In today's market it is important to maximize the return on your investment when updating your home or getting it ready to sell. But which upgrades will be most worthwhile and give you the best return? Here is our list of the top 8 home upgrades that will reward you with the greatest return for your time and investment.

1.) Painting - Most homes these days are built as a blank canvas. When the home is new, the walls are white the trim is white, nothing really stands out. In an older home, chances are the walls or exterior may look tired from time and wear. You probably have your fair share of nicks, scuffs, fading from the sun, peeling and hand prints. Either case has little appeal to any potential buyers.

Updating the exterior paint on your home will increase your curb appeal and make your home stand out in the neighborhood. Updating the interior paint will bring life to those old walls and is a great way to provide dramatic results with a relatively small investment. Painting your trim white helps make it stand out while offering a modern look. Sticking with earth tones such as pale yellow or tan for your walls is recommended as to not overwhelm any potential buyers.

The overall goal is to update the look and feel of your home while also trying to make it appeal to as many people as possible. If you are unsure of your painting abilities or have trouble making those perfect lines at the ceiling or around trim you might consider hiring a professional. It can be money well spent.

2.) Adding Siding - If you have older siding on your home that is cracking, splitting, or rotting, adding new siding is a must. The best bang for your buck currently is fiber-cement siding which is durable, will stand up to the elements and looks great when installed properly. Read more...