The national average for costs recouped from a minor kitchen remodel is 72.2 percent, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2021 Cost vs. Value Report.

You’ve been thinking about remodeling your kitchen but worry that you won’t be able to recoup the costs if you sell your home. Or maybe you have an endless list of home improvement projects, but you’re just not sure where to get started — or how much you can expect to spend.

Garage door replacements give homeowners one of the biggest returns, with almost 94 percent of the cost recouped when the house is sold. The reason? “Curb appeal,” says Barry Brownstone, owner of Sears Garage Solutions in the Chicago area. The garage “is the largest part you see when you pull up to a house—it’s the focal point of the house.” Brownstone especially encourages those thinking about selling their house to replace an old garage door with a new one that has windows. “It’s a great selling point.”

The most popular garage door style right now—and the least expensive—is a traditional steel door, Brownstone says. Sears also offers carriage-door styles in custom wood and steel, as well as premier carriage-door styles.

If a kitchen remodel is on your mind, but you’re worried about the cost, think about a smaller project. A minor mid-range kitchen project has a much better payoff (recouping 72.2 percent of the cost) than a major mid-range kitchen project (recouping 57.4 percent), according to the 2021 Cost vs. Value Report.

What Home Improvements Add the Most Value?
Check out the chart below to see how much home improvement projects will help increase your home’s return on investment.