Cory Whyte started as a contractor flipping houses in San Diego. But six months after meeting his future wife, a Realtor, he moved to her hometown of Chandler, Arizona. There, he obtained his real estate license in 2005, enabling them to go into business together.
Twenty years later, Whyte continues to bring his knowledge as a contractor into every real estate project. If you’re looking to remodel your own home—whether for resale value or simply to enjoy it—Whyte shares his expertise on where to invest to get the best return on investment.
Currently, the real estate market is challenging for sellers, says Whyte. Many of the houses selling quickest are turnkey–the kind where you only have to “bring your toothbrush,” he jokes.
If you can afford to remodel a property to turnkey-ready, that’s great. But what about homeowners who can’t afford to go all in?
It’s all about striking a balance between the sexy and the not-so-sexy projects, advises Whyte. While his wife always encourages prioritizing a new, beautiful kitchen, he’s “all about checking out the roof to make sure it’s not going to leak on this beautiful new kitchen.”
If you’re looking to remodel and sell, old roofs, air-conditioners, and windows—these are the “deal killers” that drive renegotiations, especially in a buyer’s market, Whyte says. It’s better to invest upfront to complete these repairs than lose money during closing. After all, pretty pictures of a home online can attract potential buyers, but a great roof and a quality AC unit will seal the deal.
Whye acknowledges that everyone wants the new kitchen, bathrooms, and new floors. “I want them too,” he says, “But if you’re thinking long term, you have to balance that out.”
Recently, he had a client purchase a house in its original condition because it had been well-maintained. Despite lacking flashy upgrades, the care put into it inspired the buyer’s confidence.
A “house maintenance fund” is always a good idea
Renovations aren’t cheap–and inflation is driving prices higher. It’s best to start saving now, especially if your home is older and may be due for major repairs.
“I know that's the part that not many people love to do or think about,” Whyte says, but “if I get this much coming in every month and I start putting an emergency fund together for the roof that I know is going to be needed in the next three years, pre-planning those things is paramount to keeping that balance.”
Whyte says homeowners may also choose to take out a line of credit on their home’s equity if they’re planning full-scale remodels.
Smaller renovations that can still make a difference
Perhaps you aren’t ready to go all-in for renovations. Whyte says there are still many small ways to improve a house. His biggest suggestion?
Lighting.
“I love lighting,” he says. “So many times you’ve got builder-grade lighting, and just doing a quick fan and light update can change things.”
Paint is another easy one. It’s best to get back to neutral, Whyte advises. “We know that certain colors will appeal to certain people, but we know neutral colors appeal to all people.”
Neutral colors also present well in online photos. It’s a shame to have someone click to the next potential house because of your orange or pink walls, says Whyte. Besides, everyone is busy, and the idea of having to repaint a house can sometimes be a deal breaker.
Another inexpensive but effective upgrade is cabinetry hardware.
“There was a house we sold last year,” says Whyte, with original oak kitchen cabinets, but “we took some Murphy’s oil, shined those bad boys up, put some hardware on the cabinets, and it totally changed the whole look.”
The cost of new hardware? A couple of hundred dollars.
One thing to be wary of is spending money on home improvements that are too niche to your tastes, advises Whyte. He notes that window tinting, an electric vehicle charger, or a “man shed” in the backyard might seem like selling points, but they’re too specific to matter to a broader buyer base.
Whyte also recommends cleaning your air vents and replacing the filters before hitting the market. On a recent house tour, he found everything to be pristine–until he noticed the grimy air vents.
This is a simple fix: replace or clean and repaint them. As for the air filter, if it’s “sucked halfway up into the return, it was probably changed only once that year. The AC has been working extra hard. We need to have it inspected.”
These issues can snowball and ultimately hurt buyer trust.
“And that's where it goes back to that balance,” he says. For Whyte, that balance isn’t just professional advice but personal. He loves working with people and building relationships to see great things come to fruition.
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