8 Exterior Home Improvement Ideas

An exterior remodeling can make your home look beautiful, provide practical benefits, and increase the value of your property. The right improvement for your home probably depends on your specific circumstances. Generally speaking, there are eight types of exterior remodels that consistently offer a great return on investment (ROI).

What Are Exterior Home Improvements?

An exterior home improvement is any renovation or do-it-yourself (DIY) project that repairs, replaces, or adds something to the outside of a home. This could be something small, such as painting an exterior wall or replacing the gutters, or something large, such as adding a back patio or replacing all the roof shingles.

Some improvements satisfy practical needs, such as more thermally resistant windows, while others improve curb appeal, like planting a new garden. And some exterior home improvements do both, such as installing a new garage door.

Types of Exterior Home Improvements

Here are some different types of home improvement projects for the outside of homes:

Functional Repairs and Replacements

These are the repairs you have to do, or repairs that offer a practical benefit. This may include a roofing improvement, digging a drainage ditch to divert water away from your home, replacing the siding to keep the damp out or repaving your driveway.

But just as a freshly paved driveway can look nice, many of these functional projects have cosmetic benefits, too. For example, building a detached garage can serve a practical purpose — giving you a space to store your vehicle(s) and/or other items. Or it could be fun, like an external home addition, like an outdoor rumpus room, where you can hang out and practice your preferred musical instrument. And a new detached garage can also look beautiful and complement the aesthetic appeal of your home.

Cosmetic Enhancements for Curb Appeal

Exterior remodeling is also a great way to make your home look beautiful. Many cosmetic projects also have practical benefits, such as siding replacement. Not only can the new siding make your home more thermally resistant and thus boost energy efficiency, but it can also look great. 

And even something purely cosmetic, like a fresh coat of paint, still has tangible benefits thanks to curb appeal. If an exterior home remodel or project makes the home look better from the street, this can increase its value. First impressions matter a lot, so when you sell your home, you can generate plenty of interest if your house looks amazing as soon as prospective buyers get out of their cars.

Outdoor Living Space Additions

The right outdoor lighting, exterior paint, siding, and landscaping can make your home nicer to look at and your yard a more inviting place. More ambitious exterior home renovations include building a new deck, deck repair, installing a pool, or even constructing a whole outdoor kitchen. These exterior improvements can make your home exterior as cozy as the interior.

8 High-ROI Exterior Upgrades

Not every home project you take on is all about money. There’s value in simply making your home more liveable, comfortable, and reflective of your aesthetics. However, if those improvements also offer a significant return on your investment,  that’s even better, right?

Let’s look at some of the exterior home improvements that typically offer the highest return on investment.

1. A New Garage Door

The Cost vs. Value report is an annual collection of home renovation statistics presented by the Journal of Light Construction (JLC) The goal of the report is to collate initial remodeling costs and contextualize them with the ROI of different renovation projects.

In the 2025 report, the defending champion retained its crown: garage door replacement. No exterior home remodel — or interior renovation, for that matter — even comes close to the remarkable 268% ROI of installing a new garage door. That means the average garage door replacement more than doubles the required investment.

Garage door prices vary, but with an average job cost of $4,672 and resale value of $12,507, installing a new garage door is a near surefire way to increase the value of your property. Because garages often feature prominently in a home’s facade, a new garage door can significantly boost curb appeal. And with so many styles, there are lots of ideas to inspire your garage door upgrade. 

New garage doors also have practical benefits. An insulated garage door can make your garage and home more energy efficient by keeping warm or cold air inside. A new garage door can also increase safety and security.

2. A New Front Door

A front door replacement has a strong ROI for many of the same reasons a garage door upgrade has. Front doors are smaller, so their effect on curb appeal is typically smaller, too. Although, because of their size, they’re often cheaper to buy and install. Steel doors have the highest ROI in 2025.

3. Manufactured Stone Veneer

Coming in third this year is a manufactured stone veneer. The stone look is in, so if you’re looking to sell real estate soon, consider this kind of veneer. These three exterior renovations are the only ones with a 2025 ROI over 200%.

4. Siding Replacement

Just missing the podium is a siding replacement. Fiber-cement siding ranks fourth, while vinyl siding is a little further down the list. Either way, you have a good chance of recouping the costs of installing new siding.

5. Exterior Painting

If your home doesn’t have siding, a new coat of paint can create a similar effect. While not considered a “remodeling project” by the JLC, painting is definitely a home improvement project, and it probably costs less than the other options on the list, so the potential for ROI is high.

6. Professional Landscaping

Landscaping is another item one could debate as being a “home remodel.” But it’s definitely a project that can make your property look beautiful and potentially increase its value. Landscaping can cover a lot, from reseeding your lawn to gardening to a permaculture approach of planting native plants. A more involved project will cost more, but in general, landscaping is an effective way of increasing the aesthetic appeal of a property without investing a great deal of money.

7. Window Replacement

Replacing windows typically has a high ROI because, like a new garage door, new windows can boost energy efficiency. Thermally resistant windows keep outside air out and inside air in, making it easier to heat and cool your home.

8. Decks and Patios

The average deck addition is in the $20,000 range, so it’s not a cheap remodeling project. However, everyone loves decks. You’ll probably enjoy spending time on your new deck or patio, and the next homeowner probably will, too.

FAQs About Exterior Home Improvements

Here are some frequently asked questions about exterior home improvements:

What Exterior Home Improvements Add the Most Value?

The JLC figures listed above are only one source of information on the returns on investment of various renovations. But most sources have similar figures, and they all show that buying a garage door will probably make you money in the long run. Garage door replacements have a fabulous ROI, so they typically top these lists.

Other exterior home improvements that offer strong returns on investment include front door replacements, installing a pleasing stone veneer, siding replacement and, even though it’s a very different kind of “remodel,” installing a backup power generator or solar panels.

How To Improve the Exterior of a House?

New garage doors and front doors improve the exterior appearance of homes and can make them safer and more energy efficient. New siding can provide similar benefits. And while it’s only a cosmetic improvement, a fresh coat of paint can make a house look great for a minimal outlay.

How Much Does It Cost To Renovate the Exterior of a House?

First, where you live will significantly affect the cost of materials and labor. Furthermore, 

exterior renovations have a wide range of costs depending on the particular remodel. You can probably paint the entire exterior of your house for a couple hundred bucks, whereas hiring roofing professionals to replace all your shingles for a totally new roof could easily cost over $30,000. 

Interestingly, though, exterior renovations are typically cheaper than interior ones. A minor kitchen remodel will probably cost more than $25,000 while adding a new bathroom would likely exceed $60,000.

When Is the Best Time To Make an Exterior House Improvement?

Again, it depends where you live. If you live somewhere with harsh winters, you should probably wait until spring. And if you live somewhere with harsh summers, maybe wait until the intense heat subsides. 

Improve Your Home With a Beautiful New Garage Door

If you want to implement an exterior home improvement that delivers a great ROI, consider a well-made garage door from Amarr. 

Not sure what style to go for? You can use our handy Design Your Door tool to try out different looks on a house like yours.