Yoel Borgenicht

Renovating your bathroom is a great way to give your apartment an update. Plus, it's pretty easy to do it inexpensively. Here are my tips for improving the look of your bathroom on a budget.

You’re nearly there -- mere weeks away from your dream kitchen. Now it’s just time to add the finishing touches. 

A beautiful backsplash can make a big impact. In small, NYC-style kitchens in particular, each inch of space is crucial, so you'll want to choose a backsplash that complements the overall design, looks great now and will stand up to wear and tear in the future. You'll also want to order your materials a few weeks before you're ready to do the work (or have it done).

Here's what to know about some popular options:

The Situation

People who are concerned about their economic future do not want to buy an apartment that looks like it needs a lot of money to fix up before they can even move in. In this uncertain economy, you need to distinguish your apartment from the competition when preparing to sell. 

The Deal

Here are the five most cost-effective ways to repair and freshen up your apartment so that you can get the highest sale price possible. 

The Situation

You are looking to buy one of several apartments and want to get an idea of what the construction costs will be to renovate. Accurate renovation pricing will help you decide which apartment is right for you and your budget.

Here are some tips for divining the post-renovation bottom line.

 The Deal

1. Establish a relationship with a reputable contractor.

The best way to obtain an estimate for renovating a prospective apartment is to bring a skilled contractor with you to see it.

The Situation

Your contractor seemed professional before your renovation project started. Now you are seeing signs that something is wrong: The contractor is missing work days and isn’t returning your calls in a timely way. More important, the work you see is not well done, or not as described and promised in the written (and signed) agreement.

Here's what to do.

The Deal

1. Have a heart to heart, or two.