Remodeling for Resale

Which is not to say that you shouldn’t personalize your space. But, as much as possible, avoid designing to current trends, which inevitably will look dated and undercut the longevity of your remodeling. “Focus more on the things that are timeless and use the trends more sparingly,” Eich says. For example, if you favor, say, an Asian theme, integrate it into the design with wall color and small accent pieces, such as an inset in the tile backsplash or a border in the tile floor. The next owners, if they so desire, can easily and inexpensively swap out those smaller elements, as well as light fixtures, cabinet hardware, sink faucets, and the like. “So don’t lock into something structural, like cabinetry, that’s going to prohibit the space from being able to transition into something else,” Eich says.

In the end, though, your remodeling project should add value to your life, Jones says. Don’t cut out all the unique elements of a plan. “Those tend to be the first things people will say, ‘Let’s take that out.’ But then, what’s left?” he says.

Jones recently completed a roughly $400,000 remodel of a home in Minneapolis’ Kenwood neighborhood. The project covered about one-third of the home, including a redo of the kitchen and two bathrooms, a mud room, and the project centerpiece, an 8-by-12-foot glass conservatory built off the kitchen and out the back of the house. “It has a glass roof, glass walls on three sides, and a French door that leads to some stairs out to the backyard,” he says. “They have a gorgeous yard, and the old kitchen had no connection to it.”

By adding the conservatory and removing a wall between the kitchen and dining room, Jones says, he and his clients were able to flood the living space with light and add a distinct area to the home. He estimates that the conservatory accounted for about $75,000 of the budget. “It would be hard to determine the percentage they’d recoup on that cost, because it’s such a unique space. But it certainly makes the first floor,” he says. “If somebody walked in there now, with a brand new kitchen and custom cabinets and a nice layout, it’s going to make it more attractive than another house in the same price range.”