My husband and I just did our 2017 taxes, and it turns out we will be getting back some money from the Federal Government. As we’ve done in years past, we put some of that money into home improvements. This year, we’re going to do some work on the kitchen, replacing the flooring and installing new cabinets and countertops. At least that’s the plan right now!

Do you have any home improvement plans? If so, let me know!

Whether you use a tax refund or save up, many people see the benefit of putting money back into their homes. According to the Home Improvement Research institute, total home improvement products sales were expected to increase 4.9% in 2017 to $365 billion in total sales. In 2018, sales are expected to increase 4.8%, according to the Home Improvement Research institute.

According to hgtv.com, these are the top 15 home improvement projects:

1. Minor bathroom remodel (average return at resale: 102%)
2. Landscaping (average return at resale: 100%)
3. Minor kitchen remodel (average return at resale: 98.5%)
4. Exterior improvements (vinyl siding, paint, updated front entry; average return at resale: 95.5%)
5. Attic bedroom conversion (average return at resale: 93.5%)
6. Major bathroom remodel (average return at resale: 93.2%)
7. Major kitchen remodel (average return at resale: 91%)
8. Deck, patio or porch addition (average return at resale: 90.3%)
9. Basement remodel (average return at resale: 90.1%)
10. Replacement windows (average return at resale: 89.6%)
11. Family room addition (average return at resale: 83%)
12. Bonus room updates (average return at resale: 72.8%)
13. Living room updates – decor (average return at resale: 66%)
14. Bedroom updates (average return at resale: 52%)
15. Living room updates–walls and floors (average return at resale: 40%)

Note: Average return at resale rates vary by geographic location, and there may be other factors involved.

Here are some of the top home improvement projects for each state, according to Porch.com:

If you can’t see this map clearly, click on this link for a larger graphic: www.ncponline.com/wbcnt/NCPBlog/HomeImprovementStates.png

Are you doing your own home improvements? If so, then make sure to use the specific store name – for example, Ace Hardware, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menards, Orchard Supply Hardware, True Value, etc. – when recording your purchases. If you don’t have the exact store name in your scanner or the NCPMobile App, just use the Home Improvement Stores store type.

Thanks, and let’s hope it’s a nice, warm weekend!

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