How renovations can affect the value of a home

New York

THE summer months are a particularly popular time for updating houses, with new bathrooms, new kitchens or even a new roof. But whether the renovations add to a home's value, that's a different matter.

Even when they do increase the price a seller may get, they rarely increase it in line with how much the renovation costs.

"People confuse helping the home keep up with the marke…