Renovation Sells Franchising

Every year, millions of American homeowners face a high-stakes decision: how do they prepare their home to sell quickly and for maximum price without overinvesting in renovations that won't produce returns at closing? That gap between a home's current condition and its full market potential represents one of the most consistently underserved problems in residential real estate — and it is precisely the problem that Renovation Sells Franchising was built to solve. Founded in 2018 by Mike Valente and Amanda Valente in Chicago, Illinois, Renovation Sells entered the market with a laser-focused thesis: strategic, cosmetic pre-sale renovations completed in partnership with real estate agents generate measurable, documentable returns for home sellers. The company's early traction was rapid enough that it began offering franchise opportunities in 2020, and by March 2023, just 18 months into its franchising expansion, it had grown from a single Chicago location to 35 locations spanning 20 states. The leadership team that has driven this growth includes Michael Valente as CEO, Amanda Valente as Co-Founder and COO, Lisa Carrel as President, Briana Gershenzon as Partner and Chief of Design, and John Bura as Chief Construction Officer — a multidisciplinary executive bench covering real estate, design, and construction under one roof. Bryan Sebring is also recognized as a co-founder of the enterprise. As of October 2024, Renovation Sells Franchising had expanded to over 40 locations operating across 70 markets in the United States, with 78 territories sold to 49 owners signaling a pipeline of continued near-term growth. The brand earned recognition on Entrepreneur magazine's Fastest-Growing Franchises of 2023 list, a data-driven ranking that validates its unit growth velocity against the entire franchise industry. For franchise investors evaluating this opportunity, what follows is an independent, data-grounded analysis of the Renovation Sells Franchising franchise — its market position, investment requirements, operating model, and financial signals — without promotional framing.

The residential home remodeling and repair industry is one of the most durable and capital-intensive categories in the franchise universe, generating approximately $326 billion in annual U.S. revenue. Globally, the home renovation market was valued at USD 2,049.25 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 3,026.50 billion by 2034, compounding at a CAGR of 4.61% over that nine-year horizon. North America alone accounts for 32.12% of that global market, representing a 2025 valuation of USD 678.71 billion — a figure that underscores just how dominant the U.S. residential renovation sector is within the world economy. Several secular consumer trends are converging to create outsized demand specifically for the pre-sale renovation segment that Renovation Sells Franchising serves. Millennials now constitute the largest share of homebuyers in the United States, and this cohort consistently demonstrates a strong preference for move-in-ready homes — they are willing to pay a measurable premium for properties that require no immediate renovation labor or design decision-making. U.S. existing home sales have in recent periods reached their highest levels since 2006, and markets with aging housing inventory — defined as homes 15 or more years old — are experiencing particularly elevated demand for cosmetic updates before listing. Interior renovations, specifically kitchen and bathroom upgrades and living space transformations, dominate renovation spending, driven by evolving lifestyle and design preferences including current market trends toward luxury vinyl plank flooring and the use of green tones in kitchen design. The energy efficiency renovation segment is growing at an independent CAGR of 3.45% through 2032, further expanding the renovation opportunity landscape. From a competitive dynamics perspective, the pre-sale renovation niche remains notably fragmented: no single national brand has achieved dominant market penetration, and Renovation Sells Franchising operates in what franchisees themselves describe as an "open playing field with little to no competition," a structural market condition that creates significant first-mover advantages for well-capitalized franchise operators.

