If you'd like to sell your home, undertaking some much-needed renovations can improve the value of your property. Your realtor is a great source of advice about what type of renovations really make a difference in the selling price of your home. While some types of renovations are essential before putting your home on the market, others may be viewed merely as "fluff" that may look nice, but aren't crucial for the overall integrity of your property.

Is it possible to add value to your home through renovations? Answering this question depends on the home and the renovation project, but for the most part, yes it is possible. Stores like Home Depot and other home renovation retailers see billions of dollars each year spent on updating homes. This is a clear indicator of the frequency of home renovations, but lets take a look at some figures before judging the success of a renovation project. As a smart homeowner it is best to plan first; look at how much you want to spend and realistically how much value the project will add to the house.

A typical bathroom remodel costs somewhere around $11,000. Sure this may be a bit pricey for some, but consider that on average that same typical bathroom remodel added just over $11,000 worth of value to the home. After a quick calculation in your head it is easy to see that a homeowner can recoup over 100% of their costs. Projects that take place in other rooms throughout the house show somewhat similar results.

Research printed in the National Association of Realtors and Remodeling magazine shows that most homeowners can rationally expect to recover their home renovation costs if they plan carefully. For example a middle of the road remodel of one's kitchen costs $43,000 on average and can add value of about $40,000. This is a better than 90% recovery of funds.

A common renovation for older homes is replacing old windows with newer, more efficient windows. In a mid-sized home this would cost about $9,500 and add somewhere around $8,600 of value to a home. In comparison renovating a master bedroom on average would cost $76,000 and recover about 85% of that money. If you are looking for an addition, a family room would cost around $55,000 and return about $45,000, or 83% of the value.

Home offices are a wonderful renovation that returns an average of 73% recoup of your initial renovation costs. Compared to bathroom renovations recoups, you'll need to consider the best room in your home to renovate and will bring the most selling power to your home. What renovations should you sink your money into that will help you sell your home?

You may turn a profit from renovating your home before it goes up for sale, but what if you like the results of the renovations so much that you decide not to move after all? Home renovations are labors of love; seeing your home at its fullest potential, whether you sell it or not, increases your pride in your home and improves the quality of you life.

Sara Green is the real estate marketing director for Placerville real estate where you can find local school information, full access to the Sacramento California area MLS listings, and helpful information to have a successful real estate experience.