By Special to the Town Crier

“Pictures do a great job of showing you the options when your remodeling budget is $50,000 or more, but we try to focus on kitchens for the rest of us,” said David Haglund, founder and president of Kitchen Tune-Up. Haglund was reacting to a May 2002 Money magazine article on kitchen and bath remodeling, which illustrated a $60,000 kitchen and a $10,000 bath.

That aside, he said, “The article raises a number of really valuable points for consumers regarding questions they should ask about remodeling projects.” The National Association of Home Builders asserts that it’s important to renovate kitchens and baths every 15-20 years to retain the value of an investment in a home. At the same time, it’s important to keep a balance between the cost of remodeling and the value of the home. For instance, a $60,000 kitchen remodel in a $250,000 home isn’t likely to give a great return on investment.

A 2001 Remodeling magazine survey of 48 housing markets found the average remodeling job returned about 80 percent of the original cost.

“The return on investment numbers are nice to know about, but you shouldn’t rate that too highly when you consider remodeling. Markets are cyclical, and some of those high-flying returns you’re seeing now could drop when you decide to sell,” Haglund noted. He recommends remodeling to please yourself, not simply to make your home more attractive to buyers.

Remodeling is up nationwide as more people want to stay closer to home after Sept. 11. “People might be spending their vacation money on their homes instead this year,” Haglund said.

Remodeling also makes economic sense when compared to purchasing a new home. The Bureau of Economic Analysis points out that new home prices have risen 3.7 percent per year on average, while remodeling costs have gone up 2.8 percent a year. “Add low interest rates and the tax deductibility of home equity loans and there are lots of reasons to consider remodeling,” Haglund said.

Haglund founded Kitchen Tune-Up in 1989 in Aberdeen, S.D., and the company now has more than 260 franchises across the country. Services range from restoring and repairing existing finishes, to refacing cabinets, replacing doors and hardware, installing new custom-built cabinetry and refinishing wood floors.

For more information on Kitchen Tune-Up, call (800) 333-6385 or logon to www.kitchentuneup.com.