The Renovation Sells Franchising franchise cost structure is positioned as an accessible, lower-capital entry point relative to the broader residential services category. The initial franchise fee is $50,000, though depending on territory size and specific market conditions, sources indicate the fee can range from $50,000 to $120,000. Eligible veterans receive a fee reduction to $45,000, a meaningful incentive given that veteran franchisees consistently demonstrate strong operational success rates across the franchise industry. The total initial investment required to open a Renovation Sells Franchising location ranges from approximately $79,005 to $171,484, with an investment midpoint of $125,245 — a figure that sits well below the sub-sector average for residential remodeling franchises. That investment spread is driven by several variable cost categories: the initial training fee is fixed at $5,500, while training expenses range from $1,500 to $3,000; licenses and permits range from $550 to $1,100; computer systems require between $555 and $4,034; professional fees span $3,400 to $6,000; insurance runs $3,000 to $5,000; and three months of operating expenses and additional working capital accounts for $5,000 to $13,000. Grand opening advertising is a fixed $9,000 line item. Minimum liquid capital required is $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the source, with net worth requirements reported at $250,000 to $300,000 — thresholds that are attainable for a broad pool of qualified candidates compared to brick-and-mortar franchise investments requiring $500,000 or more in net worth. Ongoing royalty fees are reported at 7% of gross revenue, with a brand and marketing fund contribution of 1% to 2% of gross revenues supporting national and regional advertising. The parent company, Renovation Sells, LLC, is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and the corporate office houses a dedicated franchisee support team. The business model's home-based operating structure eliminates the need for commercial retail lease obligations, which is one of the primary capital sinks in traditional franchise investments and a meaningful structural advantage for Renovation Sells Franchising investors analyzing total cost of ownership.

The daily operating model for a Renovation Sells Franchising franchisee is deliberately designed to be streamlined and manageable without requiring deep expertise in construction or interior design — two barriers that would otherwise significantly restrict the candidate pool. Franchisees function primarily as business development operators and project managers, building relationships with real estate agents and home sellers while the franchisor's certified design team handles the detailed design work and delivers digital design boards directly to clients. This division of labor means franchisees can present professional, visually compelling renovation proposals to clients without needing to hire in-house designers or carry a large permanent staff, keeping labor overhead exceptionally low. The business can be operated from a home office with minimal full-time employees, a structural feature that reduces fixed overhead and increases the proportion of revenue available for owner earnings. The initial training program consists of a two-week Initial Management Training Program conducted in the Greater Chicagoland Area, Illinois, with virtual classroom hours available as a component of the curriculum. Beyond initial training, the corporate support structure is notably hands-on: Michael Valente and the founding team are reported to personally travel to new franchise markets to help operators launch, a level of founder engagement that is uncommon in larger, more institutionalized franchise systems. The corporate office in Chicago provides ongoing support through the executive team, proven marketing resources, industry-specific software, and one-on-one training to help franchisees secure their initial and ongoing client base. Financing services are integrated into the operating model through a partnership with First National Bank of Omaha, which enables home sellers to secure up to $400,000 in pre-sale renovation financing — a significant sales enablement tool that removes a common objection in the sales process. Franchisees are granted ownership of specific exclusive market territories, and the expansion strategy focuses on metropolitan areas with median home values above $300,000, high homeownership rates, active real estate transaction volumes, and housing stock that is 15 or more years old.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Renovation Sells Franchising. This is a material consideration for prospective investors, as Item 19 disclosure — while not legally required — provides the clearest quantitative basis for projecting unit-level revenue and profitability. In the absence of a current FDD Item 19 disclosure, investors must triangulate performance from available third-party data and system-level metrics. The most relevant publicly available data point is a reported average unit revenue of $2,110,504 in 2021, based on a 17-unit sample at that time — a strong per-unit revenue figure for a home services franchise with low overhead and home-based operations. More recent aggregate data indicates total system gross revenue of $2.34 million across active units, producing a gross profit of $520,029, which implies a gross margin of approximately 22%. At a 7% royalty rate, this margin structure provides meaningful room for franchisee earnings, particularly given the home-based operating model that eliminates lease payments. The real-world return potential is further illustrated by a reported franchisee case in which a $120,000 renovation contract increased a home's value from $1.1 million to $1.5 million — a $400,000 value-add representing a 333% return on the renovation spend, the type of outcome that generates strong repeat business and referral activity with real estate agent partners. The per-unit revenue average has shown variation across the system, which is expected in a franchise network that spans diverse real estate markets with meaningfully different median home price levels, transaction volumes, and competitive conditions. Investors should request the most current FDD, conduct thorough franchisee validation calls with existing operators, and analyze local real estate market activity metrics — including existing home sales volume, median home values, and housing age distribution — when building revenue projections for their specific territory.

