Home Improvement

#1 Laminate for Countertops Don’t worry — laminate won’t make your kitchen look like great-grandma’s lime-green tabletop. And it won’t stain like hers either. This affordable and heat-, stain-, and water-resistant material has undergone quite a makeover. “The old stereotypes about the way it used to look aren’t really as true anymore,” says Ebony Stephenson, […]

To help ensure you get a good return on your kitchen remodel, follow these seven tips: #1 Plan, Plan, Plan Planning your kitchen remodel should take more time than the actual construction. If you plan well, the amount of time you’re inconvenienced by construction mayhem will be minimized. Plus, you’re more likely to stay on budget.

You’ve asked friends to recommend great contractors, picked your favorite, checked references — and maybe even conducted an online background check on his business. So you know you’ve found a top-notch guy for your home improvement project. But remember that his bottom line is getting you to sign a contract, and he’s not going to