Whether you expect to put your home up for sale in the relatively near future or at a later date, when you make upgrades to your property, you’ll likely consider the corresponding return on investment. Some renovations can bring surprisingly high returns, and we’ll share insights.

Remodeling, a well-respected trade publication, recently released information about value-adding home renovations in 2024. You can access national data as well as more region-specific information (such as for South Atlantic averages) and for select cities with Jacksonville, Florida information available. For the purposes of this post—about Amelia Island real estate—we’ll use Jacksonville insights. Results show that four investments into your home will allow you to recoup 100% or more of your investment, so those are highlighted first.

Biggest Returns on Investments

For the relatively low investment of $2,313 into a steel entry door replacement, you can benefit by recouping $4,470 when reselling your Amelia Island real estate, according to Remodeling. This is a whopping 193.3% return on investment. So, not only could you have a brand spanking new steel door while you're still in the home, you could practically double your money when selling. Not bad!

Close at the heels of the entry door: a garage door replacement where an investment of $5,020 could garner $9,097 upon resale—a return of 181.2%. 

Next up is manufactured stone veneer. Besides being a great investment ($10,396 for $13,726 resale value and a 132% return), stone veneers are quite fashionable nowadays, which can help to attract buyers when the time comes. According to manufacturer Casa di Sassi, stones in blue hues are predicted to be in demand this year. Blue tones can be quite versatile, serving as a “neutral or a bold statement.” Soft, unassuming blues can “bridge various design elements already present, giving your house a more unified and cohesive appearance.” Prefer highlights in brighter shades? They can “lend energy, excitement, and dynamism.”

The site also shares something that Amelia Island residents are already blessed to know: blue provides a “universal connection,” reminiscent of the colors of the sky and beautiful bodies of water, empowering us while also providing us with a sense of peace.

Now, there’s one more improvement that can come with a great return on investment: a fiberglass grand entrance, costing an average of $10,891 that can bring $10,933 upon resale— which basically gives you your money right back. When creating your luxurious foyer, consider eye-catching lighting and well-placed mirrors and pieces of art.

Although these are the renovations that can add the most value in Amelia Island real estate, plenty more options exist with some of them spotlighted in this blog post. 

Deck Additions

Thanks to the gorgeous weather enjoyed on Amelia Island, families and their guests will have plenty of opportunities to gather outdoors—and deck additions also provide an ideal place to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee or tea at sunrise and your favorite drink at sunset. According to Better Homes & Gardens, today’s decks combine functionality with style, serving as restorative retreats, “sanctuaries” where you “can prioritize wellness, rejuvenation and self-care” that can include privacy walls.

Neutral and natural palettes are trending, perhaps livened with a herringbone pattern, with the decks providing indoor-outdoor continuity. This helps to transform homes into a “tranquil oasis.” To create this sense of interconnectedness, consider using sliding glass doors and make the deck material mirror the colors and textures of indoor floors. Elements like posts and frames facilitate the inclusion of outdoor lighting, hanging chairs, greenery, and more and allow you to divide your deck into zones for different purposes.

Remodeling provided two sets of data for deck additions. Spending $15,564 for wooden deck additions can add $12,677 to your Amelia Island real estate’s resale value: a return on investment of 81.4%. If you prefer composite materials, spending $24,746 can add $14,828 to your home’s value, providing a return of 59.9%. Composite decks are becoming more popular; while often looking like wood, they’re more durable and resist fading, cracking, and peeling. They require less maintenance and can be more fire-resistant. 

Kitchen Remodel

When you think about garnering a return on investment with renovations in your Amelia Island real estate, you probably think about your kitchen. Remodeling provides three different tiers of information for this pivotal room in your house; listed below are the costs, resale values, and return on investment percentages for each.

• Minor Kitchen Remodel (Midrange): $27,926/$19,707: 70.6%
• Major Kitchen Remodel (Midrange): $79,485/$32,113: 40.4%
• Major Kitchen Remodel (Upscale): $157,497/$52,591: 33.4%

According to the 2024 Houzz U.S. Kitchen Trends Study, many people are opening up their kitchens. Nearly two-thirds of those who do are removing any wall separations to improve functionality and create bigger entertainment spaces. What else is trending: significant structural changes in the kitchen, including revamping the layout—and even changing the kitchen’s location and/or modifying ceiling heights. Upgrading kitchen systems is also becoming popular during renovations.

More than half of homeowners who renovate their kitchen replace all of its appliances, increasingly choosing high-tech ones, including ones with Wi-Fi connectivity. The great majority of them (86%) install new backsplashes, often extending them to their range hood or cabinets. One in ten even covers an entire wall. Today’s most popular materials are ceramic or porcelain tile; that said, some prefer engineered quartz or natural stone, including marble, quartzite, or granite.

