Which Upgrades Boost the Value of Your Allentown Home?

Kitchen remodel: Yay or nay?

My husband and I have spent the first year of our marriage in project turmoil: We've updated the kitchen, added a coffered wall to the master bedroom, built a patio, installed new light fixtures, replaced the basement paneling with dry wall (a project under way even as I type). And we often ask each other: Do you think we're adding any value to the house by doing this?

We both know this isn't our permanent home, which means we have to consider things like resale value and "Will potential buyers really like this change?" At last, we have a firm answer: Remodeling.HW.net has published its annual Cost Vs. Value report, which analyzes the cost recouped from various home remodeling projects, down to the city level. 

So which projects in Allentown, PA, give you the most bang for your buck?

Entry door replacement (steel)

Average job cost in Allentown: $1,202

Resale value: $1,112

Cost recouped: 92.5%

I'm guessing this takes the #1 slot for one unfortunate reason: Allentown has a lot of crime. 

Attic bedroom

Average job cost in Allentown: $52,195

Resale value: $47,762

Cost recouped: 91.5%

More like an attic apartment: According to the report, this project entails converting an unfinished attic space to a 15-by-15 foot bedroom with a 5-by-7 foot full bathroom, complete with four new windows, a dormer, carpeting, and air-conditioning.

Deck addition (wood)

Average job cost in Allentown: $10,152

Resale value: $7,868

Cost recouped: 77.5%

Despite spending half the year swallowed by the polar vortex, Allentown residents love their decks! How big a deck are we talking? Sixteen by 20 feet, made out out of pressure-treated wood, with a built-in bench.

Minor kitchen remodel

Average job cost in Allentown: $19,455

Resale value: $13,997

Cost recouped: 71.9%

To qualify as a "minor" remodel, you have to replace your cabinet doors with new raised-panel ones (leaving the old cabinet frames intact), install new hardware, replace the wall oven and cooktop with energy-efficient models, abolish any trace of laminate, install a "mid-priced" sink and faucet, repaint the trim, update the wall color, and put in new flooring. So much for minor updates, huh?

Entry door replacement (fiberglass)

Average job cost in Allentown: $2,863

Resale value: $2,041

Cost recouped: 71.3%

Yet again, security = priceless.

Major kitchen remodel 

Average job cost in Allentown: $56,471

Resale value: $39,998

Cost recouped: 70.8%

I'm kind of scared to report what's required for a major kitchen overhaul: semi-custom cabinetry (including an island), laminate countertops (odd, I'd expect granite, minimum), double stainless sink, an energy-efficient wall oven and cooktop, ventilation system, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposal, custom lighting, resilient flooring, and painted walls, trim, and ceiling. 

Backup power generator

Average job cost in Allentown: $12,028

Resale value: $8,004

Cost recouped: 66.5%

Hurricane Sandy, Winter Storm Pax, the occasional earthquake: A backup system has you covered.