The kitchen adds the most. Real estate agents say a renovated kitchen can add about 20% to a home’s value, a bathroom about 16% and a finished basement about 15%. And when you sell, kitchens and bathrooms usually return 75% to 100% of what you spent on them.
So if the kitchen is tired, the bathroom is original and the basement is storage, you now know the order. The rest of this guide shows what each room is worth, what is not worth doing, and what to fix first if you plan to sell.
By Capable Group · Updated November 10, 2026
Why this matters more in 2026
Buyers have time to choose. In October 2026, 14,173 homes were listed in the Greater Toronto Area and 5,603 sold. About 25,000 were for sale at the end of the month, and the average home took 31 days to sell.
And they know what they want. When Royal LePage asked its agents in September 2025 what first-time buyers look for after price, the top answer was a home that is move-in ready. Few new buyers have the time or the spare money for a big renovation right after they buy. A finished kitchen and bathroom show them a home they can live in next month. A dated one shows them a project.
The numbers at a glance
| Renovation | How much value it can add (agents’ average estimate) | Share of the cost you usually get back at sale (appraisers) |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | About 20% | 75% to 100% |
| Bathroom | About 16% | 75% to 100% |
| Finished basement or basement apartment | About 15% | 50% to 75% |
| New windows | About 13% | 50% to 75% (windows and doors) |
| Interior paint | About 12% | 50% to 100% |
| Landscaping | Not in the survey | 25% to 50% |
| Swimming pool | About 6%, the lowest on the list | 10% to 40% |
Left column: Royal LePage survey of 340 real estate professionals across Canada, 2022. Right column: Appraisal Institute of Canada recovery rates, as published by CIBC and Laurentian Bank. Both are estimates. Your street, your house and the quality of the work change the result.
Planning a kitchen, a bathroom or the whole house?
In the GTA, kitchen renovation starts from about $12,000 and bathroom renovation from about $9,000. You see the room in 3D for free, then get one fixed, itemized quote after a free visit.
See how we work: Whole-home renovation in Toronto and the GTA →
Two numbers that answer two different questions
The table has two columns because people ask two different things.
- “How much more could my house be worth?” That is the first column. Agents estimate how much a renovation can lift a home’s value.
- “How much of my money comes back?” That is the second column. Appraisers compare what a renovation cost with what it added at sale.
Both point the same way: kitchen and bathrooms first, basement next. Most renovations return most of their cost, not always all of it. The rest of your return is the years you live in the result.
Why the kitchen comes first
The kitchen is the room buyers look at longest and the one they least want to redo themselves. A buyer who sees a kitchen from the 1990s adds the cost of a new one to your asking price, and adds the months of living without it.
You don’t need the most expensive version to get the effect. A layout that works, cabinets and counters in good condition, proper lighting and current appliances do most of it. See how one family opened up a closed kitchen in our Brampton kitchen renovation, or start with kitchen renovation in Toronto and the GTA.
Bathrooms: the second-best return
Bathrooms sit beside kitchens at the top of the appraisers’ list, at 75% to 100% of cost recovered. What buyers check is simple: no signs of leaks, a shower that feels new, good ventilation and storage.
What sits behind the tile matters as much as the tile. Waterproofing, the drain slope and the fan are what a home inspector looks for. Here is a Mississauga bathroom with a glass shower we finished, and our page on bathroom renovation.
A finished basement, and when it becomes a second unit
Agents put a finished basement or basement apartment at about 15% of added value. Appraisers put cost recovery at 50% to 75%. The gap is wide because basements vary so much. A dry, bright family room with full ceiling height adds living space buyers can use on day one. A basement finished over a damp wall adds a problem.
A legal basement apartment is a different case: it can bring rent, and each city has its own rules for it. Compare them in our guide to legal basement apartment rules in GTA cities, see a finished example in this Newmarket basement with separate rooms and a kitchenette, or go to basement renovation.
Windows, paint and the smaller jobs
New windows (about 13%) and fresh interior paint (about 12%) rank lower in added value. But paint has one of the best recovery rates on the list, 50% to 100%, because it costs so little. If you have a small budget and a sale coming, paint and repairs come before anything else.
What adds little
- A pool. About 6% in the agents’ survey and 10% to 40% of cost recovered. Build one because you’ll use it.
- Going fancier than your street. The Appraisal Institute of Canada’s guidance is that a house already worth more than its neighbours gets little back from further upgrades, while a house below the local average recovers more. A luxury kitchen on a street of modest homes will not sell for luxury money.
- Finishes over faults. New tile over a leak, or new drywall over old wiring, is found at the home inspection.
