Home Office

Cost vs. Value
Home Office

2001 Cost vs. Value home

Project (average cost recouped, national)

Minor kitchen remodel (88%)

Bathroom remodel (85%)

Major kitchen remodel (81%)

Family room addition (80%)

Deck addition (77%)

Master suite (75%)

Attic bedroom (74%)

Siding replacement (73%)

Window replacement (69%)

Home office (55%)
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2002 Cost vs. Value Report

2000 Cost vs. Value Report

Pennsylvania remodeler Joe Billingham says installing a home office, complete with cabinetry and proper wiring, is something “middle-management people are doing more and more.”

Real estate professionals say a home office has even bigger appeal for the small-business owner who plans to work from home. The custom-built home office is also a status symbol. Wisconsin real estate pro Scott Kuesel has noticed that the remodeled rooms have the greatest allure for younger homebuyers.

The ideal home office, in Billingham’s view, is close to the kitchen and bath, with lots of windows for light and views.

Job costs range from $8,409 in Knoxville, Tenn., to $12,721 in Chicago. But this project is obviously not for everyone. The home office recoups the least of any of the 10 projects in this year’s report—just 55 percent of its $10,526 average cost. In high-tech areas, however, or cities notorious for long commutes—Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Washington, D.C.—real estate practitioners rate the return far higher.

Design Tips for Consumers

Put in a skylight for maximum natural light.—Kurtz
Install decorative pendant lights over the desk.—Freysinger
Crown moldings make this room more attractive.—Freysinger

Project Description
Convert an existing 12-by-12-foot room to a home office. Install custom cabinets and include desk area, computer workstation, overhead storage, and 20 feet of laminate desktop. Rewire room for computer, fax machine, and other electronic equipment, as well as cable and telephone lines. Include drywall interior and commercial-grade level-loop carpeting.

Region or City	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped
East Average	$10,805	$5,870	54%
Albany, N.Y.	10,580	5,125	48
Baltimore	9,871	4,170	42
Boston	12,070	7,000	58
Burlington, Vt.	8,958	5,616	63
Garden City, N.Y.	12,273	9,729	79
Hartford, Conn.	10,456	6,000	57
Lancaster, Pa.	10,244	3,500	34
Nashua, N.H.	9,120	3,500	38
New Haven, Conn.	10,767	8,145	76
Passaic, N.J.	12,107	2,167	18
Philadelphia	11,641	9,464	81
Pittsburgh	10,944	5,486	50
Providence, R.I.	10,742	7,546	70
Westchester, N.Y.	11,949	4,556	38
Wilmington, Del.	10,360	6,045	58
South Average	$9,500	$6,585	69%
Atlanta	10,140	10,275	101
Birmingham, Ala.	9,785	7,688	79
Columbia, S.C.	9,014	3,368	37
Dallas-Ft. Worth	9,781	4,756	49
Houston	10,142	5,875	58
Jacksonville, Fla.	9,449	5,100	54
Knoxville, Tenn.	8,409	4,417	53
Louisville, Ky.	10,241	7,524	73
Miami	10,015	9,000	90
New Orleans	9,096	4,720	52
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.	8,021	3,083	38
Richmond, Va.	9,410	3,480	37
Tampa, Fla.	9,316	4,700	50
Tulsa, Okla.	9,390	8,830	94
Washington, D.C.	10,284	9,375	91
Midwest Average	$10,921	$5,018	46%
Chicago	12,721	6,300	50
Cleveland	11,830	2,750	23
Columbus, Ohio	10,431	6,348	61
Des Moines, Iowa	10,469	4,820	46
Detroit	11,640	8,150	70
Fargo, N.D.	8,375	4,499	54
Grand Rapids, Mich.	10,360	5,400	52
Indianapolis	10,763	5,125	48
Kansas City, Mo.	11,244	3,750	33
Madison, Wis.	11,350	4,854	43
Milwaukee	11,622	5,417	47
Minneapolis	12,677	3,350	26
St. Louis	11,475	4,000	35
Sioux Falls, S.D.	9,133	4,980	55
Wichita, Kan.	9,727	5,521	57
West Average	$10,878	$5,859	54%
Albuquerque, N.M.	9,675	4,794	50
Boise, Idaho	10,005	6,657	67
Colorado Springs, Colo.	10,092	2,620	26
Denver	10,143	4,617	46
Honolulu	12,179	5,667	47
Las Vegas	10,994	5,125	47
Los Angeles	12,051	8,375	69
Phoenix	9,640	4,460	46
Portland, Ore.	11,258	4,786	43
Sacramento, Calif.	11,037	3,400	31
Salt Lake City	9,675	4,125	43
San Diego	11,328	7,600	67
San Francisco	12,686	13,900	110
Seattle	11,821	8,625	73
Spokane, Wash.	10,582	3,129	30
National Average	$10,526	$5,833	55%