The Best of the Best for 2009: Home Remodeling for the New Year

Normally when it comes to drumming up a list of which remodels are hot for the New Year, we let the excess of the season rule the day and throw caution to the wind. Not so in 2009. With a rough economy and the prospect of global climate change grabbing all the headlines, we've decided to take a little bit more measured, and green, approach this time around. For all those big spenders whose heart just skipped a beat, there's no need to worry. The big ticket items are still here. But we've also snuck in a few remodels of a more financially, and environmentally, responsible nature, to help the rest of us get by. Here are our top 10 home remodels for 2009, starting small, thinking green, and working up to this year's big winner (which will probably surprise you!).

#5. Extra Bedrooms—In a slumping housing market and rough economy, more and more growing families are choosing to stay put and add on to their existing homes, rather than take their chances at selling their home and financing a larger place. If you're looking for a home remodel that adds space and value, adding extra bedrooms is the way to go. New bedroom additions are always an option, as is making use of otherwise neglected space, such as converting an old attic into bedrooms, or including a few bedrooms in a larger basement remodeling project.

#4. Home Office—Millions of American workers are saving money and simplifying their lives by shifting all, or part, of their workweek to a home office setting, a trend that experts expect to continue as long as gas prices are on the rise. If that's enough to convince you, by moving to a home office you can save money on taxes and at the pump, since employees who work exclusively from a home office can enjoy substantial tax write offs for their home office expenses (though be sure to walk a straight line—claiming home office deductions makes you a prime target for an IRS audit). Of course, the success of a home office often hinges on having a custom tailored space where you can actually get work done, which is why the home office remodel makes our list of hot remodels for 2009.

#3. Basement Remodels—We've mentioned basement remodels once already in our 2009 top 5 list, but there's a lot more going for these popular home remodels than just adding a few extra bedrooms. Basements across the nation are fast becoming the center of recreation in American homes, housing home theaters, wet bars, game rooms, and exercise areas, just to name a few options. Even better, cutting edge green lighting and ventilation solutions have transformed basements from the dark and musty caves of times past, into beautiful, well lit, open areas than any homeowner would enjoy.

#2. Bathrooms and Kitchens—Okay, so maybe it's a stretch to group these two home remodeling giants into one spot on our top five list for 2009, but they've got a lot more in common than most folks realize. Talk to any realtor worth their salt, for instance, and they'll tell you that kitchens and bathrooms still sell houses, no matter how low the real estate market has sunk. They're also two of the most exciting rooms to remodel in your home; rooms where cutting edge designs in countertops, cabinetry, fixtures, sinks, and tile, are the rule rather than the exception. And finally, few rooms in your house have more green potential than the kitchen and bath. From low flow faucets to Energy Star appliances, going green in the kitchen and bath can play a big role in cutting both your annual energy costs, and your environmental footprint. Come to think of it, maybe grouping these two together wasn't such a reach after all!

#1. Decks—Decks are our dark horse winner for the #1 home remodeling project in 2009! How can that be, you ask? For starters, when it comes to getting the biggest bang for your buck, few projects pack a punch like a new deck. It's the rough equivalent of adding anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand square feet of new living space onto your home, at a fraction of the cost of what a similarly sized home addition would run. In addition, a new deck is also a great place to go green, whether you choose to build with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood, or like the durability and long life of new composite lumber made from recycled plastics and other materials. Finally, add to all that the fact that decks are one of the most enjoyable home additions in the books, a place equally as suited to kicking back with a good book as it is for hosting a fourth of July barbeque, and it's not too tough to see why decks sit atop our top 5 home remodels for 2009, and why it's never too early in the season to get your new deck addition project underway!

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