HomeImprovement

By Kimberly Lankford, Kiplinger If you have a refund check coming your way, consider using it to bolster your personal balance sheet. The average refund has been around $3,000 for the past two years. (Most people receive their refund within three weeks of filing their returns.) That's a nice...

Nearly every homeowner has some ideas for a makeover, but with the housing market as it is, many of us have chosen to put them on hold. Now, there are positive signs on the horizon that might encourage you to break out the tools.

"Never Stop Improving" is the tagline of Lowe's new branding strategy and TV ad campaign, which kicked off Monday. It's a slogan designed to impart the message that shoppers are in good hands at Lowe's, which will guide them through all stages of their home improvement journey.

Lowe's Cos. (LOW), the nation's second-largest home improvement retailer, said Monday that it will buy back up to $5 billion of its common stock. While the repurchase program has no expiration date, the Mooresville, N.C., company said it plans to use the full amount over the next two to three...

Over the last few years, Home Depot has expanded its retail stores aggressively, adding more than 200 outlets annually. However, the firm has recently embarked on a $1.1 billion program to improve its Web presence while dramatically reducing the number of new store openings to around 10 in 2011.

In a case of things are tough all over, the Paramount Realty Group of America Corp. filed a lawsuit on behalf of Paolo Zampolli, against his former landlord, Iceland mogul Jon Asgeir Johannesson and his wife, Ingibjorg Palmadottir, for installing an allegedly "ugly" Ikea kitchen into a swanky...

Adding an entertaining dimension to the appeal of energy-saving home improvements and building on the promise of new tax incentives for homeowners, President Barack Obama termed insulation "a sexy subject" during a Home Depot visit in Alexandria, Va., on Tuesday. "Here's what's sexy about it....

Green may be the buzzword of the day in the construction industry, but buyers are increasingly skeptical when they find out green homes may cost more greenbacks. A recent NAHB survey of its members showed this trend holding strong. "Buyers have consistently said they want to be energy efficient,...

This is the last of a five-part series about how the writer and her husband, Charlie, tackled a major overhaul of their home and the pitfalls they faced along the way. To read the first installment click here. The workers are gone, the dumpster was picked up, and we are touching up the stain and...

This is the fourth part of a five-part series about how the writer and her husband, Charlie, tackled a major overhaul of their home and the pitfalls they faced along the way. To read the first installment click here. We continue to eat dust and stumble through piles of stuff. In spite of the...