Should you renovate before selling?
| Your plan | What usually makes sense |
|---|---|
| Selling within about 6 months | Repairs, paint, lighting, and small kitchen and bathroom updates. A full renovation may not finish in time to pay for itself. |
| Selling in 1 to 3 years | Do the kitchen and bathrooms now. You live in them first and sell a move-in ready home later. |
| Staying | Renovate for how you live. The same rooms that buyers value are the ones you use every day. If you’re weighing a move instead, read stay or move in Toronto. |
My house is not selling. What should I look at first?
More Canadians searched “house not selling” in 2026 than in any earlier year on Google Trends. If your home has been listed for longer than the local average, work through this list in order:
- Price against recent sales nearby. This is your agent’s job, and it comes before any renovation.
- Anything a home inspector will flag. Leaks, old wiring, moisture in the basement. Fix these first.
- The kitchen and the main bathroom. If they look dated in the listing photos, buyers compare your home with finished ones at the same price.
- Paint, lighting and floors. The cheapest way to change the photos.
What not to fix: anything the next owner is likely to tear out anyway, and upgrades that push the home above its street.
A worked example
Example with round numbers, not a client project. Say you spend $30,000 on a kitchen. At the appraisers’ recovery rate of 75% to 100%, about $22,500 to $30,000 of that comes back in the sale price. The agents’ estimate describes the other side: a home with a renovated kitchen can be valued about 20% higher than the same home with a dated one. Either way, the kitchen is the place where renovation money is most likely to return.
Three rules before you spend
- Start with the kitchen, then the bathrooms. They have the highest recovery rates.
- Don’t go fancier than your street. Match the best homes nearby, not a magazine.
- Repair leaks and old wiring first. Finishes come after the house is sound.
Money back from government programs
Some renovation work can qualify for federal, Ontario or city programs, such as the tax credit for a suite built for a senior relative, Toronto’s basement flooding subsidy and energy rebates. Most have a step you must complete before work starts, and each program decides who qualifies. Our Ontario renovation rebates finder lists what to check for your project.
How this goes with us
Before you pay for anything, you see the room in 3D. The design is free, and so are the permit drawings. Your quote is fixed and itemized, so you know which lines are the kitchen, the bathrooms and the repairs, and you can decide what to do now and what can wait.
If you’re selling within a year, tell us at the first visit. We’ll plan the work around what a buyer and a home inspector will look at. One team does the whole job, from the first drawing to the last coat of paint. Start with whole-home renovation in Toronto and the GTA, or book a free estimate visit with the button below.
Frequently asked questions
What renovation adds the most value to a house in Ontario?
The kitchen. Agents surveyed by Royal LePage say a renovated kitchen can add about 20% to a home’s value, and appraisers say it usually returns 75% to 100% of its cost.
Is it worth renovating before selling?
Often, for kitchens, bathrooms, repairs and paint. It is less likely to pay if the sale is only a few months away or the upgrade would lift the home above its street.
Does a finished basement add value?
Yes. Agents estimate about 15% of added value, and appraisers estimate that 50% to 75% of the cost comes back. A dry basement with good ceiling height is worth more than one finished over a moisture problem.
Do I get all my renovation money back when I sell?
Usually not all of it. Kitchens and bathrooms come closest, at 75% to 100%. The rest of the return is the time you live in the renovated home.
What should I not fix when selling a house?
Skip work the buyer is likely to redo, luxury upgrades beyond your neighbourhood, and cosmetic covers over real faults. Fix what a home inspector would flag.
Does a pool add value in Ontario?
Very little. Agents put it at about 6%, the lowest renovation in the Royal LePage survey, and appraisers at 10% to 40% of cost recovered.
Want to know what your home needs before you sell or stay?
Tell us your plan and your timeline. We look at the house on a free visit, show you the rooms in 3D and give you one fixed, itemized quote.
Pick your project: Kitchen renovation (from about $12,000) · Bathroom renovation (from about $9,000) · Basement renovation (from about $40 per sq ft) · Legal basement apartment (from about $55,000) · Whole-home renovation (from about $100 per sq ft)
Sources
- Royal LePage, Home Renovation ROI survey of 340 real estate professionals, 2022: royallepage.ca
- Royal LePage, survey of 307 real estate professionals on first-time buyers, September 2025: newswire.ca
- CIBC, “How to Get the Best Return on Your Home Renovations” (Appraisal Institute of Canada figures): cibc.com
- Laurentian Bank, “Potential Recoverable Value” (source: Appraisal Institute of Canada): laurentianbank.ca
- Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, Market Watch, October 2026
- Google Trends, “house not selling”, Canada, checked November 10, 2026
- Prices: 2026 GTA market ranges, low end first; not a Capable Group price list.
Sources checked November 10, 2026. General information, not financial or real estate advice. Ask a licensed agent or appraiser about your own home.
