Not many improvements will pay back dollar for dollar what the homeowner puts into a project. The best rate of return would be on do-it yourself projects. In this market, many homeowners have invested in projects over the last few years and today cannot recover what they paid. Home maintenance should never be viewed as an investment. Routine upkeep, updating and maintenance on a yearly basis is the best way to avoid depreciation in the end. If these items are left to be completed at the time of selling, a homeowner is faced with the decision of enhancing the property to appeal to buyers at the best possible price or pricing the property accordingly for an as is sale. It will all come out in the wash, if you wait until you are ready to sell to decide on making improvements,.

If you want good invesment, then don't buy a house. Returns on housing historically is basically the rate of inflation, and you rarely get back all that you put in for upgrades, so that will be more of a loss. Plus it costs about 10% to buy and sell a house in transaction costs.