The growth trajectory of Renovation Sells Franchising is one of the most compelling signals in the brand's investment profile. The company launched franchise development in 2020 and within 18 months had expanded to 35 locations across 20 states — a pace that earned it a placement on Entrepreneur magazine's 2023 Fastest-Growing Franchises list as well as recognition as one of the top emerging franchise brands of that year. By October 2024, the brand had surpassed 40 locations operating across 70 U.S. markets, with 78 territories sold to 49 owners indicating a near-term growth pipeline that will continue to add open units as operators complete launch processes. The company set a target of reaching 50 or more locations by the end of 2023 and has articulated a strategic goal of achieving presence in communities across the entire United States by 2025. Amanda Valente, Co-Founder and COO, was named to Inc. magazine's 2024 Female Founders List, a recognition that reflects both her individual leadership profile and Renovation Sells Franchising's rising visibility in national business media. The brand's competitive moat is constructed around several durable advantages: a proprietary design and project management workflow that integrates certified designers into every client engagement, a financing partnership with First National Bank of Omaha that enables larger project sizes, established referral relationships within the real estate agent community, and a first-mover positioning in a pre-sale renovation niche that remains largely unoccupied by competing national franchise brands. Geographic expansion shows deliberate concentration in states with robust real estate markets including Michigan, Florida, and Illinois, with emerging penetration in northeastern states where housing stock is among the oldest in the country. The franchise's FPI Score of 65 on the PeerSense scale is rated Strong, an independent quantitative assessment that incorporates unit growth, financial signals, and operational health metrics.

The ideal Renovation Sells Franchising franchisee candidate does not need a background in construction or interior design — the business model is explicitly engineered to operate without those skill sets at the franchisee level. What the system rewards is strong relationship-building capability, business development instincts, and the organizational discipline to manage multiple renovation projects simultaneously on behalf of real estate agent partners and home sellers. The corporate team's support infrastructure, including the certified design team and integrated software platform, handles the technical design deliverables, which means franchisees can focus the majority of their time on client acquisition, real estate agent relationship development, and project oversight. Ideal territory characteristics include metropolitan and suburban markets with median home values above $300,000, active MLS transaction volumes, and housing inventory that is 15 or more years old — conditions that generate a steady pipeline of pre-sale renovation candidates. The brand has demonstrated particular market strength in Michigan, Florida, and Illinois, and is actively expanding into northeastern markets where aging housing stock creates structurally elevated demand. The business is designed for owner-operator engagement rather than passive absentee investment, particularly in the early growth phase where relationship capital with local real estate professionals is the primary driver of revenue volume. Multi-unit and multi-territory ownership is supported within the franchise system, as evidenced by the 78 territories sold to 49 owners, a ratio indicating that a meaningful number of franchisees hold more than one territory. The low overhead model — no commercial lease, minimal full-time staffing, home-based operations — means that franchisees can reach operating profitability at a lower revenue threshold than most residential services franchise models.

For franchise investors conducting serious due diligence in the residential services category, Renovation Sells Franchising presents a data-supported investment thesis grounded in three converging dynamics: a $326 billion domestic renovation industry with a 4.61% global CAGR through 2034, a pre-sale renovation niche that remains structurally underserved by national franchise brands, and a total initial investment range of $79,005 to $171,484 that is accessible relative to the returns suggested by the 2021 average unit revenue figure of $2,110,504. The brand's rapid expansion from a single Chicago location in 2018 to 40-plus locations across 70 markets by October 2024 demonstrates consumer and franchisee validation at a pace that earned Entrepreneur magazine recognition. The partnership with First National Bank of Omaha enabling up to $400,000 in homeowner financing, the integrated design team support model, and Amanda Valente's recognition on the Inc. 2024 Female Founders List all signal an organization investing in the operational infrastructure and brand equity required for sustained national growth. The FPI Score of 65, rated Strong by independent analysis, provides a quantitative anchor for comparative evaluation against other residential services franchise opportunities. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools to help investors evaluate Renovation Sells Franchising against every comparable franchise opportunity in the residential remodeling category with full data transparency. Explore the complete Renovation Sells Franchising franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.