Major Kitchen Remodel

Cost vs. Value
Major Kitchen Remodel

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%)
________________
2002 Cost vs. Value Report

2000 Cost vs. Value Report

Kitchens are more susceptible to changes in taste than other rooms. Wood once gave way to white; now white is giving way to stainless steel. But among real estate practitioners, the consensus is that a fully remodeled kitchen is a strong selling point. San Francisco remodeler and real estate broker Neil Gibbs doesn’t hesitate to say what buyers desire most: a new, top-of-the-line kitchen.

“Young homebuyers with money want professional-quality kitchens, even if they don’t use them,” Gibbs points out. “It’s the driving thing in the market here, by far.”

The kitchen in our project description is a midpriced remodel in the range of $32,923 in Knoxville to $45,365 in San Francisco. Nationwide, that cost averages out to $38,769 and returns $31,344, or 81 percent.

Design Tips for Consumers

A microwave-convection combination gives you a second oven at minimal cost.—Porter
Design a focal point for the cooking area by bumping out base cabinets.—Freysinger
Use contrasting or coordinating countertop materials, one over the base cabinets and another on the island.—Kurtz

Project Description
Update an outmoded 200-square-foot kitchen with design and installation of a functional layout of new cabinets, laminate countertops, midpriced sink and faucet, energy-efficient wall oven, cooktop, ventilation system, built-in microwave, dishwasher, garbage disposer, and custom lighting. Add new resilient floor. Finish with painted walls, trim, and ceiling. Include 30 lineal feet of semicustom-grade wood cabinets and counterspace, including a 3-by-5 foot center island.

Region or City	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped
East Average	$39,253	$33,485	85%
Albany, N.Y.	38,883	29,249	75
Baltimore	37,726	21,710	58
Boston	42,966	66,000	154
Burlington, Vt.	35,643	28,473	80
Garden City, N.Y.	42,536	58,600	138
Hartford, Conn.	38,669	21,250	55
Lancaster, Pa.	37,097	21,167	57
Nashua, N.H.	32,654	23,813	73
New Haven, Conn.	38,795	31,400	81
Passaic, N.J.	43,842	21,000	48
Philadelphia	42,156	40,845	97
Pittsburgh	39,626	32,500	82
Providence, R.I.	38,240	32,260	84
Westchester, N.Y.	42,450	43,243	102
Wilmington, Del.	37,519	30,773	82
South Average	$36,532	$29,798	82%
Atlanta	38,659	30,000	78
Birmingham, Ala.	38,165	42,000	110
Columbia, S.C.	35,137	20,527	58
Dallas-Ft. Worth	37,871	25,259	67
Houston	39,272	28,375	72
Jacksonville, Fla.	36,992	20,760	56
Knoxville, Tenn.	32,923	23,588	72
Louisville, Ky.	37,030	37,555	101
Miami	38,211	32,500	85
New Orleans	35,220	33,993	97
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.	30,789	20,618	67
Richmond, Va.	36,119	19,675	54
Tampa, Fla.	35,758	24,700	69
Tulsa, Okla.	36,356	36,800	101
Washington, D.C.	39,474	50,625	128
Midwest Average	$39,682	$28,394	72%
Chicago	44,330	41,000	92
Cleveland	41,227	22,500	55
Columbus, Ohio	36,351	28,219	78
Des Moines, Iowa	38,699	21,420	55
Detroit	41,679	41,275	99
Fargo, N.D.	34,829	22,424	64
Grand Rapids, Mich.	37,094	29,400	79
Indianapolis	39,775	28,000	70
Kansas City, Mo.	40,827	20,000	49
Madison, Wis.	40,963	23,535	57
Milwaukee	41,799	29,167	70
Minneapolis	44,102	34,500	78
St. Louis	41,498	37,300	90
Sioux Falls, S.D.	35,317	21,550	61
Wichita, Kan.	36,744	25,627	70
West Average	$39,608	$33,697	85%
Albuquerque, N.M.	35,738	19,096	53
Boise, Idaho	36,143	29,286	81
Colorado Springs, Colo.	38,191	19,000	50
Denver	38,383	28,737	75
Honolulu	44,097	53,524	121
Las Vegas	40,611	26,500	65
Los Angeles	43,483	41,250	95
Phoenix	34,784	29,500	85
Portland, Ore.	40,549	34,000	84
Sacramento, Calif.	39,468	22,200	56
Salt Lake City	35,738	24,375	68
San Diego	40,874	44,000	108
San Francisco	45,365	71,000	157
Seattle	42,576	45,875	108
Spokane, Wash.	38,116	17,112	45
National Average	$38,769	$31,344	81%

The projects: Family room addition >