Sprucing Up Your Kitchen
A kitchen remodel for under $10,000? It's doable if you head for the nearest Ikea megastore, where a set of 18 replacement cabinets will run you about $4,000 and up. Add $3,000 for installation and about $1,500 for new Formica countertops, and you'll transform your kitchen for about the cost of a fancy Sub-Zero refrigerator.
Another option is to reface your existing cabinets, leaving shelves in place but laminating exposed surfaces and replacing the doors, which can cost about a third as much as new cabinets but yield much the same result.
If you're content with your cabinets, consider investing your money in new high-efficiency appliances (you can find a list of top-rated models at www.greenerchoices.org). Sal Alfano of Remodeling magazine says that will both improve your home's marketability and reduce your electric bill.
More on remodeling:
• It'll Be a Tough Spring for Home Sellers
• Five Remodeling Projects for Under $10,000