The Household Items That Can Boost Your Home's Value Before You Retire

When retirement comes knocking, some might choose to spend the golden years in a home they already own, while others might think that selling it and moving might be a better strategy. According to a survey conducted by Fannie Mae, most homeowners close to retirement don't want to sell. At the same time, however, the National Association of Realtors says that baby boomers accounted for 55% of all home sellers, the highest of any generation. So, despite this dichotomy, home value is a key retirement asset for millions of people close to leaving the workforce. 

Raising the value of a house funnels down to buyer perception and appeal. There are plenty of expensive home improvement projects that will cost you more than they are worth. However, according to Zillow, the kitchen is the one part of the house that has a powerful effect on buyers. That's why having and keeping high-end appliances (most of which are found in the kitchen) is an effective way to shore up your home's value. It's also partly why kitchen appliances aren't among the electronics you should sell before retiring.

Zillow's listing-feature studies, which compare homes that have certain features against similar homes that do not, offer clues to what some of these items might be. In those studies, luxury appliances most clearly tied to higher sale prices are steam ovens, pizza ovens, and outdoor kitchen appliances. That said, even a new set of standard appliances like a fridge and a stove can boost the home's resale value. 

The 2023 Zillow home-feature report found that the strongest appliance-related resale signals were steam ovens and pizza ovens. Steam ovens were associated with the highest sale-price boost, at 5.3%, while pizza ovens followed at 3.7%; professional-grade appliances were close behind at 3.6%. Outdoor kitchen appliances generally also seem to offer good ROI when they fit the theme. Zillow's 2026 feature study found that outdoor kitchens were associated with a 4.4% sale premium. The important caveat here is that Zillow's figures are listing-feature premiums, not returns guaranteed by installing the appliance.

You don't need to limit your pre-retirement upgrades to the appliances above. There are many kitchen items you should sell before retirement to save money, but appliances that satisfy a home's theme well and create cohesion typically offer excellent returns when you sell. In many cases, creating a sense of cohesion might mean getting a new set of matching kitchen appliances. For example, HomeLight says a new stainless-steel kitchen package — dishwasher, stove, hood, microwave, and refrigerator — costs about $4,229 and adds about $5,982 in resale value — that's an ROI of 141%. But it also warns that the appliance brands should match the home's price point. For example, if you've listed a high-end custom house, your buyers may expect pricey, top-tier brands like Thermador. At the same time, recognizable brands like Samsung still work for most homebuyers — especially in a typical, mid-range home.