People wandering through model homes come in several varieties. Some are dreamers, forming fuzzy mental images of what their future home may include.

Others are true shoppers, about to make some hard, fast decisions. And then there are the"looky-loos;" those who are there to absorb ideas about decorating and take away mental pictures for home improvements.

This latter category of visitor usually wastes little time talking to a salesperson, opting instead to make mental notes of their likes and dislikes about the model homes in a devil's advocate kind of approach.Their mission illustrates a good way for homeowners to formulate perspective on where they may be heading while they are preparing to add value and improve their current homes, even if the goal is to ready their homes to sell within the next few years.

Some ideas are inexpensive and cosmetic; others take a lot of planning. But which ones actually pay off, reaping at least as much, if not more than the investment in the improvement itself?

We'd like to think that a potential future buyer for our own home could appreciate that the money and time spent on a total remodel to our kitchen is as valuable to them as it is to us. But we must face the reality that potential buyers have no idea of what our kitchen looked like before we got our hands on it and in many cases, don't really care.

This is, of course, unless we're talking about the renovation of something truly remarkable, like an historical, period home.

The simple fact remains that homebuyers tend to look at what is in front of them and whether it's in line with the market and area they are considering.

Here, then are some points to ponder for determining which projects add value when preparing to launch on a home improvement campaign.

Eliminating"functional obsolescence. Edith Lank, in her book, "The Home Seller's Kit," (Dearborn Press) describes functional obsolescence as the practice of as improving a house beyond its practical use for the occupants. An example of a functionally obsolete home would be one with an added wing of bedrooms, but only the original number of bathrooms retained, or a home where someone has knocked out a wall to make a huge kitchen within a two bedroom, otherwise modestly sized home.

Lightening,brightening, and painting, inside and out. One of the most cost-effective improvements many homeowners can make is to add light, update and diversify lighting within their homes, and add a fresh coat of paint to the interior, as well as the exterior of a home. Lighter colors and natural light add visual size to any area.

Improving kitchens and baths and flooring to match levels of surrounding homes. If everyone around you has already eliminated the lime green tile from their bathrooms, ripped out five differently colored wall-to wall carpets within their homes in favor of an updated and uniform style and color throughout, and replaced the flat, unappealing kitchen cabinetry that came with their homes, it's probably time to take a hint.

Enhance curb-appeal. HomeStore.com's remodeling expert, Broderick Perkins, in his article, "Lookin' Good!" says "Curb appeal is the impression your home's exterior conveys. It should create an emotional desire to own the home and live the lifestyle and status it represents." The paint job mentioned earlier can make a huge difference in curb appeal, but more detail work may work wonders as well, like landscape mow strips and the addition of more greenery and color, a new roof, a new front door or garage door, or newly paved or enhanced flatwork.

Any or all of these basic improvements may pay off in the long run, but don't underestimate the value of updating your home's energy efficiency as well, with newer windows, added insulation, fresh weather-stripping all around, and more cost-effective heating and air conditioning systems. The Web is chock-full of enlightenment, ideas, suppliers and vendors for home improvement projects, including HGTV.com, Improve.net, Remodel.com, BuilderOnline.com, and HomeImprovement.com.

Published: December 28, 2000

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.