Watch Out for Money-Sucking Home Renovations

Want to Lose Money? Invest Your Remodeling Dollars Here

Some remodelng projects are plain bad investments, or verging on dumb, from a "cost return" perspective. Other remodeling projects make sense, but still do not return the bucks you put into them.

The five worst remodeling projects, on a "cost return" basis:

1. Roof replacement - Roofs are necessary. So, sorry to tell you that they don't nearly pay back what you put into them. Think of it: any potential buyers for your house will assume that your house has a normal, functional roof. It's just a "given."
2. Sunroom addition - Why did you respond to that infomercial? Can you remember why anymore? Sunrooms are often built as a misguided alternative to building a house addition. Don't do it.
3. Home office addition - A perennial money-loser, though if a legitimate home office it may make back some costs in the form of tax deductions.
4. Deck addition - Decks are fun, but do not enchance your house value at all. Zero, zippo.
5. Window replacement - You'll get some money back with replacement windows. But when you consider the staggering cost of replacements, you'll see just how long it takes to recoup that cost.