Profitable but Frugal Projects to Make Your San Jose Home Value Skyrocket

If you’re planning to add your home to the San Jose real estate market in the next six months or so, you’ve probably given some thought to home improvement projects. On one hand, fixing your home up a bit can increase its value and make it more attractive to today’s buyers. On the other hand, the more money you spend, the less you’re likely to recoup it all when your home sells.

The key is finding that delicate balance between spending on San Jose home improvement projects and maximizing profits. You’re most likely to find that balance when working with an experienced real estate professional who understands the San Jose housing market. Professional expertise will give you insight into what San Jose home buyers want today in and the upcoming years. The trends are always changing, and a pro will do the keeping up for you.

Your home has the potential to skyrocket in value and sell beyond your ideal price as well, but it won’t happen if you overspend on home improvements. This guide is designed to help you understand what projects are worth the investment and what you should leave for the new owners to explore.

Sizing Up San Jose Home Improvement Options

Selecting home improvement projects that will make an impact in the San Jose real estate market comes down to a few key factors. First, consider how much a project will likely increase your San Jose home value. Unfortunately, many home improvement projects are underwhelming when it comes to actual home value increases. Talking to an experienced San Jose real estate professional is the best way to determine realistic increase expectations.

Second, consider the total cost of each home improvement project. The more you spend on a project, the less likely you are to receive substantial profit gains when your home sells. You might want to get estimates from two or three reputable contractors or service providers to determine the total financial cost. It’s a fact that contractors charge widely varying prices, for essentially the same quality of work. One contractor may charge $65,000 for your kitchen remodel that another wants $95,000 for the exact same scope of work. Shop around!

The cost – and value – of your time is something to think about as well. People used to talk about building “sweat equity” in a home, by doing many of the renovations themselves, personally. In fact, this is one of the best ways to increase the equity in your home when you sell it – so long as you can do a professional and workmanlike job on the improvements that you make.

You can subtract the estimated cost of a home improvement project from the expected increase in home value. One way to get a check of your expected increase in value is to look at the latest Remodeling Magazine Cost vs Value Report. Does that leave you with enough potential increase in value to make the project worthwhile? If not, go back to the drawing board to find other options that are more profitable and cost-effective.

Finally, think about trends in the local market. If you intend to sell your home in the next six months or so, it’s no longer about making the home “yours.” It’s more about creating an attractive canvas on which prospective buyers can envision their idea of a perfect home. That often means sleek, polished and open spaces in neutral colors that aren’t overly customized.

Do You Need to Take it Down a Notch?

It may seem like less customization means less work for you when preparing your home for the market. That’s only true if your home doesn’t already contain overly personalized features. If you have some bold paint colors or some “specialty” upgrades from days gone by (I’m looking at you, indoor built-in barbecue!), you might want to consider toning it down to give buyers that open canvas to see their futures unfolding in your home.

Quick review time!

The best San Jose home improvement projects for the pre-sell phase will meet all of the criteria we discussed above:

Potential for high home value increase
Low to moderate cost of completion
Aligned with current San Jose real estate trends

Frugal but Profitable Home Improvement Options for San Jose Homeowners

Are you ready to talk about some specific home improvement options that have great potential to hit those three marks? Every home is unique, so you should discuss your best options with a San Jose real estate expert, but some improvements have proven to work well for most homes, most of the time. Let’s discuss the most promising.

Replace the Front Door

Every year, Remodeling breaks down the expected cost of completion and cost recovery for a variety of home improvement projects. They break the results down to the local level, and the 2024 Cost vs. Value Report highlighted steel entry door replacement as the most profitable option for the San Jose area.

According to Remodeling, the estimated cost of installing a new 20-gauge steel door with a clear, dual-pane half-glass panel, aluminum threshold, composite stop, jambs, and new lock set, is $2,355. With an estimated value increase of approximately $4,430, they estimate that homeowners can recoup approximately 194% of that cost at resale.

Steel doors are sturdy, long-lasting, and attractive. They come in a variety of styles and colors, so you can select one that elevates the appearance of your home with a manageable price tag. Other types of doors may not deliver such steep returns, so talk to your San Jose Realtor before determining the best door for your home.

Upgrade Garage Doors

The 2024 Cost vs. Value report also found that garage door replacement was the home improvement project most likely to deliver the greatest increase in home value for homes anywhere in the U.S. With an estimated cost of around $4,500 and estimated gains of over $8,700, it’s something many homeowners should consider going into 2025.

That increase in home value was estimated based on the installation of a four-section, high-tensile strength steel garage door with tracks made from heavy galvanized steel. The door was foam-insulated with thermal seals resting between pinch-resistant panels. They chose a highly durable, secure door that was also attractive and functional.

And while you’re improving your garage door, you might want to also check into your garage door opener. You may need a new one anyway if your new garage door is much heavier than the one you are replacing. Be sure to get one that you can integrate with Apple HomeKit, HomeBridge, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home.

If you don’t want to replace your garage door, consider pressure washing and painting it to improve its appearance. Painting it is actually pretty easy if your garage door is metal; usually this is accomplished with a few cans of spray paint and masking off the adjoining parts of your home. You may also want to fix any known issues with the door, ensuring it delivers peak performance every time.

