Apr 9, 2025

Listing your house? Here’s the top home renovations to address ahead of home-buying season

Recently completed home renovations can seriously entice potential buyers when a home is listed for sale. As we approach late spring and early summer — which is typically considered peak home buying season — here are the biggest upgrades to check off your list as a seller. 

Replace the roof

It’s no secret that replacing your roof is a big undertaking. What you might not realize is that it also yields among the highest returns on investment of home renovation projects. A professional will be able to help you determine the best route to take. If you find that it’s time to replace the roof in full, this could be an opportunity to upgrade its overall look and feel with more modern roof lines and different shingles. A functioning, stable roof is crucial for a ‘healthy’ home, especially if you are looking to put your home on the market. Everyone wants to know when the roof was replaced before they buy a house. 

Invest in attic insulation

Heat always rises. Having proper attic insulation prevents your HVAC system from having to overcompensate to maintain a comfortable living temperature. During the winter or summer months, your attic insulation will help to regulate the temperature in your living space and lessen the demand on your HVAC system, which could ultimately lower your utility bills (and that savings can also be allocated back into paying off the cost of the insulation). Be on the lookout for an R-value of R-38 or higher.  

Efficient insulation also adds value during resale. If you can provide documentation that shows the energy cost savings as a result of added attic insulation, homebuyers could become more interested in the house. Who wouldn’t want lower, efficient utility bills—that’s a homebuyer’s dream!  

Just a roof itself doesn’t provide insulation. Oftentimes roofing and attic insulation go hand-in-hand.

Modernize your entry door

First impressions are everything, and the entry door is one of your home’s most customizable statement pieces. With either a classic neutral shade or a pop of color, it can match your personal style and overall home aesthetic. As the first thing guests and prospective homebuyers interact with, the front door also boosts your curb appeal and can set the tone for the rest of your home. More often than not, modern doors are more energy-efficient because they cut down on air leakage and drafts. 

Entry doors are heavier than interior doors and more complex to install, so it will be important to hire a professional. A typical front door installation for home renovations should run no longer than one day. 

Most common materials (wood, fiberglass and steel) each have their own corresponding costs and installation fees.

If you don’t want to commit to replacing the entire entry door, consider swapping out the hardware (like a door knob and deadbolt combo, or a smart lock system) or giving the door a fresh coat of paint. Both of these DIY routes are fairly easy to complete within a few hours and can be done with a few inexpensive tools that can be picked up at your local home improvement store. 

Replace outdated windows

Installing new windows is an instant home renovation value-boost. Depending on how many windows your home has, it can be quite impressive and enticing to a buyer when they have all been recently updated. But because it’s a large investment, the number one thing to remember is the highest quality product means nothing without the right installation for home renovations. Skilled professionals that are carefully hired and trained ensures that the expertise and mastery of installing a specific type of window is evident. Always be on the lookout for special licenses and credentials; a well-qualified contractor will be eager to show them off.

Refresh siding

From an exterior perspective, the color and condition of your home’s siding can drastically boost your curb appeal. If you’re looking to put your home on the market and invest in home renovations, focus on neutral colors versus trending ones, to remain classic and appeal to a wider audience of potential homebuyers.

If you’re looking to install siding, it’s key to upgrade to insulated vinyl siding. Even though insulation already exists in most interior and exterior walls, insulated siding provides additional “R-value.” The higher the R-value of your insulation, the more energy-efficient your home becomes.

Service your systems

Whichever system poses an issue, prioritize that project first. Electrical can be your biggest safety concern if it isn’t up to code. Plumbing would follow next; if your home has plumbing issues, it could cause long term effects if not dealt with properly. Lastly, tackle HVAC as needed.  

When touring an old home or scrolling on Zillow, there’s a telltale sign to gauge the age of a home – are there AC units in the windows? If one is spotted, there’s a high chance that there’s no central air within the home. And that means a significant monetary investment is on the horizon.  

When a home doesn’t have central air, there are a few options available to you. Window units, split units or an HVAC system are all choices homeowners can weigh. Split units (commonly known as “mini-splits”) or an HVAC system will require demolition going through ceiling, floors and walls to route the air ducts through the home. Even ductless systems still require tubing.

Split units are known to be more energy efficient. They provide controllable temperatures in singular rooms, meaning homeowners won’t waste as much money running the AC to cool an entire home when they may only need to funnel the efforts into one or two rooms.

Adding some type of system or units will automatically refresh an older home, but these upgrades will be costly. Depending on your cooling method, your home’s layout, and its square footage, you could be looking at tens of thousands of dollars to make your home more comfortable and controllable.

Remember, the inspection report during the sale process will tell potential homeowners which system needs the most repair. This means no necessary home renovations will be a surprise. 

Upgrade your kitchen

While this is usually at the top of everyone’s list, it is still a glamour project. Before you spend money on something like this, take stock of what your house needs so that it’s enticing to buyers. Roofing, windows, and exterior materials that are updated and in good shape are must-haves to keep your home, and the family who lives in it, protected. If you don’t know the age of these products, hire a professional. They’ll do a full inspection and share with you the current condition, year it was most likely installed, and how many more years you might have before it requires another upgrade.

If you’re looking to make some upgrades before listing your home, check out POWER’s exterior offerings. 

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