Bath Remodel 

Just like with kitchen remodels, many people think of bathroom remodels when considering which renovations to invest in to receive a good return on investment. Here’s what Remodeling has to say:

• Bath Remodel (Midrange): $24,283/$15,397: 63.4%
• Bath Remodel (Universal Design): $39,721/$17,375: 43.7%
• Bath Remodel (Upscale): $76,849/$31,969: 41.6%

Forbes has gathered expert insights into bathroom remodels, including how these rooms are becoming places to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate: a spa-like place that could include frameless, doorless steam showers, built-in shower seating, heated floors, aromatherapy devices, and more. These rooms are being designed for “ritual and well-being” that allow for “Curating small, even unexpected moments that support mindfulness . . . [to] delight our senses and create calm.”

Bidets and freestanding tubs are becoming more common, and so are vintage features. These include bathtubs and other fixtures that come complete with “pendant accents and ornate details,” lighting that’s reminiscent of candlesticks, and vintage colors like rosy pink, teal green, gold, and brass. This helps to create a feeling of coziness that meshes well with the notion of relaxation.

Homes & Gardens, meanwhile, notes the use of wall paneling in bathrooms, which are easy to clean and maintain while being environmentally friendly. Use of a statement stone can create a stunning focal point with smoked glass making a comeback.

Bathroom Addition

Adding another bathroom to your Amelia Island real estate comes with returns on investment:

• Bathroom Addition (Midrange): $55,362/$16,860: 30.5%
• Bathroom Addition (Upscale): $100,778/$27,524: 27.3%

One rule of thumb is to have at least two bathrooms for every three bedrooms with luxury homes often having a 1:1 ratio. Although this may not bring about the largest return on investment, it can help when attracting qualified buyers. 

Landscaping Matters

Better Homes & Gardens quotes an expert who shares how properly placed trees can add value to a home: up to $9,000. Avoid placing them near your driveway, house foundation, and so forth. This is a general average; more specifically, mature trees can boost property prices in a region by four to twenty percent. 

A well maintained yard also adds to the value with the National Association of Realtors and the National Association of Landscape Professionals suggesting that, for 2,800 square feet of lawn, mowing regularly, mulching annually, pruning shrubs, and planting sixty or so annuals or perennials would cost about $3,000, coming with a 100% return on investment.

As an additional tip, landscape lighting can increase property value by one to three percent as it protects your home and adds its appeal to potential homebuyers. Plus, fire pits can come with a 78% return on investment.

Renovate Before Selling? Or Sell As-Is?

This question certainly isn’t new. In fact, we covered it back in 2019! It’s worth revisiting, though, and here are pros and cons of each approach with your Amelia Island real estate. 

Pros of Renovating

When you strategically make in-demand upgrades, as the Remodeling data demonstrates, you can have opportunities to boost the resale price of your Amelia Island real estate. Other times, the resale boost may not be as significant, but it can help to enhance your home’s marketability and facilitate a smoother, faster sale. When you upgrade in desirable ways that other homes in the area haven’t, this can allow your house to stand out to buyers.

Cons of Renovating

Remodeling data also shows how you very likely won’t recoup all the money invested in your renovations. You can use the information available from them (which is more in-depth that what’s covered here) to make smart decisions for your specific situation. Plus, remember that savvy upgrades will almost certainly up the marketability of your home, which is a significant advantage all by itself.

Pros of Selling As-Is

If you don’t spend time on renovations (and, instead, handle simple updates to prepare your home for sale), you could sell your home by an earlier date than if you spent months on the upgrades. You also wouldn’t spend the money that the renovations would cost. There are buyers who don’t mind choosing homes that need some work; this can be especially true of younger first-time home buyers.

Cons of Selling As-Is

If you’ve got the time to do renovations and the money it requires, an as-is approach may cause  you to leave money on the table. As noted above, some of them can significantly boost the value of your home and, therefore, secure a higher sales price—and some of them, such as the ones listed under the sub-heading of “Biggest Returns on Investments,” don’t cost that much money.

Clearly, there are pros and cons. It can make sense to get guidance from Amelia Island realty specialists like our expert agents at Amelia Island Real Estate Services. We possess deep insights into what’s in demand in Amelia Island real estate and the sales prices being secured in today’s market. Just reach out for professional assistance!

Our Amelia Island realty experts can also help you to find the home of your dreams such as these luxury homes for sale. 

Buying and Selling at the Same Time

You may be doing exactly that and, while it’s not uncommon, it can generate stress without the right kind of planning. Fortunately, our Amelia Island realty team knows just how to navigate the waters when buying and selling at the same time. We can smoothly guide you through the paperwork involved (and, yes, there sure can be plenty) and cut through the red tape. This can save you time and energy alike, which allows you to focus on your dreams of a new high-end home in Amelia Island.

Our real estate agents are quite knowledgeable about local buying and selling trends and can offer strategies on selecting professionals for the renovations you decide to make; decluttering your home to optimally stage it for sale; to advertise most effectively, including but not limited to open houses; and to otherwise help you to most efficiently sell your home at the best market price. Our experts can also help you to choose which of the luxury homes for sale best fit your wants, needs, and dreams and much more. 

Contact Amelia Island Real Estate Services

Connect with us to benefit from the expertise and passion of our Amelia Island realty professionals. We’re honored to be of service and look forward to serving you.