It turns out that there is a significant difference between home staging and a home remodel when it comes to return on investment. To make a long story short, DIY or staging investments are actually investments. Remodels are just another way to spend money. Home staging makes good business sense. So does spending the weekend painting.\r\n\r\nIn the list below, I’ve grouped DIY home improvement projects in with Home Staging. There is one other pattern… It seems that the less fun the project, the better the ROI.\r\n

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• Cleaning and De-cluttering. If you want to improve the resale value of your home, the best way to start is to start de-cluttering. The ROI for these home improvement are 586%. This data is based on an average cost of $209 to do the job and an average benefit of $1990.  Virtual all realtors recommend doing this before you put your home up for sale.

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• Lighten and Brightening your home delivers the second best ROI at 313%. The average cost of these remodels was $375 with a benefit of $1,550.  As above, this is a relatively simple remodel. It’s a cosmetic change. The basic idea is to either paint a room a lighter color or to buy more modern light fixtures so that the home feels light and open, which is much more welcoming to the buyer. Additionally, turning the lights on when buyers are looking at a home make the home more appealing.

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• Home Staging is an often overlooked step in the home selling process. It generated an average ROI of 299% in 2011. Realtors are often responsible for this, and they will often absorb the costs of hiring a professional home staging company. Realtors will do this because it works. The average cost for do it yourself home staging is listed $550 with a benefit of $2,194. Professional home staging services will often cost more than $550, but can also create an increase in home selling price north of $2,200.

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• Landscaping is another way to improve the way your home looks without making major changes to the home itself. Landscaping comes in with an average ROI of 258%. The main goal is to improve curb appeal. In the study, the average cost of landscaping was $540; the benefit of $1,932. So, if you’re planning to sell your home, make sure the grass is green, the lawn is cut, and the flowerbeds are devoid of weeds.

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• Electrical and Plumbing Repair also provides a high ROI. It rounds out the top 5 on our list with a 181% ROI.  With average costs of $535 and a $1,505 benefit.

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