Our interactive package takes you on a room-by-room tour of new ideas at various cost levels.
Remodeling room by room
Kitchen
Project:
Kitchen remodel
Remodeling
a kitchen is the most expensive project
you can tackle. "It's a big investment,
but gives a big return," says Tom
Silva, general contractor for the TV
show "This Old House."
The more
practical you keep the work, the more
money you get back when you sell. A
minor remodeling job will average about
$14,913, but you'll recoup about 98.5
percent at sale, according to Remodeling
magazine. A major project will average
$43,862 and return about 91 percent
of cost at sale, while an upscale job
will average $81,552, but return only
84.8 percent at sale. And 11 percent
of the time, homeowners are actually
increasing the size of the kitchen,
says the Home Improvement Research Institute.
If your
kitchen is small or you're doing a minor
remodel, focus on making better use
of the space -- upgrading appliances,
adding lighting and surfaces to make
tasks easier, or even upgrading styles
and colors. Another trend: creating
a number of workstations, either to
allow couples to cook together or to
give kids a place to help with food
prep or do homework. The newest trend
for those with a lot of money and enough
space: adding a smaller kitchen, away
from the showier area, where the real
work takes place.
Because
of the complexity of kitchen real estate
(electrical meets plumbing meets mechanicals),
it pays to leave the heavy lifting to
the pros. Good DIY projects involve
small, short-term jobs and aesthetic
touches, such as adding molding or tile
accents, painting or papering, putting
new hardware on existing cabinetry,
replacing cabinet doors or, if you're
really handy, installing flooring.
