Which renovations add the most value when you sell?

What agents across Canada say

In a 2022 Royal LePage survey of 340 real estate professionals across Canada, a kitchen renovation came out as the most worthwhile project, with respondents estimating it could raise a home's value by about 20 per cent on average. A bathroom renovation came second at about 16 per cent, followed by a finished basement, new windows and interior painting. Outdoor entertaining areas and landscaping were put at about 10 per cent, and a pool near the bottom.

Most agents surveyed, 87 per cent, said interior renovations matter more for resale than exterior ones. These numbers are agents' opinions, not measured sale results, and they describe the potential increase in value rather than how much of the cost you get back. They are still a useful guide to what buyers notice first.

Side by side

Why kitchens and bathrooms lead

Buyers remember kitchens. It is the room people picture themselves living in, and it is the most expensive room to change after moving in. Bathrooms work the same way on a smaller scale. A dated or worn kitchen or bathroom tells a buyer they have a project ahead of them, and they price that in.

That does not mean the most expensive kitchen wins. A clean, well planned kitchen with good storage and durable finishes usually does more for a sale than a showpiece that suits only one taste. Our guide to how to plan a kitchen layout covers what makes a kitchen work.

Basements, windows and paint

Most Calgary homes have a full basement, so finishing it adds usable space for much less than building an addition. Our guide on whether finishing a basement adds value goes into the Calgary details, including legal suites.

New windows help a sale because buyers can see and feel the difference, and in a cold climate they also show up in comfort. Fresh interior paint in calm colours is the cheapest item on the list and one of the most effective. It makes rooms look cared for and photographs well.

What rarely pays back

• Renovating far beyond the street. A $300,000 kitchen in a neighbourhood of modest homes is hard to recover, because buyers compare your house with the houses around it.
• Very personal choices, such as bold tile, unusual layouts or a room built around one hobby.
• Removing a bedroom to make a bigger closet or office. Bedroom count still drives price.
• Pools in a short summer climate, which some buyers see as upkeep rather than value.
• Work done without permits. Buyers, inspectors and lenders may ask for permit records, and unpermitted work can slow or sink a sale. Our permit guide explains what needs one.

Renovating for yourself

If you plan to stay five years or more, resale should be one consideration, not the main one. The value of a renovation you live with every day is hard to put on a spreadsheet. The kitchen you actually cook in, the ensuite that makes mornings easier, the basement your kids grow up in.

A sensible middle path is to spend on the things buyers and you both value, such as layout, storage, light, durable materials and good mechanical systems, and to keep the most personal choices to things that are easy to change later, such as paint, lighting and hardware. Our guide on where to save and splurge goes room by room.

If you are selling soon

• Fix what is broken first. Leaks, cracks, sticking doors and tired roofs worry buyers more than old finishes.
• Paint, lighting and hardware give the most visible change for the least money.
• Ask a local agent which projects matter in your neighbourhood and price range before you commit to anything big.
• Keep every permit, warranty and invoice in one folder for the buyer.

Related guides

For Calgary price ranges, use our cost calculator or read what it typically costs to renovate a house in Calgary.