Many home improvement projects begin with someone in the household saying, "Wouldn't it be nice ...?" What follows may be a wish for a remodeled kitchen or a room addition with space to accommodate every family member's needs. However, reality usually intrudes upon this daydream: There's only so much money and so much space. The trick is turning your dreams into reality. Start by evaluating your needs. Most homeowners consider home improvements for one of these reasons. 

• You need to update the out-of-date. If your kitchen still sports appliances and decor from decades past, now may be the time to make it current.
• You need to replace fixtures or appliances. Sometimes a home improvement project grows out of an immediate need to replace broken or inefficient fixtures. If the sink, tub or toilet has to be replaced, many people take the opportunity to refurbish the entire bathroom.
• You're selling your home. You want to be sure you'll get top dollar from the sale of your home, and that may be the rallying cry for some home improvement projects.
• You're staying put. You thought about moving, but now you realize that improving your present home is a better option.
• Your family has grown and you need more space.

Improving to Move or Improving to Stay
You need to evaluate your plans carefully if you're improving your home to put it on the market. Cutting corners could hurt rather than help your prospects, but you don't want to go overboard either. Potential buyers may not want to pay for the extras you have included, so keep changes simple.

Also keep in mind that people viewing your house may not share your tastes and therefore won't necessarily appreciate the time and effort you put into finding just the right shade of green paint for the walls.