The 2025 Guide to Home Remodeling

·35 min·3 clips

Jessica Lautz explains why new steel front doors and closet renovations can regain 100% of your investment at resale.

This episode of Real Estate Today focuses on smart home remodeling strategies for 2025, featuring host Melissa Tracy and several expert guests. Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz presents the National Association of Realtors' 2025 Remodeling Impact Report, while realtor and house flipper Michelle Doherty and Angie's List co-founder Angie Hicks offer practical advice. The episode also includes a cautionary segment with consumer advocate Jodi Costello, who shares her personal remodeling disaster. The report identifies new steel and fiberglass front doors and closet renovations as projects with the highest cost recovery, potentially returning 100% of their cost. In contrast, larger projects like kitchen upgrades or adding a primary bedroom suite score a perfect 10 on the report's "joy score" but offer lower financial returns. Jessica Lautz notes homeowners are staying in properties for over ten years on average, funding renovations primarily through home equity loans or savings. Realtors most often recommend a full home paint job, new roofing, and kitchen upgrades to sellers for marketability. Michelle Doherty states the kitchen remodel offers the biggest bang for your buck but warns against overly niche or cheap-looking updates like mismatched cabinets. In a lightning round, she prioritizes kitchens over bathrooms, paint over flooring, and an extra bedroom over a dedicated home office. Angie Hicks suggests cost-effective updates like painting or refacing existing cabinets instead of full replacement. She advises homeowners to categorize desired projects by structural necessity versus dream items before applying a budget. Jodi Costello recounts a nightmare renovation where a $30,000 upfront payment led to severe delays, construction defects, and her own carbon monoxide poisoning. She emphasizes that a clean license check is insufficient and recommends thorough background searches for liens and complaints. A key insight is the discrepancy between projects that bring personal joy and those with the best resale value, highlighting a core decision for renovators. The episode reveals that while homeowners plan major projects like HVAC and roof replacements, small, strategic updates often yield better financial returns. The tone is primarily educational and conversational, blending data-driven segments with practical tips and a narrative cautionary tale. Listeners seeking to increase their home's value or plan a renovation will find actionable data and contractor vetting strategies. Those not currently considering home improvements or who prefer purely entertainment-focused content might find the detailed financial analysis less engaging.

As heard by us

Practical remodeling guidance that keeps value, daily use, and the biggest home pain points in view.

This episode treats remodeling as a question of value and daily use, not just taste. It stays practical, keeping the focus on where money tends to matter most when someone is selling or trying to make a home work better: kitchens, bathrooms, curb appeal, and the Realtor's role…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Remodel with purpose before you spend a dollar.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Real Estate Today