Which improvements really pay off? Remodeling Magazine's 2007 Cost/Value Report

Wondering how to spend your home improvement money wisely? Certainly all improvements can make a difference to your homes value. But some remodeling choices pay off better than others. And unless you have the deep pockets to do it all, reading Remodeling Magazine's 2007 Cost/Value Report for the Portland area may help you decide which projects should take priority.

So what pays for itself (at least statistically...)? Below a fast summary of what you'll read online at the link above. Obviously, anything over 100% covers your costs.

For the mid-priced projects:

Minor kitchen remodels - 103.5% last year. That's actually down from last years figure of 106.4%.

Adding a deck - 108%

Replacement windows - wood gets 102.9%. However vinyl comes a tad shy at 98.5%

In the 96 percentile were the basement and bath remodels, and a major kitchen remodel.

For the upscale projects:

Siding replacment with cement fiberboard and vinyl window replacements were both about 100%.

Replacing the windows with the wood was the highest return at 103.4%.