Smaller remodeling projects generate the most returns for homeowners

If you’re considering doing some remodeling of your home, beware that, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2009 Cost Vs. Value Report, you’re not likely to recoup 100 percent of your investment upon selling your home with nearly any project.

However, the report shows that smaller midrange projects, such as adding a wood deck (80 percent), replacing the front entry with a steel door (128.9 percent) or remodeling the attic into a bedroom (83.1 percent), will get the most returns in the Mountain states, including Colorado.

The projects generating the smallest returns, in contrast, include a home office remodel (48.1 percent) and a sunroom addition (50.7 percent). Among the upscale projects, replacing siding with fiber-cement products generated the highest returns (83.5 percent), while homeowners adding on a master suite recovered only 55.7 percent of their investment.

Here’s a look at some of the different remodeling projects, their costs, their resale value and the cost recouped, according to the 2009 Cost vs. Value Report: