The Homeshopper's Cost Converter List

If you’re shopping for a home, and don’t have unlimited money, it’s important to understand that every feature you want in a home simply translates to a dollar amount... the amount you would have to pay to add or fix up that feature, or even find it in a different home. This list is particularly addressed to first-time homebuyers, the ones we see on the funny TV shows who look at every kitchen and say “I can’t buy this house because the kitchen doesn’t have granite countertops.”

We’re going to start with the least expensive items because that’s the part that seems to have the most misunderstanding. All of our estimates are based on home sizes and quality levels typical of first homes, 2-4 bedrooms, middle-class values. And these are called “order of magnitude” estimates, meaning they are just to give you rough values relative to one another; they’re not supposed to be particularly accurate. The point is, you don’t dismiss a home because it has ugly paint.

Another reason I made this list because it would be nice if a home inspector would use it to give you a list of your fix-up costs, instead of merely telling you what’s wrong with a house. If you turn everything into a number, then it’s a lot easier to both understand your price point for the house and feel good about negotiating with the seller. Let’s say you like the house but it needs X, Y, and Z; knowing that it’s $7,000 out of your pocket makes the process a lot more sensible, and makes you a lot smarter about your early days of owning that house.

Good luck, and let me know if this helps.

-Jack Bellis

Item	US dollar cost for a professional to do it
Clean	50 per room
Paint interior	200-300 per room
Remove 30-foot tree	300
Replace ceiling fan/chandelier	300-500
Replace bathroom sink	300
Replace toilet	500
Add a circuit breaker and circuit	400
Replace bathroom floor	500-1000
New carpet	500/room
New laminate floor	500/room
New hardwood floor	1000/room
Remodel powder room	1000-3000
New front door with side panels	2000
Granite counter tops	2000 minimum
Remove 60-foot tree	800 minimum
New hot water heater	800-1500
Refinish hardwood floors	500/room
Paint exterior trim and windows	500-2000
Replace a square section of concrete sidewalk	400
Replace 8-foot section of concrete curb	600
Replace windows	400 each
New asphalt on driveway	3000 minimum
Build new 10-foot x 10-foot low deck	4000 minimum
New furnace	4000 minimum
New roof	4000 + 2000/room
A house with more windows	10,000-50,000
A house with a more open layout	25,000-100,000
A house in a better school district	50,000-100,000
A house on a quieter street	50,000-100,000