Elissa Home Designing: Remodel Kitchen

DENVER - Whether you are wanting a fresh look in your kitchen, or if you are preparing your home for the spring selling season, you would be wise to start with your kitchen. For years, the kitchen has been referred to as the heart of the home. Not (MoneyWatch) Kitchens have gone from small rooms relegated to the back of the home to the focal point of family life. They connect to our largest living spaces and speak loudly from the center of the home, offering a central gathering point for family and Kitchens may be the last in the column series but they are definitely not the least when it comes to the impact on a home and family. It is still true that the kitchen is the heart of the home — the ultimate gathering place, the nucleus, the hub. For every dollar spent on an overhaul of a midrange kitchen, a home's value rises by about 69 cents, according to Remodeling magazine's annual Cost vs. Value Report 2013. That's up from about 65 cents on the dollar in 2011-2012. Here's the deep dark secret that the kitchen-remodeling websites and magazines don't want you to know: Between the before and after photos, you live in a house with no kitchen. For weeks, more likely months. And that's not a pretty picture. My own kitchen While no renovation adds as much equity to your home or is likely to be more enjoyed, kitchen remodel costs can get out of control quickly. When it comes to remodeling your kitchen, check out where experts suggest splurging — and where you can cut some .

Kitchen and bathroom renovations top the list of improvements for increasing the value of a home. But this labor-intensive remodeling can get expensive. Even without changing room layouts, the simple job of replacing finishes and fixtures can cost more NEW YORK ( TheStreet) -- Topping the list of remodeling projects undertaken by American homeowners is the kitchen. But what are homeowners spending to upgrade their kitchens? Nationwide, the average cost of a kitchen remodel or addition, according to Houzz Embarking on a kitchen-remodeling project can be daunting. With all the elements—flooring, cabinets, appliances, countertops—you might find yourself getting overly protective with your checkbook. There's no way around it: Kitchen-remodeling projects Remodeling a kitchen is a great way to breathe new life into a home as well as significantly increase its value, but experts note that some people have only the vaguest notions of how much they should spend. A Houzz.com survey shows that the average cost .