Top 7 Exterior Home Remodels with Best ROI, Plus Costs

Here are the top seven exterior home improvements to spruce up your home and your backyard:

1. Exterior Door

ProVia front door via ProVia.com

Choosing the Perfect Front Door: Top Brands to Consider

Your front door isn’t just an entrance; it’s a blend of style, security, and energy efficiency that adds curb appeal and protection to your home. With the right choice, you can improve your home’s defense against weather, increase energy savings, and make a statement. However, entry doors can be an investment—expect to spend between $1,400 and $3,500 or more. Explore the five trusted brands to find your ideal front door.

Top Entry Door Brands

  • PellaBest Overall: Established in 1925, Pella is a leader in stylish, quality doors. Known for its extensive range of materials—wood, fiberglass, and steel—Pella offers customizable options, including elegant glass features. Many products are Energy Star certified, providing energy savings. Pella’s reputation is backed by awards and a limited lifetime warranty.
  • Unique Home DesignsBest for Security: Founded in 2003, Unique Home Designs brings style to security. Offering steel and aluminum doors with artistically designed metal lattices, these doors blend strength with curb appeal. Customers appreciate their durability and elegant appearance.
  • Therma-TruMost Energy-Efficient: Pioneering fiberglass doors since 1962, Therma-Tru remains a top choice for insulation. Its doors feature polyurethane cores, weatherproofing, and Energy Star certifications. Ideal for homeowners aiming to cut energy costs, Therma-Tru fiberglass doors are durable, low-maintenance, and resistant to warping and rust.
  • AndersenBest for Storm Doors: Known since 1903, Andersen’s storm doors offer protection without hiding the beauty of your entryway. Options include glass panels, insect screens, and removable glazing. Andersen’s storm doors are praised for their style, durability, and weather resilience.
  • Jeld-WenBest Budget-Friendly: Operating in over 20 countries, Jeld-Wen provides a variety of wood, fiberglass, and steel doors at budget-conscious prices. Though more affordable, Jeld-Wen balances style and durability, making it a solid option for homeowners seeking value without compromising quality.

Additional Options: If none of these brands fit your needs, consider other reputable names like ProVia, Masonite, Stanley, Sierra Pacific, and Weather Shield.

Next Steps: Once you’ve selected your dream door, hiring a professional installer ensures a flawless fit and maximum longevity. Let your front door make a lasting first impression with a stylish, secure, and energy-efficient option from one of these trusted brands.

2. Outdoor Kitchen

credits HouseBeautiful.com

If you happen to live in a house with a nice backyard that gets plenty of sunshine, and you are the type of person who loves to entertain your guests and family outdoors, then investing in an outdoor kitchen can be a great way to make your home not only more valuable, but also more enjoyable. 😉

Cost-wise, an outdoor kitchen can cost anywhere from $7,500 to $35,000 for a fairly basic set-up, and between $50,000 and $100,000 for a more luxurious outdoor kitchen. On a per square foot basis, costs tend to run anywhere from $35 to $75 per sq. ft. depending on the choice of materials, the complexity of your design, and home’s geographic location.

ROI: If the upgrade you chose is appropriate for your area, and won’t price your home out of the market, then you can expect an ROI of up to 100% or more depending on the extent of work you had done and how suitable it’s for your particular house. To get the most bang for your buck, consider selling the home with an outdoor kitchen in the summer!

3. Deck

credits AbacusBuilders.com

A deck can make a major difference in terms of curb appeal and enjoyment value for your home.

Cost-wise: a typical deck will range in price from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the complexity of the design and the type of materials used. For DIY enthusiasts, a basic deck can be built for around $3,500. Average cost per square foot: $35 – $55, depending on the materials used, complexity of your design, and your home’s location.

ROI: Aside from a 100%+ return on enjoyment value and popularity with your friends and family, you can expect a return on investment of 80% to 100%, if you choose the right materials and appropriate design.

4. Pergola

Oh would it not be great to extend your home outdoors? That’s right, outdoors, where you can enjoy a bit of sun and fresh air, while also having a sense of shelter? That’s what a Pergola is! — An outdoor structure designed to shelter you from the sun.

There is not a better way to make your enjoyment of the backyard more stylish and fun. A pergola can be combined with a deck, or placed tastefully on your patio, with patio furniture right under the pergola. Pergolas can also be placed around outdoor kitchens.

Cost-wise: You can have a pergola professionally built for $3,000 to $5,000, depending on the complexity of your design. For DIY enthusiasts, a classy pergola can be built for around $1,000.

ROI: Like many other smaller outdoor home improvements, a pergola can have an ROI exceeding 100%, not too mention the enjoyment factor that a homeowner will derive from having a pergola in their property. 😉

The bottom line is that if your pergola is tastefully integrated with the rest of the features on your property, then you can easily recoup the cost of your investment. 😉

5. Patio

credits ConklinLimestone.com

As we mentioned earlier, a pergola screams to be married to a deck or patio. In fact patios, pergolas, outdoor fire pits, and outdoor kitchens can greatly compliment each other!

Cost: A typical patio will cost in the range of $7.50 to $15.00 per square foot to install, depending on the choice of materials, design, and your home’s location.

ROI: Normally patios don’t have as good an ROI as their close cousins, decks, but an ROI of 50% to 60% is typical, while a particularly well designed patios can command a recouped value of over 80%!

6. Metal Roof

credits RoofingCalc.com

A metal roof can be a smart exterior remodeling decision/addition, especially if your roof needs to be replaced anyways. A standing seam metal roof can add tremendous value and curb appeal to the right property.

Cost: A typical metal roof for a residence will cost anywhere from $10.00 to $20.50 per sq. ft. to install, with an average metal roof ranging in price from $19,000 and $37,000, depending on the roof size and complexity, the kind of metal roofing system being installed, and your home’s geographic location.

ROI: Best part is that the ROI for a metal roof can hoover between 85% to 95% in terms of value recouped. Just get a great deal and don’t overpay, you will be in good shape to recoup your investment when you decide to sell your home. Till then, enjoy the durability and 20% to 40% energy savings on your cooling costs.

7. PV Solar Panels coupled with a Standing Seam Metal Roof

credits Solarsouthwestflorida.com

The best part about a standing seam metal roof (our upgrade number five), is that it’s ready for a seamless integration with PV Solar Panels. While asphalt roofs will require drilling a number of holes in the roof to mount the solar panels, a standing seam metal roof is essentially ready for a seamless integration with solar panels — by means of mounting of the solar panels directly to the seams of a metal roof with the help of special, S-5 mounting brackets attached directly to the seams. That means that you can have an energy efficient roof with no holes, so there is no need to worry about the leaks down the road. 🙂

Cost: On average it will cost $14,800 for a 5kW system before the federal solar tax credit rebate. Tax credits are being phased out, so better hurry up! Average cost per solar watt installed is currently between $2.78 and $3.22 for residential PV systems, before tax credits.

ROI: 30% straight away in the form of solar investment tax credits (Solar ITC have recently been extended but are being gradually phased out); 100% return within 8 to 10 years, depending on the set-up.

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