What Home Renovation Gives You the Best ROI? (Spoiler: Probably Not the One You’re Daydreaming About)
Let’s get something out of the way first: we love a big, dramatic kitchen remodel. Waterfall island? Pot filler? A walk-in pantry you could park a golf cart in? Say less.
But when someone asks us, “Which renovation actually puts the most money back in my pocket when I sell?” we owe them a straight answer. And sometimes the straight answer means talking people out of the thing they came in excited about.
So grab something cold (this is Las Vegas, that’s always a good call) and let’s talk numbers.
First, what does “ROI” even mean in remodeling?
Every year, the Cost vs. Value Report from Zonda and the Journal of Light Construction surveys real estate professionals to estimate how much of a project’s cost you’ll get back when you sell. Here’s the cheat sheet:
100% means you broke even.
Over 100% means the project basically paid you to do it.
Under 100% means you paid for the joy of living with it. (Which is allowed! More on that in a minute.)
The big winners are… the boring ones. Seriously.
Here’s the plot twist nobody puts on Pinterest: in the 2025 report, 8 of the top 10 highest-ROI projects were exterior replacements.
Garage door replacement came in at #1, costing around $4,672 on average and recouping roughly 268% of its cost nationally. Yes. Your garage door. In a city where the garage door is basically the face of half the homes in Summerlin and Henderson, this one makes a lot of sense.
Steel entry door replacement ran about $2,435 and recouped around 216%.
Manufactured stone veneer also cleared the 200% mark.
Why do these crush it? Because buyers make up their minds in the driveway. A crisp garage door and a solid front door tell a buyer “this house has been cared for” before they ever touch the doorknob.
The surprise middle child: the minor kitchen remodel
This is the one we wish more people knew about. A minor kitchen remodel recouped about 113% in the 2025 report, at an average cost of roughly $28,458.
“Minor” doesn’t mean cheap or sad. It typically means keeping your existing layout and refreshing what people see and touch: cabinet refacing or new fronts, new countertops, a new sink and faucet, updated appliances, flooring and paint.
Compare that to a full, high-end kitchen overhaul, which tends to return closer to half its cost at resale. Same room. Wildly different math.
Why the gap? Because the ultra-custom stuff is personal. You might love your custom walnut range hood with the hand-hammered copper trim. The next buyer might see a $14,000 thing they now have to look at.
Where Las Vegas changes the math
Those are national averages, and every market is a little different. Here in Southern Nevada, a few things carry extra weight:
The heat. Buyers here notice utility bills, and you notice comfort every single summer you still live in the house. Energy-efficient windows and doors are a quality-of-life upgrade that buyers in a 115-degree town genuinely appreciate.
Stucco-and-garage curb appeal. So many Valley homes share the same basic look that a faded garage door or tired entry stands out fast. In a good way, once you fix it.
Outdoor living. Backyards here are used eight or nine months a year. A usable outdoor space is a real selling point, not a bonus.
So… what should you do?
It depends on one question: how long are you staying?
Selling in the next 1 to 3 years? Go for the curb appeal wins, a minor kitchen refresh and fresh paint. Skip the luxury splurges. You won’t be around to enjoy them, and the next owner probably won’t pay you for them.
Staying 7+ years? Build the kitchen you actually want. When you’re living with a space every day for a decade, your ROI includes every Sunday breakfast and every holiday dinner in it.
Somewhere in between? Mix it up. Do the high-return exterior stuff now, and put your bigger interior dollars into the room you use most.
The part nobody puts in the brochure
Here’s the honest truth after years of doing this: the renovation with the best ROI is the one that’s done right the first time.
Every one of those percentages assumes the work was done properly, permitted and built to last. A beautiful kitchen with unpermitted electrical or a shower that starts leaking in year two doesn’t return 113%. It returns a headache and a repair bill. (We wrote a whole post about how “cheaper” can end up costing more. It’s worth a read before you sign anything.)
Let’s talk about your house
Not sure where your money will work hardest? That’s literally what we’re here for. We’ll walk your home, ask how long you plan to stay, and give you an honest opinion, even if that opinion is “start with the garage door.”
Call GVS Design & Build at 702-202-1211 or request a visit. And if budget is the thing holding you back, check out our financing options.
GVS Design & Build · NV Contractor’s Lic. #0080553 · Serving Las Vegas, Summerlin, Henderson and all of Southern Nevada
ROI figures are national averages from the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report (© 2025 Zonda, costvsvalue.com). Actual results vary by market, home and project.
