Kitchen Refacing Tops Cost vs Value 2025 for Biggest ROI
Oct 15, 2025Minor Kitchen and Bath Remodels Among the Best Home Improvements that Add Value to Your Home
For the second year in a row, minor midrange kitchen remodeling has taken the top spot for return on investment among interior remodeling projects, according to the industry’s annual Cost vs. Value report. Improveit closely follows this trusted industry report each year so our team can provide customers with a clear understanding of how to maximize their remodeling budget and where they’ll see the best return on investment.
For 2025, homeowners will find good news for project updates both inside and outside the home. In fact, the 2025 report includes five projects with more than a 100% ROI (including minor kitchen remodeling), and three of those projects see returns higher than 200% – an all time high! On top of that, Cost vs Value analysts added five new project categories this year. Let’s dig into the numbers.
Home Improvements that Add Value in 2025
Top Performer: Minor Midrange Kitchen Remodeling
Project Scope: Cabinet refacing, appliance replacement, upgrading to stone countertops, flooring replacement
For the second year in a row, minor midrange kitchen remodeling is the interior home update with the best return on investment at 112.9%. This means that for every $1,000 you spend on this project, you can add $1,112.90 to the value of your home. In other words: Kitchen refacing pays for itself!
READ MORE: How Much Does Kitchen Remodeling Cost?
Before & After: This minor midrange kitchen remodel in central Ohio dramatically updated the look and feel of the space, giving the homeowner exactly what she wanted. Click here to see more photos and hear what she had to say here.
Strong Returns: Midrange Bathroom Remodeling
Project Scope: Update a 5×7-foot bathroom with new bathtub, toilet, vanity, flooring, and fixtures.
Midrange kitchen updates are closely followed by midrange bathroom remodeling on the Cost vs. Value’s list of highest ROI interior projects. For 2025, making minor yet meaningful updates to your bathroom will earn you an average of 80% ROI depending on where you live.
READ MORE: How Much Does Bathroom Remodeling Cost?
Don’t forget: Remodeling value isn’t just something that gets recognized at resale. Updating your home for your current needs and design preferences is essential to how you enjoy your home. Plus, replacing outdated fixtures and finishes helps ensure your bathroom is free of leaks, mold and mildew, and other issues that can cause your bathroom to deteriorate over time.
A Surprising Climber: Universal Design Bathroom Remodeling
Project Scope: Update a 5×7-foot bathroom for wheelchair access, a curbless roll-in shower with grab bars and fold-down seat, comfort height toilet, LVT flooring, and additional universal design accessories.
With a focus on homeowners with mobility issues, as well as senior homeowners preferring to stay in their homes as they age, universal design bathroom remodels have gained attention in recent years, but their higher price tags haven’t kept up with the rising ROI of midrange bathroom remodeling.
Not so this year! Universal design bathroom remodeling is seeing a surge in ROI for 2025, climbing to a national average of 61.2%. This is up 11 points from 2024, and is once again reaching pre-pandemic ROI levels.
READ MORE: How Much Does Accessible Bathroom Remodeling Cost?
Cost vs Value 2025: Exterior Project Highlights
Minor midrange kitchen remodeling is the only interior remodeling project to crack the 100% ROI threshold this year, but four exterior projects have also reached impressive triple-digit levels, with three of them topping well over 200% ROI!
- Garage Door Replacement: 267.7% ROI
- Entry Door Replacement: 216.4% ROI
- Manufactured Stone Veneer: 207.9% ROI
- Fiber Cement Siding Replacement: 113.7% ROI
Among exterior projects Improveit offers, vinyl window replacement continues to exceed wood window replacement in terms of ROI. Vinyl windows have a 75.5% value compared to just 70.1% for wood windows. This trend has been consistent since 2010.
Beyond these high-value projects, there are also five new projects introduced in the Cost vs. Value 2025 report:
- Backyard Patio: 46% ROI
- Backup Power Generator: 95.3% ROI
- Solar Power Installation: 29.7% ROI
- Basement Remodel: 71% ROI
- Accessory Dwelling Unit: 41.3%
Visit costvsvalue.com to learn more about each of these projects, and comment on our Facebook post to let us know which new project you’re most interested in.
Hidden ROI: What Homeowners Overlook When Researching Home Improvements that Add Value
The Cost vs Value Report calculates ROI based on resale value only, but Improveit customers and design consultants know the benefits go far beyond the numbers. When evaluating remodeling decisions, it’s worth remembering the non-tangible returns that aren’t included in Cost vs. Value calculations:
- Lifetime Warranty: When your project comes with a no-fuss lifetime warranty like Improveit’s, you protect your investment by knowing you’ll never have to pay for future warranty service. Plus, your Improveit warranty is transferable to a future buyer, so adding even more value and incentive to your home sale.
- Lower maintenance: Grout-free showers, durable finishes, and quality window systems reduce upkeep and prevent long-term damage.
- Everyday comfort and pride: Enjoying an updated kitchen, bathroom, and windows every day delivers a different kind of value that ROI alone can’t measure.
Even if you’re not planning on selling anytime soon, investing in home updates can boost pride of ownership and make your home more welcoming and enjoyable right now. That’s why we encourage homeowners to think beyond pure resale math. Yes, ROI matters — but remodeling should also reflect your personal comfort, style preferences, and the way you want to live in your home today.
The Best Time to Invest in Your Home’s Value is Now!
In this article, we’ve looked closely at Cost vs. Value 2025 ROI, but the cost side of the equation is worth noting too. Across the board, project costs rose an average of 5.9% this year, with most projects increasing around the 3.5% range. There were no projects that went down in cost from 2024 to 2025.
But even as project costs continue to rise, we can see that ROI remains high for many of the most popular home improvement projects. Strategic home improvements are paying off more than ever! If you’ve been waiting for confirmation that a kitchen update, bathroom remodel, or window replacement is worth it, here it is!
Ready to see how these ROI trends apply to your home? Schedule a free consultation with an Improveit team member. Our trusted advisors are ready to help you get the best return on your investment now and for years to come.
