Sweat Equity

Living Room Upgrade

First-time homeowner Jeanne Panuczak invests $4,000 into her century-old brick bungalow by upgrading the living room adjacent to the foyer. With help from her friends and guidance from general contractor Adam Berlin, she creates a stunning first impression with restored walls and a new hardwood floor.

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Kitchen Upgrade

Newlyweds Kim and Marc Chaney wisely invest in their $330,000 home by upgrading the dated original kitchen with a more sophisticated motif. General contractor Adam Berlin helps them stay within their $10,000 budget and do most of the work themselves, but will their kitchen renovation translate to increased equity in the end?

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Backyard Deck

Homeowners Sam McGibbon and Lia Matarrese set aside $7500 and target their untamed backyard as the major detractor of their $175,000 home. Battling scorching summer temperatures and occasional sticker shock, Sam, Lia and family members enlist the guidance of a general contractor, Adam Berlin, to help construct a low-maintenance deck and add new landscaping to create a relaxing outdoor living space.

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Master Bathroom Upgrade

Homeowners Laura and Joel Cantalamessa target the master bathroom of their $380,000 home as the ideal place to invest their hard earned money. With a budget of $5,000, they place a premium on boosting value, but also want to enjoy their results. General contractor Adam Berlin helps maximize the Cantalamessa's dollar as they do most of the work to transform the bathroom into a natural stone oasis.

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Basement Finish

Dave and Anne Husted set aside $8,000 and target their small, improperly finished basement as an ideal area to add both value and multi-use space to their home. Will a properly finished basement be enough to raise the value of their $295,000 home? With general contractor Adam Berlin helping to maximize each dollar spent, the Husteds save even more money by doing most of the work themselves.

Be sure to check out Increase the Value of Your Home for equity-building projects and videos—NOW!

Stepping Up the Basement

John and Colleen Rauscher's 1970s basement is holding their $265,000 house back. With an $8,000 budget and the help of host Amy Matthews, they roll up their sleeves and bring the basement back to the future. With their livable space doubled, how much will their home value increase?

See if your renovation project stacks up by using Money Magazine's Renovation Wizard Calculator

Kitchen Catch-up

Most of Matt and Anita Seitz's house is updated and attractive, but their outdated kitchen is dragging down their home's value. They get busy installing a tile floor, hanging new cabinets and replacing their countertops. With host Amy Matthews helping them maximize their $15,000 budget, will their renovated kitchen make their home's value skyrocket?

See if your renovation project stacks up by using Money Magazine's Renovation Wizard Calculator

Home Theater

Ron and Dawn Watson are armed with $15,000 and awesome DIY skills. Add host Amy Matthews to the mix, and they get to work building an outrageous home theater room for him and a home office for her. But will these renovation projects add to the home's value?

See if your renovation project stacks up by using Money Magazine's Renovation Wizard Calculator

Redoing the Den

The Glenn kids are off to college so Dave and Melanie are on a budget. With only $5,000 to spend and with the kitchen and the family room to renovate, the Glenn’s have to choose the project that will give them the best return on their investment without breaking the bank.

Room to Grow

Kim Karsh and her 3 kids are in need of some extra space, and especially an extra bathroom. Can Kim totally demolish her Brady Bunch basement, add 2 bedrooms, a family room and a bathroom and still stay under her $15,000 budget?

Curb Upheaval

Doug and Jeanette Ekstrand and their 3 young kids are in love with their old house, but its old yard is a problem. With some creative thinking, a $10,000 budget and a little help from Amy Matthews, see how they can enhance their home's curb appeal and transform a tired exterior into a great yard everyone can enjoy.

Modernized Kitchen

The Larneds are ready for a remodeling project but with a baby on the way and a $20,000 budget, will their DIY skills be enough to update their kitchen in time for the due date, and make some dough in the process?

Build a Better Backyard

Kim Douglas is a commercial landscape architect; but her backyard could use a little of her expertise. With some help from Amy Matthews, a landscaper boyfriend, and a $10,000 budget, find out if Kim can add a patio, pergola and water feature to create a backyard oasis and still gain home equity.