Home Upgrades: How Much Do They Really Cost

Making major upgrades to your home can allow you to design the home you’ve always wanted in terms of its style and functionality. Since these projects are larger in scope compared to minor upgrades, you should have some idea of how much they’ll end up costing you. Knowing rough figures for major upgrades can help you create a budget for these projects, which helps determine the changes you make.

Major Kitchen Upgrades

Doing major kitchen upgrades can cost an average of $68,490 for midrange changes or $135,547 for upscale changes. You can expect to recoup around 58 percent of the cost for midrange upgrades and roughly 53 percent for upscale upgrades. Major kitchen upgrades might include replacing your cabinets and cupboards, installing high-end countertops, replacing your sink, altering the layout of the room and adding an island. New cabinets can cost up to $1,200 per linear foot if they’re custom-made, while stone countertops can cost between $4,000 and $7,000. Overall, you could spend over $65,000 for high-end, major upgrades to your kitchen. If you’re sticking to midrange changes, you can expect to spend between $30,000 and $65,000.

Major Bathroom Upgrades

Major bathroom upgrades can cost an average of $67,106 for upscale changes, although you can expect to recoup around 56 percent of this cost. Adding a new bathroom, which is also considered a major bathroom upgrade, can cost an average of $91,287 for an upscale bathroom or $49,598 for a midrange bathroom. With this upgrade, you can expect to recoup around 54 percent of the cost for upscale or midrange bathroom additions. Major bathroom upgrades might include putting in a new tub and shower, changing from a tub and shower to a shower only, replacing the sink, replacing the toilet, expanding the room and replacing the vanity and cabinets. On the high end, these changes can cost between $6,000 and $8,000 for tubs, between $8,000 and $13,000 for cabinets and between $3,500 and $6,500 for sinks. Toilets might cost between $550 and $800, while countertops might cost between $5,000 and $6,500.

Major Bedroom and Living Room Upgrades

Bedrooms and living rooms rarely have major upgrades done compared to kitchens and bathrooms. However, you might want to add a fireplace to your living room or add a bathroom to your bedroom. These are major upgrades for these parts of your home that can cost quite a bit. Fireplace installation, for example, can cost between $900 and $3,700. Bathroom additions to a main bedroom or guest bedroom might cost between $49,000 and $91,000, depending on whether it’s a midrange or upscale one. Other major changes you might make include adding a closet to a bedroom or turning an existing closet into a walk-in closet. You might also make a bedroom or living room more spacious by knocking down a wall.