While homeowners in New York City still await the return of a robust real estate market, many are concentrating on improving their homes for themselves rather than potential buyers, according to highly rated NYC remodeling companies Angie’s List spoke with.

Matt Zaccheo, owner of highly rated C & M Home Improvement in Brooklyn, N.Y., says that while many homeowners are investing in less expensive remodeling projects, homeowners should still aim to remodel with a future buyer in mind. “[Homeowners] are doing less remodeling now, that’s for sure,” he says. He adds that kitchens and bathrooms provide the best return on investment. “The most important areas of any home are the kitchen and bathroom – that’s 80 percent of what a person sees when they walk into a home. The rest is just walls and windows."

And for many homeowners, concentrating their remodeling dollars on bathrooms rather than kitchens proves to be a practical investment, says Joe Shoback, owner of highly rated Hudson Home Improvement in Jersey City, N.J. “Bathroom remodels are at the top of most of my customers’ lists,” he says. “The reason I think why is that it’s a smaller project. A typical bathroom remodel is no more than about $15,000 – a customer can generally swing a project like that rather than doing a home addition that could cost $100,000.”

For homeowners looking to sell their homes more quickly despite a sluggish market, Shoback says hiring a contractor to make small but important improvements may provide the best return on investment. “Improving a home’s curb appeal is a big thing, as well as fixing items around the house such as modernizing the switches and outlets, adding trim molding and giving it paint job,” Shoback says. “You’d be amazed at what something as minor as paint job can do to improve the look of a home.”

If you’re interested in investing in home improvement through remodeling, both Shoback and Zaccheo recommend checking a home NYC remodeling contractor’s reviews on Angie’s List, as well as getting several estimates before hiring or making a down payment.