Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Brought to you by Scott P. Rogers, Funkhouser Real Estate Group, 540-578-0102, scott@HarrisonburgHousingToday.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Let's say you just bought a home here in Harrisonburg for $400K. Homes in your neighborhood also sell for around $400K, so nothing too unusual there.
But, now let's say you're excited about the house and you start planning some big upgrades... solar panels, a kitchen remodel, two new bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout. All in, you'll be spending $100K or more.
Here's the thing you need to think about before you start moving forward with the big projects... if you had to re-sell it in the near future, a buyer probably isn't going to pay you $500K+ for that house just because you put $100K+ into it. If everything else on your street is selling in the $400s, your home can exceed that general price point, but only by so much.
So does that mean the improvements are a bad idea? Maybe. Maybe not. It really depends on your time horizon.
If you're planning to sell in a year, this math can feel painful. You spent $500K+ total between the purchase and the improvements, and the market might only hand you back something close to $425K or $440K when you sell.
But if you're planning to stay in that home for 15 years... the math works a bit differently. You get 15 years of a solar-powered house, a kitchen you love cooking in, bathrooms that are modern and luxorious, and floors that look and feel good every day. By the time you sell in 15 years, you probably already feel like you have had a lived return on your investment, and the sales price will be higher as well.
So before you take on a big renovation, especially if it makes your home significantly outshine your neighbors' homes, it's worth asking... how long do I plan to be here?
If the answer is "not long," I'd think carefully about which improvements are truly necessary versus which ones are just nice to have.
If the answer is "a long time," it probably makes more sense to spend the money to make the house yours.
If you're weighing a renovation and want a second opinion on how it might affect resale, in the near future or in the far future, I'm happy to help you think it through.
But, now let's say you're excited about the house and you start planning some big upgrades... solar panels, a kitchen remodel, two new bathrooms, hardwood floors throughout. All in, you'll be spending $100K or more.
Here's the thing you need to think about before you start moving forward with the big projects... if you had to re-sell it in the near future, a buyer probably isn't going to pay you $500K+ for that house just because you put $100K+ into it. If everything else on your street is selling in the $400s, your home can exceed that general price point, but only by so much.
So does that mean the improvements are a bad idea? Maybe. Maybe not. It really depends on your time horizon.
If you're planning to sell in a year, this math can feel painful. You spent $500K+ total between the purchase and the improvements, and the market might only hand you back something close to $425K or $440K when you sell.
But if you're planning to stay in that home for 15 years... the math works a bit differently. You get 15 years of a solar-powered house, a kitchen you love cooking in, bathrooms that are modern and luxorious, and floors that look and feel good every day. By the time you sell in 15 years, you probably already feel like you have had a lived return on your investment, and the sales price will be higher as well.
So before you take on a big renovation, especially if it makes your home significantly outshine your neighbors' homes, it's worth asking... how long do I plan to be here?
If the answer is "not long," I'd think carefully about which improvements are truly necessary versus which ones are just nice to have.
If the answer is "a long time," it probably makes more sense to spend the money to make the house yours.
If you're weighing a renovation and want a second opinion on how it might affect resale, in the near future or in the far future, I'm happy to help you think it through.
