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One of the best ways to fix-up your San Diego foreclosures and REO houses is by adding a few new elements to the kitchen. If the kitchen in your San Diego foreclosures and REO home is still functional but has an outdated feel, a few cosmetic changes can give it a new look. The best way to start is with a fresh coat of paint. You can also add a decorative backsplash. Depending on the tile you choose, the cost will range from about $500 to $1,500.These are a few simple ways to increase the value of your San Diego foreclosures and REO's, and they will return the investment when you flip the house for a nice profit.Read on for more cosmetic kitchen tips.

Just up the price scale are new knobs and pulls for your cabinet doors and drawers. Kitchen hardware runs from about $3 apiece to $40 apiece for handmade items, but $10 is a good price to target. In an average-size kitchen, knobs and pulls should cost about $1,200 to $1,500, including installation.

Last on the list of little things is lighting. If your kitchen dates to the '70s or '80s, chances are you have one main fixture -- and it's fluorescent. Replacing the main fixture usually runs $200 to $300 including installation. But if you upgrade to recessed lighting and have to tear into ceilings, the cost rises dramatically. Recessed lights run $25 to $40 each and cost $150 per light to install. Tim Sweeney, of Sweeney Construction Corp., in Madison, Wis., says he often adds task lighting and accent lighting, such as under-cabinet fixtures.

Cabinets:

 If your kitchen is kaput, revamp the cabinets first because they are the most prominent element. You can refinish your current cabinets or reface them -- that is, put on new doors and drawer fronts and re-cover the frames with plywood stained or painted to match. Both of these projects can run into some serious money. Simply painting primed cabinets can cost $4,000 to $6,000. Re-facing costs depend on the type of wood you choose (oak is the least expensive; maple and cherry come next) but can run from $6,000 to $15,000. New cabinets will cost a few thousand dollars to more than $30,000, depending on the type of wood and level of custom fit.

Countertops:

 Laminates have improved in quality over the years and run $25 to $50 per linear foot. But more people choose granite, natural stone or Silestone, a manufactured stone made from quartz and resin that ranges from $50 to $125 per linear foot. (Pricing includes installation but not charges for cutouts, such as sinks.) Kimberly Sweet, editor of Kitchens.com, notes that although granite is still popular, custom materials, such as recycled glass and concrete, are showing up in high-end homes.

Sinks:

 When you get a new countertop, it's a good time to replace your sink and faucet. Under-mount sinks are elegant and practical -- they offer clean lines and, because there's no lip to meet the counter, spills easily wipe into the basin. Most popular are heavy-gauge stainless-steel and cast-iron sinks, which cost about $1,000. The current trend in faucets is higher-arced spouts and single spouts with pullout sprays. Although about $200 will buy a good-quality model, prices ratchet up quickly; $1,000 for a luxury brand with all-stainless construction isn't uncommon.

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