transferable warranty may be highly attractive to the right buyer. Also remember that more money spent does not necessarily mean a bigger return. Going back to the kitchen example, a relatively minor remodel of $20,000 yields a much higher ROI than a $55,000 remodel. While buyers certainly love a large kitchen complete with island and shiny stainless-steel appliances, they won’t be as quick to assign significant value to whether it has the best hinges, custom stained cupboards, and imported Wolf appliances that money can buy. At some point, very high-end appliances can even be a turn-off either because the buyer is not familiar with them, or is too familiar and knows just how hard it is to get parts when they fail. Basements are also tricky. A nice big recreation room is certainly a draw, but often will not be counted as living space in an appraisal, nor in the square footage when the home is listed. People also tend to have their own ideas of exactly what a rec room should be. If you have not finished your basement already or are planning on leaving in less than five years, it is best to either leave it alone or to put up walls along the outside of the basement and install cheap but decently attractive carpet and inexpensive drop ceilings, allowing the buyer to
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