If you’re interested in remodeling services, you want the best value for your money. You get to enjoy the improvements as you live in your home and will reap returns from them when it comes time to sell. In its “2013 Cost vs Value Report,” Remodeling Magazine explains the cost of some common home improvements and their expected returns in Los Angeles. These numbers show the middle range. Actual prices depend on the materials and complexity of the job, and where your house is located.

The improvement with the biggest return on investment (98 percent) is replacing your wooden front door with one made of 20-gauge steel. It is also the least expensive one, costing $1,314 and giving back $1,300 on resale.

For dollar value, adding a second star tops the list with a resale value of $144,119, which is 78 percent of its initial $183,198 cost. This improvement includes a first-floor family room and a 24-by-16 second floor with bedroom and full bath.

Adding a bathroom returns 76 percent, or $35,954, of its $46,794 cost. This covers a 6-by-9-foot space featuring a 30-by-60-inch fiberglass tub/shower with tile surround, ceramic tile floor, chrome fixtures and a cultured-marble vanity top.

For a major kitchen remodel, the price is $63,677, which returns $51,619, or 81 percent. This consists of 200-square feet of semi-custom wood cabinets, a 15-square-foot island, laminate countertops and all-new appliances.

A 16-by-20-foot wooden deck represents a high-value add-on, returning almost 97 percent, or $11,399 of its $11,769 construction costs. This includes a built-in bench and planter, railing, lighting, balusters and a three-step staircase.

If you want more specific estimates for your remodeling project, please contact us.