Day 16 of 30 Days & 30 Ways to Give Your Home Some Love – 4 Home Improvements that Yield the Biggest Returns with Bart Lewis of Ansley Atlanta Real Estate

By My Home Improvement staffer: Wyndi Kappes

When considering home renovations, it is smart to invest in improvements that will increase the value of your house once it's time to sell. Realtor® Bart Lewis of Ansley Atlanta Real Estate reveals which home improvements bring the biggest payouts.

1.) Pump up your curb appeal with new windows and doors. Not only will new windows and doors contribute to a more energy-efficient home, they also provide a noticeable aesthetic upgrade. “Swapping out a wooden front door for a steel model or replacing front-facing windows can pack more of a ROI [return on investment] punch than renovations made inside the home,” says Bart Lewis.

2.) Use a deck as an outdoor selling point. Adding a deck provides an instant entertaining area for you to use and allows future buyers to envision themselves at home in the space. It can also transform a lackluster backyard. 

3.) Enhance energy savings by adding insulation. This low-cost, undercover investment yields big returns in energy savings and added inhabitable space.

4.) Raise the roof on expectations with a second-story addition. “Even with a slight increase in construction costs, completing a significant two-story addition resulted in a substantial year-over-year increase in value from 2016 to 2017,” he says. In Atlanta, spaces are often cramped so an upgrade in square footage is a significant selling point.