Will your remodeling project pay off?

If youre planning to invest in some home improvements before you put your house on the market, choose your projects carefully.

Thats the takeaway from Remodeling Magazines annual Cost vs. Value Report, which compares construction costs with resale values for the most popular home-improvement projects.

In todays market, it makes sense to concentrate your spending on the things buyers see first.

Smaller exterior projects that boost curb appeal recoup more of their cost at sale time than big-ticket remodeling, such as additions, luxurious kitchen and bath overhauls.

In the West North Central region, which includes Minnesota, the project with the best return on investment was replacing an entry door. Homeowners who made that simple fix saw an 86 percent return, the report found.

Other projects with the highest payback included enhancing the exterior with manufactured stone veneer (82.2 percent return), vinyl siding replacement (81.5 percent) and wooden window replacement (80.6 percent).

The project with the lowest return (approximately 50 percent) was a master suite addition.

As a general rule, the simpler and lower-cost the project, the bigger its cost-value ratio. So, replacement projects such as door, window and siding upgrades tend to generate a higher return than remodeling projects.

And home-flippers beware: Theres not a single remodeling project that returns more money in home resale value than it costs to hire a pro to do the work, at least in our region.

Heres another note of caution: What buyers say theyre looking for in a home may not be what theyre willing to pay for.

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Will your remodeling project pay off?