"research" on this issues might be entertaining, but it has little to do with reality. When you have an appraisal done, to decide exactly how much the bank is going to be lending your theoretical buyer, at no point does a professional appraiser say, "Well golly, I originally though the house was worth $280k, but that's one sweet front door there, probably cost $1200 a while back, I better add $800 to my appraisal. Sorry, but that's not how things work in the real world. It comes down to things like size, # of bathrooms and bedrooms, heating and cooling systems, interior and exterior finishes, # of garage bays, etc... Nobody is handing out 80% of what you spent to correct defective windows, four years ago. Doesn't matter if your are talking a $30k kitchen renovation, or $2K in vinyl replacement windows. Doing it for the added value, is a talking point from a sales lizard, and a poor reason to make improvements to a dwelling.
A great example is how things are currently appraised in my area. I need at least $12-15K, per bay, to build a garage, or add one to an existing home. Appraisers add $7-8K per bay, when valuing a property. Therefore you build a garage because you need one, not because it's some kind of "investment", or has a great return. It's quite the opposite of an investment.