Top 10 Remodeling Budget Busters

So many homeowners these days are forking out big bucks for granite countertops in their kitchen. They're popular and pricey, ranging anywhere from $60 to $100 per square foot installed. Barbara Zappas wanted a slab of granite in her home in Walla Walla, Wash., too, but she managed to pay only about $20 per square foot. How? She bought one that no one else wanted. Marked with a huge blemish, the store had it on discount. Instead of trying to hide the giant birthmark, she celebrated it by buying cowhide furniture to match.