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Some homeowners make the mistake of thinking that the more upgrading and
remodeling they do, the more money they will make for their house. They watch a
remodeling show on television and decide they need to do a major remodel to get more
money for their house. Keep in mind that return on investment is what you’re looking
for. It doesn’t make sense to do a $40,000 kitchen remodel that only adds $20,000 to
the value of your home. Having said that, here are some typical improvements that you
may consider for your kitchen and bathrooms.
First, going back to Chapter Four, strongly consider repainting. If you have wallpaper
(which is mostly out of style with some notable exceptions), you may check into
removing it and replacing it with a nice paint job. Again compare cost benefit before
you start ripping off the old wallpaper.

Next, consider your appliances. In the kitchen, appliances vary widely in their energy
efficiency and looks. If they are old (10 years or more) they are also going to likely be
unappealing to buyers. Upgrading to new appliances can make a huge difference in
the marketing and sale of your home.
The refrigerator is the second highest energy consumer in the average home, second
only to your HVAC. If your refrigerator is old (and ugly), consider an upgraded stainless
steel refrigerator/freezer. Depending on the price range of your home and the area,
you have a lot of options here. In some case you may opt to not include a refrigerator
in the sale of the home at all. Just make sure that your real estate agent makes that
exclusion clear to potential buyers, otherwise you may get stuck unintentionally leaving
your fridge or buying a new one.

TIP: If you decide to stay with your existing refrigerator, at least clean it (including the
top) and remove all the refrigerator magnets and “stuff” that occupies the outsides of
many refrigerators.
Cabinets, counter tops, and fixtures are the next thing to look at. These are listed in
order of expense to replace. Replacing cabinets is one of the most costly
improvements you can do in any room in your house. Unless the existing cabinets are
in pretty bad shape, it is often best to leave them and consider refinishing or repainting
them.
Upgrading from formica or laminate countertops to granite or synthetic hard surface
countertops has become a fairly common improvement when updating kitchens. It
makes a big difference in appearance and is not as expensive as one might expect.

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