Make Slight Kitchen Adjustments

You don’t need to completely update your kitchen to increase San Jose home value. In fact, the cost of a complete kitchen renovation is often quite a bit more than the increase in home resale value. A more frugal option that can pay off is to make small, intentional upgrades that can make your home more attractive to buyers.

Redfin used its extensive database of homes for sale to create a list of the most valuable, popular, and upward-trending home features in California. This list was generated after scanning millions of home listing descriptions to identify 1,500 distinct home features. They then studied listings with each feature to determine which ones were most often associated with high-selling homes in each state.

The report for the fall of 2024 highlighted some kitchen features that are associated with homes that sell above their listing price in California. These are features that you may want to add to your San Jose kitchen to increase your chances of commanding an above-asking price as well.

So, what kitchen features are possibly worth the upgrade? Let’s look at the best-ranked options in the Redfin report:

Eat-In Area

California buyers want the option to eat right in their kitchen, even if there is a separate dining room as well. Less than 2% of California homes listed in August 2024 had this feature, but those that did sold for close to 103% of their asking prices.

Adding a wider center island with bar stools could allow you to list your home with an eat-in kitchen. Adding a small eating nook in a corner of a larger kitchen could do the job as well.

Stone Countertops

Just over 2% of California homes listed in August 2024 had stone counters. Those that did sold for about 101% of their asking prices. Natural stone countertops like marble, quartzite, and granite typically cost between $50-$150 per square foot installed. Your total cost would depend on your chosen service provider, the type of stone selected, and the size of your kitchen counters.

Don’t count on this upgrade significantly increasing your home’s value on its own. It could definitely make your home more attractive to buyers, which means they’re more likely to make an offer or even compete for the home.

This is also an upgrade worth considering if you know any countertops in your home are outdated or in poor condition. Stone countertops will improve the appearance of key areas of your home, which is important for some buyers.

Gas Cooktops

Nearly 24% of California homes listed in August 2024 featured gas cooktops, and they generally sold for their full asking prices. Gas allows for more precise heating and temperature control. It’s particularly popular with people who enjoy cooking with woks, cast iron skillets, and other cookware beyond your basic pots and pans.

While this upgrade could make a difference for some buyers, it’s not likely to dramatically increase the value of your home on its own. If your stovetop is currently outdated, it’s an upgrade to consider.

Install Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors were the second most-valued home feature on Redfin’s list for California. Less than 4% of homes listed in August 2024 had this feature, and they generally sold for close to 102% of their listing prices.

Depending on the size of your home and how many rooms you want to upgrade, hardwood flooring isn’t always a frugal option. In 2024, San Jose homeowners paid close to $12,000 on average for hardwood flooring. That makes this an option worth considering only if your home value is high enough to justify such a steep investment.

For instance, you may consider this for a multi-million-dollar home but it’s not likely worth the investment if your home will sell for closer to a $1 million price point. Consider upgrading just key rooms or zones of your house if you want to put this feature on your listing without the expense of upgrading the full home.

You might be able to save a bundle on installing this floors if you know a handyman who is capable of installing genuine pre-finished hardwood floors versus going with a more expensive traditional flooring contractor with a lot of overhead to pay for. You can pick up pre-finished solid hardwood flooring from Home Depot for prices running $5 to about $8 per square foot.

Fix or Update Plumbing and Electricity

According to the 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers published by the National Association of Realtors®, 42% of buyers expressed an interest in avoiding problems and renovations related to electricity and plumbing. If you have any known or suspected issues in either of those areas, it’s likely worth the expense and time to diagnose and fix them before your home hits the market.

If you don’t know of any electrical or plumbing issues, consider having those systems inspected by a professional. If updates are suggested, weigh the cost against the potential to increase the value of your home to determine if it’s worthwhile. Ideally, you want to confidently inform buyers that your home is updated and free of significant electrical and plumbing problems.

Are San Jose Home Improvement Projects Really Necessary?

We’ve talked a lot about the best frugal and profitable home improvement projects for San Jose homes. What if it leaves you overwhelmed or resistant to take action? Perhaps you aren’t completely sold on the idea of renovating your home just to make a sale. Maybe you don’t have a lot of time to spend getting your home ready for the market.

There’s good news! There’s an active San Jose real estate market for fixer-upper homes. That means you don’t necessarily have to improve your home to make a sale. You have the option to sell your home as-is. In fact, if there’s one thing that I’ve always seen to be true, in good markets and bad: everyone loves a bargain. When buyers see a bargain, they come running – and often stumble over themselves in a frenzy to give you the absolute best price for your home the market will bear, warts and all.

Will you still get top value for your home if you go this route? You may miss out on opportunities to increase your San Jose home value, but you’ll also get your home on the market much faster. Plus, you may reach a sizable market of buyers looking for homes which need renovation, because in fact, many homebuyers plan to do extensive work on any home they buy. Even if your home needs a little TLC, you will most likely find the perfect buyer who sees its beauty exactly as it is today.