Old house. From This Old House magazine, a revealing list of 21 ways to save on home remodeling suggests "increase efficiency, not size" to save tens of thousands of dollars on home improvements. It also tells how to salvage fixtures from recycling centers, counsels against moving the kitchen sink (because of the added plumbing expense), and notes that - in some cases - it could be cheaper to tear down the whole house and start over.

www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,1186851,00.html

Project estimator. There are more remodeling tips at this site, but we like it for the page of "Project Tools" that include estimators for getting a ballpark figure on how much it would cost to redo the kitchen, bath, floors, roof, or whatever needs redoing, with prices adjusted for your region. Other estimators are for figuring out the costs of lumber, concrete and other materials.

www.improvenet.com/HomeOwner/ProjectTools/

Low, high. This advice for "low-cost, high-impact" home improvements is aimed at making your space look better, even if you know better. Mostly, it's aimed at window dressing that could help sell your house, or make you feel better about staying in it. Start with a new doorknob, the Bankrate.com article suggests. Also on the list: Throw out a third of your furniture; add accent lighting; and paint, paint, paint.

www.bankrate.com/brm/news/home-improvement/small-change1.asp

Build green. A house built of hay bales or stacked cordwood might prove economical - and would certainly be of interest to the neighbors. But it also puts us in mind of the big bad wolf huffing and puffing and blowing down houses of straw and sticks. Still, this site on how to construct an unconventional "green home" is good for getting you to think outside the traditional house box.

www.greenhomebuilding.com/index.htm