Small, targeted updates pay back far better than big remodels. In the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, a midrange minor kitchen remodel recouped 112.9% of its cost nationally, while a midrange major kitchen remodel recouped 50.9%. Paint and flooring are not in that report, so for them we use what REALTORS told the National Association of REALTORS (NAR).
All numbers below are national averages from those two reports, not Richmond figures. Local costs and buyer responses differ, so use them to rank your options, then get local bids before you spend anything.
What the national data shows for kitchens and baths
The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report, national averages, from Zonda and Remodeling magazine, lists job cost, estimated resale value and the share of cost recouped for each project. The most recent edition we could open was the 2025 report, so check whether a newer one has been released before you quote these figures to anyone.
| Project (2025 Cost vs. Value, national) | Job cost | Resale value | Cost recouped |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minor kitchen remodel, midrange | $28,458 | $32,141 | 112.9% |
| Bath remodel, midrange | $26,138 | $20,915 | 80% |
| Bath remodel, universal design | $42,183 | $25,812 | 61.2% |
| Major kitchen remodel, midrange | $82,793 | $42,130 | 50.9% |
| Bath remodel, upscale | $81,612 | $34,000 | 41.7% |
| Major kitchen remodel, upscale | $164,104 | $58,561 | 35.7% |
The pattern is steady. As the budget rises, the share you get back falls. The minor midrange kitchen was the only kitchen or bath project in that table to recoup more than 100%. The same report also shows a steel entry door replacement at 216.4% and a garage door replacement at 267.7%, which are small jobs with a visible effect from the street.
NAR’s 2025 Remodeling Impact Report asks REALTORS what they think a project adds. It gives a different measure, but the same direction: a kitchen upgrade and a complete kitchen renovation were each estimated at 60% of cost recovered, and a bathroom renovation at 50%. Treat the two reports as a range, not a promise.
Paint and flooring: where the data is thinner
The Cost vs. Value report does not list interior paint or flooring, and the NAR report does not list a cost recovery figure for whole-house paint, refinished hardwood or new wood flooring. We will not invent one. What the NAR report does show is what listing agents recommend: it says agents suggested painting the entire home to sellers 50% of the time and painting one room 41% of the time. A kitchen upgrade was suggested 30% of the time and a bathroom renovation 24%.
That tells you what agents see matter before a sale, not what buyers pay. Paint is cheap relative to a remodel, easy to do before photos, and affects every room in a listing. Flooring is a judgment call, and the right answer depends on the actual condition of your floors.
What owners say about the work itself
The same NAR report includes a “joy score” out of 10 from homeowners who finished projects, which measures how they felt about the result, not what the work added to a sale price. In the report, a kitchen upgrade scored 10, a bathroom renovation 9.8, a complete kitchen renovation 9.7, painting one interior room 9.3 and new wood flooring 9.1. It is a reason to enjoy the work if you stay longer than planned, and not a measure of resale value.
It also helps to separate two goals. One goal is a higher sale price. The other is fewer reasons for a buyer to ask for a concession, such as a price cut or a credit. Cheap fixes mostly serve the second goal, and big remodels are usually justified by the first, which is where the national numbers above are least kind.
A practical order of operations
- Repair and clean first. Fix leaks, broken fixtures, cracked tile and anything a buyer’s inspector will flag. Our home inspection guide lists what inspectors usually look at, which doubles as a repair checklist.
- Paint next. Use a neutral color in rooms where walls are scuffed, patched or strongly colored. If only a few rooms are rough, the NAR numbers support painting those, not the whole house.
- Small kitchen and bath updates. Cabinet fronts or paint, hardware, a faucet, a light fixture, a new counter surface if the old one is damaged. This is the same logic as the minor kitchen remodel in the table, though your actual cost will vary.
- Floors only if they hurt the first impression. Deep scratches, stains, or mismatched flooring from room to room are worth a quote. Worn but clean floors may not be.
- Skip the big remodel. A full kitchen gut right before listing sits in the 35.7% to 50.9% zone for the major remodels in the table above.
Check your price before you pick a project
Your home’s value now, based on nearby sales, is the starting point for deciding how much any update could be worth. Get your instant home value, built from recent sales near you.
How to check the numbers against your own house
National averages mix many markets, and the Cost vs. Value report states that its figures are national averages. The Richmond area is not one market either. A home in Short Pump and one in Church Hill are priced against different nearby sales, and so are homes in Midlothian. Two checks help more than any national figure.
- Compare your finishes to recent sales. Look at what sold near you and what condition those homes were in. Our recently sold properties page is a place to start, and our active listings show what you will compete with.
- Get two or three local bids. A local contractor’s price will beat a national average. Our local Richmond vendors page is one place to find people to ask.
Then compare the cost of the update to what it can change. A low-cost paint and patch job may move a price only a little and still be worth it if it keeps the home from sitting. A large job that may add less than it costs is harder to justify. The answer for your house depends on your finishes, your neighbors’ sales, and your timeline. See our sell with us page for how we plan a sale around those pieces, and the community pages for how each part of the region is organized.
Start with your home’s value, then decide what to fix
Spend on updates only after you know where your home stands against recent sales near you. Get your instant home value, built from recent sales near you.
Frequently asked questions
Should I replace the carpet or paint first if I can only do one?
Paint, in most cases, because the NAR report shows agents recommend painting more often than any other project (entire home 50%, one room 41%). Replace carpet first only if it is stained, worn through or has an odor that cleaning will not remove. Ask your listing agent to walk the house with you.
Do buyers care about a kitchen that has been done to a high standard?
The Cost vs. Value numbers say the higher the spend, the lower the share recovered: 35.7% for a major upscale kitchen and 50.9% for a major midrange one, both national averages for 2025. A buyer may like the result without paying for all of it.
Does staging count as an update?
It is a different tool. Staging changes how the house looks in photos and showings and is far cheaper than a remodel, but neither report we used gives a dollar return for it, so we cannot quote one. Ask your agent what staging help they provide.
Is a steel front door really worth 216%?
That figure is the 2025 Cost vs. Value national estimate for a steel entry door replacement: a $2,435 job and a $5,270 estimated resale value. It is a small project with a limited cost, so a percentage can look large. It does not mean every door will return that much.
Do I need permits for pre-sale updates?
Often yes for electrical, plumbing, structural and some remodeling work. The rules differ by locality, so check with your county or city permits office before hiring. Unpermitted work can slow a buyer’s inspection and appraisal.
Should I fix everything on a buyer’s inspection report?
No. Decide which items are safety or condition problems and which are cosmetic. Some sellers fix the first group and offer a credit for the second. The limits on credits depend on the buyer’s loan type, covered in our guide linked above.
Do the NAR joy scores mean these projects raise my price?
No. The 2025 NAR report gives joy scores from owners (out of 10) about how they felt after a project. The cost recovery figures are a separate measure, based on REALTOR estimates of resale value.
When should I start updates before listing?
Start early enough for permits, contractor schedules and a final cleaning before photos. Many owners plan several weeks; for larger work, plan longer and ask the contractor for a written completion date.
