Is A Remodel "Worth It?"

7/3/2025

Written by: Sonia Barney and Lindsay Webster

Monetary ROI
vs Emotional ROI

As designers, we often hear clients say, "will this remodel be worth it?" "Will I recoup my investment?" As much as we would love to give them a definitive yes, those are tough questions that only a very skilled fortune teller can predict. Instead of saying yes or no, I like to have the conversation about what "value" means to them and discuss ROI (return on investment).

If you are currently asking yourself these questions about a potential home project... KEEP READING. This is for you!

What is ROI?

The technical definition states, return on investment measures the financial gain or loss (net profit) resulting from an investment compared to the cost of that investment. This term is used in all sorts of business and marketing sectors but we have noticed it crossing over into real estate and home construction industries. Everyone wants high ROI - which is understandable. But ROI isn't as cut and dry when it comes to the homes we live in. We need to be considering not only monetary ROI (immediate and future) but also emotional ROI.

Monetary ROI

Let's dig deeper into how monetary ROI plays into home remodeling terms.

Example: You have decided to remodel your kitchen and its estimated cost is $100,000. It is good ROI if the remodel increases the resale value of your home by that same amount or more. Bad ROI means it doesn't increase the value of your home by $100,000. It's that simple....or is it?

With the ever rising cost of goods AND labor, it is getting harder and harder to accomplish good monetary ROI. Does that mean you shouldn't remodel your kitchen? This is where you need to determine if you need good ROI now or in the future. If you are flipping the home for immediate profit then it's probably a bad investment if the remodel costs more than the value of the home. However, if you are planning on living in your home for 5+ years and the market keeps increasing in value, then you are likely to get that monetary ROI in the future. As you can see, although it's somewhat hard to predict the future market, it is pretty easy to evaluate if a project is "worth it" monetarily. But is profit gained everything to consider when doing a remodel?

Emotional ROI

When we talk about ROI it's not just about the financial return, but also how the investment improves someone's QUALITY OF LIFE. We call it emotional ROI. Let's walk through a common kitchen remodel project to better understand this.

Problem: You live in a home with an out-dated, one-butt kitchen where appliances hit each other, the sink gets clogged every time you run the dishwasher, and there is minimal storage for your pantry items. Everyday you have to move small appliances around to just be able to have a little countertop room to prepare your meals. You know you really want to open a wall, extend your kitchen, and get that much coveted island.

Before Floor Plan

Solution: You hire a designer to reconfigure the space and help select everything. They redesign your whole kitchen creating an amazing new layout that fits in all of your wishes including a big island and new pantry. You and the designer select new appliances, flooring, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, and countertops evaluating the pros and cons of each decision. Then you add the kitchen jewelry: backsplash, hardware, and decorative lighting. IT'S GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL! Finally, the cost of the kitchen comes in and you find out it will $100,000. Now it is time to determine if it is "worth it."

After Floor Plan

Determine Emotional ROI Exercise

Imagine your day to day experience in the new space. (For this example image a kitchen with finally enough room for the kids to sit and tell you about their day, cooking supplies in arms reach, countertops devoid of small appliances, and room for two people to cook and clean joyfully.) Now ask yourself these questions.

Will your quality of life improve at all? Yes/No/Marginally
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate your experience in your new space?
On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate time saved in the more efficient layout?
How much longer will you be able to live in this space if you remodel?
On a scale of 1-10 how much will you regret if you don't remodel?
Does the $100,000 investment seem less of a concern when you know you will get so much out of it?

Now you might think that we are pressuring you to say it is worth that money. Let's be clear- we are NOT. Emotional ROI is extremely subjective and only the homeowner can determine the answer. What we are saying is that emotional ROI must be considered just as much as monetary ROI. You need to evaluate if the investment in your home (money and time) is worth what you will get out of it (home value increase and quality of life increase).

Before remodel

After remodel

Bonus Tip

Let us offer you one last piece of advice. If you are on the verge of remodeling, building, or just plain buying a new house, please don't discount the value of good design. Do it right the FIRST TIME.

We have never heard someone say, "I wish I would have done this cheaper."
What we hear most often is, "I wish I had just added the (fill in the blank)."

From personal and professional experience, 99% of any remodel will cost more when you have to go back and fix later. Don't kick yourself later because you wanted to save a little money now. We recommend waiting and saving up to do it right the first time. Our job as your designer is to help you anticipate the inherent costs of "good design". When you are ready to invest fully we will be there to guide you through that decision making process so you feel confident that you are selecting the right finishes and products for you now and in the future. We guarantee, hiring a designer from the beginning will save you time, money, and anxiety from making poor or rushed decisions - all ROI factors that must be considered while asking yourself "Is this remodel worth it."