Plenty of suggestions exist about where you should put your home-remodeling money and how much you can expect in return. Some experts say kitchens, some say bathrooms, and some say family rooms.

However, you—along with the advice from a real estate agent or architect—are the person who knows best about what your house needs. Contractors might overstate how much money you'll get back from what you spend.

Few remodeling projects add as much to the value of a house as they cost. The key to planning should be to make the house more enjoyable for yourself, rather than to spend extravagantly on a feature that might or might not interest a future buyer.

Most buyers have a checklist of must-haves and won’t highly value anything not on their checklist, even something attractive, such as a solarium. If resale is a primary concern for you, then stick to the basics. A unique home takes longer to sell and could bring a lower price than a conventional home.

Adding a bathroom puts your home into a higher tier of properties in the minds of home buyers with checklists. But there is no need to make it fancy, say home designers. An expensive whirlpool will not reap a good return.

As you remodel, architects advise about preserving your home's character. If you have a two-story home, then make a two-story addition. You'll need a foundation and a roof anyway, and the cost of the additional floor might not be as much as you expect.

Think about how you will use the new space. Is there a place for kids to drop their backpacks? Is there a walk-in pantry? If little things matter to you, then they might matter to the next owner, too.

Always think of yourself as a consumer of housing and as a would-be seller. When you wear both hats, you can make smart choices and easy compromises.