The home is a place where families find security in terms of having a personal space that is shared by loved ones.  It is also an investment.  When contemplating enhancements the average home owner considers how this may effect the value of his investment at the time of sale.  This has been the topic of articles which often claim that improvements create profits. Although a reasonable claim, it is still relative to the type of improvements, the costs and the amount of time it takes to produce an equity gain.  It is also dependant upon the stability of the real estate market with trends and market fluctuations in any given area. 

In times like this, when the overall real estate market has slumped and consumers are sitting on their investments for some time to come, the question still arises, what will happen to home improvement?  Gain is not the only consideration.  The fact is that even in good times, the cost has always been an expenditure of choice and the benefits have more to do with the immediate comfort and aesthetics with profit as an equity bonus at the time of sale.