Home owners are often curious about how much payback they might expect from what types of renovations. The Appraisal Institute of Canada conducted a Renovations and Home Value Survey, published in 1999, to determine which home renovations paid for themselves at time of sale. Appraisers concluded that these renovation projects were the top ten in terms of average potential payback:

The top 10 upcoming renovation trends, according to the survey, are:

Renovation should be done with an eye to maintaining competitiveness within the market . . . not with the idea of catapulting your starter home into the $300,000 range by luxury add-ons. Always keep renovation costs in line with the price range of the house. No matter how many turrets, towers, jacuzzis or Japanese rock gardens you've added to your cozy bungalow, its value is still determined by what the market will bear for a house of its type in its location. Indeed, by overindulging in expensive reno projects you run the risk not only of getting a minimal payback on your investment . . . but perhaps also of pricing your home out of its own market!