An
update
on
kitchen
remodeling
reveals
you
could
be
spending
a
lot
more
and
getting
a
lot
less
when
you
do-over
your
home's
social
center.
Consumer
Reports
"Kitchen-Planning
Guide"
now
includes
a
new
feature,
"Great
Kitchens
For
Less,"
a
dissertation
on
spending
less
and
getting
more
when
you
remodel
or
just
swap
out
old
appliances
with
new.
With
findings
and
recommendations
based
on
independent
laboratory
tests,
pricing
comparisons
and
cost
analyses,
the
Consumers
Union
publication
says
the
hype
on
stuff
you
can
buy
for
the
kitchen
is
often
just
that.
It's
not
surprising
kitchens
get
the
hard
sell.
Kitchens
are
the
social
gathering
spot
for
the
family
and
guests
and
new
technology
is
turning
it
into
the
home's
command
center.
That's
not
all.
Remodeling
kitchens
is a
value
added
proposition
because
a
large
portion,
if
not
all
and
sometimes
more
of
the
remodeling
cost
becomes
added
home
value.
Finally,
upgrading
major
appliances
today
comes
with
both
an
energy
conservation
boost
and
convenience
boom.
"Whether
you're
updating
your
appliances
or
planning
a
full
remodel,
seeing
past
the
hype
can
be
tough
when
everything
looks
so
good,"
the
magazine
reports
in
an
overview
that
names
names
and
includes
an
everything-you-wanted-to-know
approach
to
kitchen
remodeling
and
financing,
as
well
as
the
appliances,
furniture,
materials
and
accessories
that
go
into
a
job,
large
or
small.
Notable
in
the
exhaustive
report
is
the
potential
for
big
money
savings
in
the
"10
Most-Hyped
Products
And
What
To
Buy
Instead"
side
report.
"Mistakes
can
be
costly
as
well
as
disappointing,
because
the
most
loudly
hawked
products
are
often
the
most
expensive,"
according
to
Consumer
Reports.
Here
are
some
examples:
Pro-style
ranges.
Commercial
ranges
promising
a
professional
look,
feel
and
performance
come
with
a
professional
$4,000
price
tag,
but
perform
no
better
than
less-expensive
conventional
ranges.
Turn
it
on.
Cook.
If
you
need
to
keep
up
with
the
Joneses,
commercial-looking
ranges
from
mainstream
manufacturers
perform
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just
as
well
for
thousands
less.
Steam
ovens
and
ranges.
Consumer
Reports
found
that
oven
makers
claiming
"super-heated
steam
cooking
melts
away
fat"
were
thin
on
results.
Free
exercise
is a
better
deal
than
the
$1,000
cost
for
the
ovens.
Multimedia
fridges.
In
one
of
the
latest
examples
of
technology
attempting
to
adjust
your
habits
--
when
it
should
be
helping
you
perform
them
more
efficiently
--
refrigerators
with
built-in
TVs
and
calendars
are
still
just
refrigerators.
They
cool
and
freeze
food.
Post
a
to-do
list
and
buy
an
under-the-cabinet
flip
down
or
small
counter-top
flat
panel
TV.
Save
thousands.
Pricey
faucets
and
sinks.
Five-hundred
dollar
faucets
reveal
no
performance
superiority
over
lower
priced
faucets
in
chrome
or
with
physical
vapor
deposition
finishes.
And
thick
or
thin,
all
stainless
sinks
resist
dents,
stains
and
scratches
similarly.
It's
all
steel,
or a
steal,
depending
on
how
you
look
at
it.
Trendy
counters.
Concrete
is
fragile
and
susceptible
to
scratches,
chips
and
hairline
cracks
and
needs
periodic
resealing.
Who
needs
another
kitchen
chore?
Limestone,
in
wear
tests,
revealed
scratches,
stains
and
dings.
Granite
or
quartz
are
a
better
deal.
"Green"
flooring.
Bamboo,
cork,
linoleum,
all
considered
renewable
alternatives,
don't
hold
up
as
well
to
the
usual
spills,
scratches,
dropped
plates,
and
sunlight
and
may
need
to
be,
well,
renewed
sooner
than
solid
wood
floors
and
plastic
laminate
and
vinyl.
The
latter
two
were
toughest
overall
in
tests,
cost
less
and
demand
less
care.
Big-box
shopping.
One-stop
shopping
for
remodeling
jobs
at
the
big
warehouse
home
improvement
centers
wasn't
impressive
as
an
overall
solution
for
design
help,
installation
services,
product
quality,
selection,
even
price,
according
to
Consumer
Reports.
Like
any
major
purchase,
a
kitchen
remodel
is a
shop-around
job.
"For
instance,
Costco
was
tops
overall
for
major
appliances,
but
it
had
the
worst
selection.
Check
each
retailer's
return
policies
before
you
buy.
Also
consider
local
independent
stores
and
personal
references
as
highly
as
any
preconceived
notions
about
price,
quality,
and
convenience,"
Consumer
Report
advises.
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