Remodeling does increase home value: every project in the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report raised resale value, though most recouped less than they cost. Nationally, a midrange minor kitchen remodel recouped 113% of its cost at resale, a midrange bathroom remodel 80% and a midrange major kitchen remodel 51%. Modest, midrange updates kept more of their cost than large upscale projects.
When it comes to boosting the value of your home, home remodeling is one of the most effective strategies.
What is the remodeling return on investment in 2025?
For most interior projects it is below 100%: the midrange minor kitchen remodel is the only one that recouped more than it cost. The Cost vs. Value Report, published by the Journal of Light Construction, compares the average cost of common remodeling projects with the value those projects retain at resale, across 119 U.S. markets. "Cost recouped" is that resale value as a share of the job cost: 80% means the home's value rose by about 80 cents for every dollar spent. These are the interior projects, national averages for 2025:
| Interior project (2025 national average) | Cost recouped at resale |
|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange | 113% |
| Bathroom remodel, midrange | 80% |
| Basement remodel | 71% |
| Bathroom remodel, universal design | 61% |
| Bathroom addition, midrange | 53% |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange | 51% |
| Bathroom remodel, upscale | 42% |
| Accessory dwelling unit | 41% |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale | 36% |
| Bathroom addition, upscale | 36% |
| Primary suite addition, midrange | 32% |
| Primary suite addition, upscale | 18% |
Source: Cost vs. Value Report 2025, national averages, Journal of Light Construction (jlconline.com). Figures for a single market, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, differ from the national average.
Within each room, the midrange version kept a larger share of its cost than the upscale one: 80% against 42% for a bathroom remodel, 51% against 36% for a major kitchen remodel. The projects at the top of the whole 2025 list were exterior replacements: a garage door (268%), a steel entry door (216%) and manufactured stone veneer (208%).
Which remodeling projects do buyers value, and why?
Buyers value work that removes a job they would otherwise face, appeals to most people and keeps the house in line with its neighbors. Seen that way, the figures make sense:
- Buyers pay to avoid a to-do list. A worn kitchen or bathroom is work a buyer would have to do after moving in, which can weigh on what they offer. A midrange update removes the to-do item, and in the report the upscale versions of the same rooms recouped a smaller share of their cost than the midrange ones.
- Broad appeal reaches more buyers. Neutral colors and widely liked materials suit more buyers. A bold color scheme or an unusual layout may be exactly right for you and narrow the number of buyers who value it.
- The neighborhood sets a ceiling. A home appraisal leans on recent sales of similar homes nearby. A remodel that lifts a house far above its neighbors' prices may be hard to recover at sale, because the appraisal leans on those neighbors' sales.
- Bedrooms and bathrooms change how a house is compared. Listing sites let buyers filter by bedroom and bathroom count, so a legal added bedroom or bathroom moves the house into a different group of comparable homes, even though additions recouped a smaller share of their cost in the report.
- Condition comes first. In Texas, licensed inspectors report on the Texas Real Estate Commission's REI 7-6 form, which covers the structural, electrical, plumbing and other systems, roof and foundation included. A new counter does not answer a foundation or roof item in that report.
Selected NRG remodels
Should you remodel before selling?
If you plan to sell soon, the report favors smaller, midrange work: large projects such as a major kitchen remodel or an addition recouped between 18% and 53% of their cost in 2025, so they are hard to justify for a sale alone, while a midrange minor kitchen remodel recouped 113%. Beyond the report, the usual advice is to fix what an inspection would flag and refresh what buyers see first, such as worn paint and flooring. Ask a local agent which finishes the homes that sold near you had.
If you plan to stay, the calculation changes. The return on a kitchen you cook in every day for years is mostly the use you get from it; the resale share is a bonus. That is the case for remodeling the way you want to live, with an eye on choices that will not put off a future buyer.
How do you judge a remodel for your own house?
Compare what the project costs for your house with what similar homes nearby sold for, then decide how much of the value you will get from using it.
- Look at the comparables. What similar homes nearby sold for, and how their kitchens and baths were finished.
- Separate repairs from upgrades. Fix what an inspection would flag before you spend on finishes.
- Get a real price for the project. An estimate for your house, not a national average.
- Apply a realistic share. Use the report's figure for the closest project type as a rough check of what the work may add at resale.
- Count the years of use. The longer you stay, the more of the value is your own daily use.
- Keep the paperwork. Permits, invoices and product warranties show a buyer what was done and when.
Remodeling with resale in mind, with NRG
NRG Remodeling starts with a no-obligation design consultation and estimate, so you can weigh the price of a project against what it is likely to add before you commit. We remodel kitchens, bathrooms and whole homes in Dallas, Arlington, Grapevine and nearby Dallas-Fort Worth towns; see our home remodeling Dallas overview for the full range of work.
Planning a specific room? The kitchen layout ideas guide and the bathroom layout ideas guide cover what fits and what is costly to move, and our interior remodeling ideas explain which changes are structural.
What homeowners say about their NRG remodels
Read the full review →“My family and I recently purchased a home that needed some serious work and NRG came to the rescue.”
Read the full review →“From initial meeting to finish i had trust in my project manager David. The workers were all very nice and respectful of us and our house.”
Read the full review →“i have a home in dallas texas and this company helped me remodel it. They let me choose whatever I liked and were super helpful.”
Read the full review →“they help me and my family out sooo much.Thanks to them I got my whole house remodeled.NRG are the people you should contact when it comes to remodeling 10/10”
Read the full review →“Thank you so much for everything,thank to them I was able to get all my house remodeled and it was super convenient.The process was so smooth and perfect thank you so much 10/10”
Read the full review →“Eddie is a supper nice person. I feel that he did his best to accomplish the task set in front of him. Hevtoo good care to make sure everything was done well.Great guy.”
Home value questions
What type of renovations increase home value the most?
In the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, the top of the list by cost recouped at resale was held by exterior replacements: a garage door (268%), a steel entry door (216%) and manufactured stone veneer (208%). Among interior projects, a midrange minor kitchen remodel led at 113%, followed by a midrange bathroom remodel at 80%.
Selected NRG projects
Real kitchens, bathrooms and whole-home remodels, photo by photo.
Kitchen remodeling
How NRG plans and builds a kitchen remodel.
Bathroom remodeling
Showers, tubs, vanities and full bathroom remodels.
Weighing a remodel against what it may add at sale: call NRG Remodeling at 214-810-6785 or request an estimate online, and we will price the project for your house.
