orner Improving The Value Of Your en (NAPSA)—If you’re cooking up ways to add value to your home, you may want to head to the kitchen. Real estate experts say kitchen renovations generally add more value to a home than do projects in any other room. In fact, kitchens are so valued that one survey found investing just $2,000 in renovations recoups up to 102 percent of the initial investment when a homeissold. Designers say one of the best (and least expensive) ways to spruce up a kitchen is to replace the accessories on old stoves and ovens. Given that most of the 112 million ranges in the U.S. will last about 20 years—and their accessories won’t—it may be a smart idea to follow their advice. A company called Range Kleen provides range accessories at discount prices. The accessories inelude: * Knobs * Drip pans * Gas range grates * Reflector plates * Trim rings * Burnercovers. The company also makes replacement parts (replacement elements, for example), kitchen gadgets, cleaning kits and bakeware. The products generally sell for three to five times less than what oven manufacturers charge. Homeowners can visit the company’s Web site (rangekleen.com) _—— dll 4 bh Replacing knobs and other accessories on a stove can improve the looks—and value— of a kitchen. and order new accessories, or visit retailers such as Wal-Mart, Bed & Bath or Linens & Things to find the company’s products. An added bonus to updating stove accessories: The benefits will most likely extend beyond improving the looks and value of your kitchen. For instance, it’s estimated that new reflector bowls can cut 30 percent off cooking time by reflecting heat more efficiently. That added efficiency could save you over $50 a year and over $1,000 during the lifetime of the electric stove. Perhaps most importantly, updating accessories could make your stove safer. Many people simply cover old or rusted drip pans with aluminum foil, rather than replace them. Some experts caution, however, that doing so could causea fire hazard. For more information, visit www.rangekleen.com.
