'Big Ticket' Items of Forced Appreciation

[Mark Douglas]

In your experience, what areas of improvement have contributed the most in increasing the property valuation?  (i.e. Complete demo/reno vs. new paint)

[Daniel Watrous]

Your target is functional obsolescence , a property might need an update to make it usable again. For example, if you can convert a 1/2 bath to a full bath or recover a lost bedroom or storage area. 

You won't get a much bang for your buck on things like updating a kitchen or roof, because those are necessities. Every home has to have one, and while you can make your home more desirable (will sell more quickly) a new kitchen won't make it worth more.