Home Renovation ROI Calculator

Cosmetic refreshes (fresh paint, new carpet, updated fixtures) consistently offer the best ROI — often recovering 130% of their cost because the spend is low. Kitchen minor updates and bathroom minor updates also return strong value. Full kitchen and bathroom renovations are higher cost but attract buyers. Swimming pools typically only recover 40-50% of their cost at resale.

It depends on the renovation type, market conditions, and your timeline. Cosmetic work (paint, carpet, styling) almost always pays off before a sale. Major structural work (extensions, full kitchen reno) is riskier — you may not recoup costs if selling in a short timeframe. In a hot market, buyers will often overlook cosmetic issues and pay full price anyway.

Generally no — pools typically only recover 40-50% of their installation cost at resale, and they can actually deter some buyers due to ongoing maintenance costs of $2,000-$5,000/year. Pools add the most value in hot climates (QLD, NT, WA) and on larger properties. In cooler southern states, they are often seen as a liability by buyers.