| So, you're thinking of remodeling your | | | | be installed by the average do-it-yourself |
| kitchen. It's a smart move if your | | | | homeowner, whereas solid granite countertops |
| motivation is to improve the value of your | | | | need to be cut to fit and installed by a |
| home. (It's a smart move if you just want a | | | | professional.If you want to save even more |
| better kitchen for yourself too.) This is | | | | money, you can get laminate countertops that |
| because kitchens are the most important room | | | | are made to look like granite, marble, or |
| in the house for most prospective home | | | | other stones. (These won't likely fool |
| buyers.If you're currently doing your cooking | | | | prospective home buyers though.)Choose |
| and food preparation in a room that's dated, | | | | laminate flooring instead of hardwoodWood |
| dingy, or dilapidated (or all three), it can | | | | flooring is popular in kitchens right now, |
| seriously affect the amount of money people | | | | and it'll cost you a pretty penny to get it |
| are willing to offer when it's time to sell | | | | installed. However, you can buy laminate |
| your home. Unfortunately, it's easy to spend | | | | flooring that looks a lot like the real deal |
| tons of money on a kitchen remodel. | | | | for about half the price. Laminate is also |
| Stainless steel appliances, granite | | | | more forgiving of spills (wood can be damaged |
| countertops, dedicated pot-filling faucets, | | | | over time if repeatedly exposed to moisture), |
| double ovens, professional cook tops, etc. | | | | and it's very easy to keep clean.Don't spend |
| etc. etc. If you want to buy all that stuff, | | | | a fortune on appliances.If you want stainless |
| you can expect to spend tens of thousands of | | | | steel, you don't necessarily have to spend a |
| dollars. Some people even spend six figure | | | | lot of money on Aga or Viking. Many of the |
| sums on their kitchens.Fortunately, it's | | | | low to mid-end brands are putting out |
| possible to update your kitchen and make it | | | | high-end look-alike appliances. GE, for |
| look a lot better without spending an arm and | | | | examples, offers stainless steel ovens and |
| a leg. Let's take a peek at some of the ways | | | | refrigerators. True, they won't fool kitchen |
| you can increase the value of your kitchen | | | | snobs, but let's face it: the people looking |
| without spending a lot of money:Paint or | | | | to buy your house are more likely to be |
| refinish your cabinets instead of replacing | | | | average Joes, who just want stainless steel |
| them.Before you decide you need to completely | | | | and granite because that's what everybody |
| gut and replace your cabinets, take a good | | | | says is in right now.Buy new lighting.Nothing |
| look at them. Are they sound? Are they made | | | | makes a kitchen look dark and dingy like a |
| of good wood? (If you live in an older home, | | | | single overhead ceiling fixture. Lighting is |
| chances are the cabinets are made from solid | | | | a relatively inexpensive improvement, but it |
| wood and of a higher quality than you'll get | | | | goes a long ways in brightening up the |
| today--most of today's low to mid-end | | | | kitchen and making it look good. Make sure |
| cabinets are made from particleboard with | | | | to buy modern fixtures. Pendant lighting |
| maple/oak/beech "veneers".)If they're | | | | over eating counters is popular, and |
| basically in good shape, all your cabinets | | | | under-counter task lighting is smart for |
| may need is a little low-cost TLC. A paint | | | | brightening up food preparation areas.To save |
| job is the cheapest way to give them a new | | | | on lighting, visit stores like Ikea, or |
| look. New door and drawer hardware (knobs | | | | consider doing your shopping online. Sites |
| and hinges) can help bring your kitchen into | | | | like make it easy to compare prices on lamps |
| the 21st century as well, and it won't cost a | | | | and just about anything else.Hopefully these |
| lot. You might also consider just | | | | tips have given you some ideas on how to make |
| refinishing the fronts and getting new | | | | your kitchen look like its worth a lot |
| cabinet doors.Install granite tiles instead | | | | without actually spending a ton of money.To |
| of solid granite countertops.If you want the | | | | see what's trendy in kitchens right now, |
| classy, upscale look of granite, you can | | | | visit the Kitchen Remodeling section of the |
| achieve it with granite tiles, which are less | | | | author's Home Improvement blog. |
| expensive than solid granite. They can also | | | | |