the buyer’s mental math, leaving less room to negotiate price down.
A smart thermostat is the cheapest entry point and easy to install yourself. It signals a well-maintained home for a couple hundred dollars. If you’re unsure where to start, a licensed HVAC technician can inspect your attic and ductwork and tell you exactly where you’re losing the most money.
The One Mistake That Kills ROI on All Six of These Projects
| The biggest mistake isn’t choosing the wrong project. It’s overspending on the right one. Appraisers call this over-improving, and it can erase the return on everything above. |
Over-improving means your upgrades go far beyond what’s typical for your neighborhood. Appraisers warn against making a property too unique or upscale compared to nearby homes, because it limits your return when you sell, a concept known as the principle of regression: a heavily upgraded home’s value gets pulled down toward the homes around it, regardless of what you spent.
I’ve walked through Orange County listings with a beautiful, brand-new kitchen surrounded by original 1970s tract homes. Gorgeous kitchen, but it doesn’t add anywhere near what it cost, because buyers shop by neighborhood, not by your renovation budget. The same goes for a high-end pool behind a modest starter home: a certified appraiser has noted that an expensive pool installed behind a much less expensive house might only return a small fraction of its cost at resale.
Walk your street before you spend a dollar. A quick conversation with a local agent tells you whether a project will pay off or whether you’re better off selling as-is, a question that comes up often with heirs deciding what to do with an unexpected inheritance. If that’s your situation, selling an inherited home is worth a read before you spend anything on upgrades.
The Bottom Line on Home Improvements That Increase Value
If you only do three things from this list, make them the garage door, the entry door, and basic landscaping. They’re the cheapest projects here and carry some of the highest returns. The kitchen and energy upgrades matter too, but only at the right scale for your home and neighborhood.
The real key isn’t which project you pick. It’s matching the project to what your specific street and your specific buyers actually support, and that’s something a local agent can tell you in person, not something a national report can.
I’m a licensed Orange County real estate agent, and I walk homeowners through this exact decision every week before they spend a dollar. If you are interested to see your options hit the button below and I’ll reach out personally.
No “Low Ball Offer.” Just More Options.
Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvements
A new garage door adds the most value of any single project, returning about 268% of its cost on average. A steel entry door replacement and manufactured stone veneer follow closely, both also returning more than double their cost.
A minor kitchen remodel focused on cabinet fronts, hardware, and countertops is worth it, typically returning around 113% of cost. A full luxury kitchen gut renovation usually returns less than half of what you spend, so it’s rarely worth it if you’re selling soon.
A basic landscaping cleanup costing $500 to $3,000 can increase perceived value by 5% to 12%, according to a joint study from the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals. It’s one of the cheapest, highest-return projects on this list.
Energy efficient upgrades like attic insulation, new windows, and a smart thermostat won’t always top an ROI chart, but they reduce a buyer’s future costs and shorten time on market in Orange County’s hot, sunny climate. They’re worth doing for comfort and marketability even when the direct dollar return is modest.
Avoid any upgrade that goes far beyond what’s typical for your neighborhood, like a luxury kitchen remodel on a street of modest homes or a high-end pool behind a starter house. Appraisers call this over-improving, and it can prevent you from recouping what you spent, no matter how nice the finished project looks.
Ready to Understand Your Options?
If you are thinking of Selling a house in Orange County, the first step is understanding what you actually have. Hit the button below and I will reach out personally to walk through your options.
No “Low Ball Offer.” Just More Options.
