Granite countertops & Kitchen Remodel By Jessica Anderson Remodeling your kitchen isn't cheap. But you can expect to recoup much of the cost when you sell your house. Even if you don't get all your money back, a face-lift should make your home easier to sell in a competitive market. Plus, a spiffed-up kitchen with new appliances is bound to enhance your enjoyment of your home. Cabinets are the building blocks of your kitchen. They take up the most space and have the greatest visual impact. But they can be among the most expensive parts of a remodel. Even semi-custom cabinetry can run $20,000 or more. Our goal was to stay under $40,000 for the major remodel, so we chose a less costly alternative: refacing the existing cabinets by putting new doors and drawer fronts on the frames and re-covering the frames with plywood stained or painted to match the new finish. "Refacing your cabinets is like a makeover for your whole kitchen," says Michael Stiles, who owns Kitchen Solvers, of Tallahassee, Fla., with his wife, Rachel. Expo's estimate for refacing our cabinets with custom, champagne-maple doors was $13,000. An easier -- but by no means inexpensive -- project is replacing the counters. Granite countertops are by far the most popular, says Darius Baker, a certified kitchen-and-bath remodeling specialist from Sacramento, Calif. Silestone (an engineered stone made from quartz and resin) and granite surfaces lead the pack, with prices ranging from $55 to $95 per square foot (including installation). Cannon chose Imperial Splendor Stonemark granite because the company's material comes presealed and includes a 15-year warranty against staining. Under-mount sinks (which have no lip to meet the counter) are pricier than drop-in models, but spills wipe right into the basin. Cannon chose an undermount stainless-steel sink and a Grohe pullout faucet to complete the counter makeover. The German faucet costs almost three times more than the low-end project's faucet, but it is all stainless steel and engineered to last. One of Cannon's favorite ways to give a kitchen a new look is to add a backsplash. "So many people don't even think about it, but it can really dress up a kitchen," she says. She chose 4-by-4-inch unpolished marble tiles, and added under-cabinet lighting to show off the marble's warm gold and red tones. Accents include new cabinet hardware (knobs and pulls) for the refaced cabinets and porcelain-tile flooring (in a honey color) because it's more durable than natural stone and requires less maintenance. To complete the project, Cannon chose stainless-steel GE Monogram appliances. The gas range, hood, refrigerator, dishwasher and stand-alone microwave run twice the cost of those in the less-expensive kitchen redo, but they are professional-quality appliances, similar to Viking and Thermador units. End Redo Cost breakdown: •Granite countertop = $3,950 •Marble-tile backsplash = $478 •Stainless-steel sink = $885 •Pullout faucet = $550 •Under-cabinet lighting = $1,360 •Knobs and pulls = $950 •Porcelain-tile floor = $2,125 •Cabinet refacing = $13,000 •Monogram appliances = $10,962 TOTAL = $34,360