From the Blog
Home Improvements That Pay Off in San Antonio: The 267.7% Garage Door Stat
Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts garage door replacement at a national-average cost recouped of 267.7%, a $4,672 job returning about $12,507 at resale, with exterior projects dominating the top of the list. Texas sits in the report's West South Central region, which posted the second-strongest overall returns of all nine regions. Here is what actually pays when you sell a San Antonio home, and what to skip.
Zonda's 2025 Cost vs. Value report puts garage door replacement at a national-average cost recouped of 267.7%, a $4,672 job returning about $12,507 at resale, with exterior projects dominating the top of the list. Texas sits in the report's West South Central region, which posted the second-strongest overall returns of all nine regions. Here is what actually pays when you sell a San Antonio home, and what to skip.
This is the market video I send sellers before they spend a dollar on improvements: where the market is, and what actually moves a home.
On my channel: San Antonio Housing Market 2026: What Buyers & Sellers Need to Know NOW
The report and the region
Zonda's 38th annual Cost vs. Value report, released September 18, 2025, is the most recent published edition; the 2026-dated articles you see cite that data. The region covering Texas, the West South Central, posted the second-strongest overall returns of all nine regions, behind only the Pacific. Exterior replacements dominate the top of the list in every region, and garage door replacement was the number one ROI project nationwide, with the West South Central recouping above the national average.
The top returners, in dollars
Nationally, garage door replacement returned 267.7% of cost ($4,672 job, about $12,507 in resale value), steel entry door replacement 216.4% ($2,435, about $5,270), fiber-cement siding roughly 113.7% (about $19,000, about $21,600), and a minor kitchen remodel about 112.9%, the only interior project in the top five. On a typical San Antonio sale, a garage door that costs $4,672 and adds $12,507 in resale value is a nearly $7,800 swing for the seller.
What this means in San Antonio
San Antonio buyers weigh curb appeal heavily, and the report's numbers agree with what I see on the ground: fresh exteriors move homes, lavish interiors rarely recoup. Before listing, spend on the front door, garage door, siding, and a light kitchen refresh, then price the home on data, not on what the remodel cost you.
What does not pay
High-end kitchen and bath overhauls, pools, and whole-house renovations typically recoup far less than their cost, and they can over-improve a home for its neighborhood. If the goal is a clean, competitive sale, the exterior and a minor kitchen refresh are where the return lives. If the goal is enjoying the remodel yourself, that is a different budget and a different decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2026 Cost vs. Value report out?
Not yet. The most recent published edition is Zonda's 2025 report, released September 18, 2025, which is what current articles cite.
Should I remodel before selling?
Start with exterior replacements like the garage door and entry door, then a minor kitchen remodel. Skip projects that over-improve the home for its neighborhood.
Do these percentages apply to San Antonio exactly?
They are national averages; the West South Central region recouped above the national average on garage doors. Your agent can help you weigh the local market before you spend.
Written by Phyllis Domingo
REALTOR® · TX License 745926 · 100+ homes sold · Helping families move well in San Antonio and the Hill Country since long before the hard part became normal.
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