remodeling

Southern California homes are looking good. During the economic free-fall, contractors and builders offered cut-rate services and apparently SoCal citizens responded. And that's helping the remodeling industry make a comeback.

A recent L.A.Times story reported that 62 percent of homeowners said they planned to embark on home-improvement projects in 2010, with average spending of $6,200 on enhancements.

Garages have always been useful for so many things -- like storing your car, of course -- but also as a space for your kid's punk band to practice and for that great high-tech startup.

But now, thanks to the recession and a crappy real estate market that makes everyone just want to stay put forever, garages are emerging as the next room of the house to renovate for added living space.

If you have one, it's cheaper to remodel a garage than building an extension because the structure already exists (with some oil stains, but still) and as a garage is often detached from the house, it makes for a nice studio, guest room or office with some privacy. What's more, if the real estate market ever recovers and you want to sell, you can describe the garage as an outbuilding on the family compound. Or if you want to make some cash, you can rent out the big house and retire to the garage (which also works if your spouse throws you out).

Shelter publications are taking note of the trend. So after you clear your clutter, what can become of your ugly duckling garage?

We know that the Great Recession and housing market collapse has made many homeowners very nervous. But it has also made them very practical. New statistics reveal that instead of seeking bigger, more expensive houses, homeowners are staying put, making the ones they have look nicer and more energy efficient, and doing it themselves. This can be gleaned from the numbers: Residential architecture inquiries and billings are still down, and profits at Home Depot and Lowe's are rebounding.

Yes, we're nesting again and feathering our nests with modest, energy-efficient improvements -- from LED lighting to water saving toilets -- rather than opting for a Great Room and adding steam showers or simply moving into that coveted McMansion, according to the American Institute of Architects.

It's hard to imagine now, but there was a time not long ago when people would never have considered their kitchen as an appropriate place for a computer.

Attitudes have changed, though, and connected devices are everywhere. That now includes the kitchen, where you'll find Internet-ready touchscreens on appliances like LG's ultra-modern refrigerator.

But why limit yourself to a tiny, appliance-mounted screen when you can add a full-blown touchscreen Windows computer just about anywhere you've got a bit of extra wall space?

Home prices aren't the only thing that has plummeted recently. So, too, has the value of home improvement projects, according to Remodeling magazine.

Overall, homeowners can expect to see just 63.8 percent of their remodeling dollars added to the value of their home, according the the magazine's annual Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report. That's down a whopping 26 percent from the peak return of 86.7 percent in 2005. It's also the fourth consecutive year that the return on remodeling has dropped.