Why gut it if you can repair it?

Need new cabinets or back splashes? Before replacing what you have, see if you can fix them.

5 of 5

Overgrown shrubbery

Tall, scraggly shrubbery can be cut down to size.

Do your foundation plants look as if they're about to eat your house? If tearing them out and planting fresh, petite specimens would break the bank, there's another solution. Deciduous shrubs (those that lose their leaves in the fall) are quite forgiving, and many can regenerate even if they're cut all the way to stumps.

Cost advantage: $200 for a chain-saw to (carefully) do it yourself, or $1,500 to hire a pro, vs. $5,000 and up for replacements.

The catch: The plants will look scraggly for one or two seasons until new branches form and leaf out.

More galleries

Last updated October 04 2010: 5:02 AM ET

Your Home

Condos for less than a Corolla

Home prices are plunging, and some of the best bargains are condos. Here are 8 that can be purchased for less than the cost of a new Prius. More

Buy the yuppie dream house

The upper-middle class lifestyle has many trappings, including the house. Here's what it costs across the country. More

Best Places to Live

These terrific small cities -- even now -- boast plenty of jobs, great schools, safe streets, low crime, lots to do, charm, and other features that make a town great for raising a family. More

Find Homes for sale
- City, state, or zip
- Price range
  to

Property Type
Find a home in:
New York | Atlanta | Chicago | Los Angeles
Washington D.C | Houston | Philadelphia | More options

Special Offer