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A £1,000 budget to replace the kitchen is laughable, writes Liz Hodgkinson. And, sadly for those looking for a fast buck, in many more upmarket areas buyers are wise to the cheaper tricks of the trade, and won't pay over the odds for a bit of laminate flooring put down by would-be developers.
This doesn't make all home improvement a fruitless activity, but, as with many things in life, Hodgkinson argues, the devil's in the detail. Property developers in particular need to be absolutely sure of the area in which they are investing and their intended market.
Hodgkinson takes the reader through the whole process, of renovations in her usual practical, no-nonsense style, which is peppered with case histories (many demonstrating what not to do) and handy hints (always buy plenty of extra bathroom or kitchen tiles, as they are bound to chip over time).
A directory of useful addresses at the back of the book is a welcome add-on for anyone who hasn't been put off by the horror stories.
What is particularly appealing about Renovating & improving your property is that, in the fickle world of property, Hodgkinson does not really claim some kind of objective and godlike perspective on how best to do it - instead, she writes from her own personal experience.
The only downside to this for the northern property buyer is that a great many of her case histories and examples are from London and other parts of the South East, since this is where Hodgkinson is based.
However, this is not a book about where and what to buy - it is an honest and thorough guide, which should help you to decide whether that conservatory or knock-through is really going to be worth it. If you are a little sceptical about the makeover-in-a-week formula, you should find it an acerbic antidote. Liz Hodgkinson, Kogan Page, £9.99 ISBN 0-7494-4199-2