Do you want to remodel your home to get the best price in the market or do you want to remodel for a better quality of life?  Are you asset rich but time poor?  An interior designer can achieve amazing results, save you time and aggravation and give your home or office a "WOW" factor.  An upgraded kitchen and bath lead as the top improvements that increase the value of a property.  If you do not want to gut them and start from scratch, here are 8 down and dirty tricks that are low-cost but high value.
   1.  Paint your kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  Don't skimp on the paint in these areas.  They need to be high quality.
   2.  Change out all the door and drawer hardware.  This is fairly inexpensive and you can do-it-yourself.
   3.  Change the light fixtures.  Go modern or go eclectic by spray-painting a crystal chandelier in glossy white, black or red depending on your color scheme.  If you painted the room in gray with off-white trim, the red chandelier would make a great "wow" factor.
   4.  Paint your floor.  I painted an old cork floor in black and white squares and sealed them with a clear sealer.  If your wood floors have seen better days, paint them with a cool design or squares.
   5.  Is your backsplash plain and boring?  Find a colorful wallpaper remnant, attach a piece of clear acrylic to protect the wallpaper and voila, you have a unique, one-of-a-kind look!
   6.  If you have a plain, unadorned wall in your home, make it a focal point.  Buy a calendar with themed pictures and mat and frame them.  Hang them as a collage of four, six or nine.  Be sure to use the same color and style frame.  If you like black and white photo walls, print the pictures you have chosen in black and white.
   7.  Get new faucets in kitchen and bathroom.  You can buy them at home improvement stores and are pretty easy to install if you are handy.
   8.  Replace your doorknobs with lever handles.  They are easier to use if you have a disability or arthritis.
So there you are.  You can do these low-cost improvements or you can hire someone to do them for you.  How much is your time worth?