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4. Upscale Kitchen Remodel

• Cost of upscale kitchen remodel: $81,552
• Average resale value: $69,194
• Percentage of cost recovered: 84.8%
• Best return: 136.1% in Seattle
• Worst return: 46.2% in Burlington, Vt.

A top-of-the-line kitchen with commercial grade appliances, stone countertops and custom cabinets will set you back over $80,000 and you won't be getting that investment back at resale, unless you're in a high cost area where that price tag is relatively small compared to your total home price, like Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco or Seattle.

When you go high-price, be careful not to go too high style. For instance, black lacquer kitchen cabinets with black granite countertops may look cool, but it only appeals to one in a hundred buyers. White cabinets with black granite would appeal to many more buyers.

Copyright 2007 Hanley Wood, LLC. Reproduced by permission. Complete city data from the Remodeling 2007 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded for free at www.remodelingmagazine.com/costvsvalue.

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