Less than a year ago, an IT specialist and his schoolteacher wife got the itch for a beautiful new kitchen, one they could show off to neighbors on their suburban cul-de-sac. Impulsively, they selected Brazilian hardwood cabinets, along with high-end quartz countertops, and soon they'd run a $40,000 tab.

The couple loved the new kitchen. But their plans to keep the house changed suddenly when they found a better property in a bucolic setting with more space for their kids. With just four months to move, they called their real estate broker, Sid Davis, to say they needed to sell the suburban place quickly.

He took the listing, but gave them bad news on pricing: they could expect to recoup no more than half their kitchen investment when the house sold. That's because they'd raised their kitchen above the standards of their moderate-income neighborhood.

This true story illustrates the risks of "over-improving" any home above neighborhood norms, says Davis, the author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home."

Mark Nash, a long-time real estate broker and author of "1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home," cautions all homeowners to proceed cautiously before committing to costly upgrades.

That's not to say that upgrades shouldn't be made at all, Nash cautions.

A dated kitchen is a "gigantic turnoff," says Nash, noting that it's critical for sellers to at least replace odd-colored appliances, metal cabinets and scratched countertops. Also, he strongly recommends replacing beat-up kitchen flooring.

"Sellers should also consider replacing old, drafty windows. That's because the current generation of buyers is highly attuned to the energy savings and comfort that comes from new windows," he says.

Here are a few tips for sellers:

-- Look to local real estate pros for advice before you renovate.

Even if you have no intention of selling immediately, Nash recommends against signing any home improvement contract until you've asked for the advice of someone who has sold real estate in your neighborhood for at least five years. That person should be able to tell you how much of a project's cost you can expect to recoup.

Those who are unsure how long they'll stay in a home are often hesitant to ask a real estate agent for advice until their selling plans are solid. But Nash says a reputable agent should be happy to help, even if you have no idea when you'll sell.

"Another plus is that good agents from your local market should be in touch with contractors. They know folks who can handle any work you decide to do smoothly and expeditiously," Nash says.

-- Keep an eye on neighborhood standards.

Tom Early, a real estate broker who was twice president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.naeba.org), says current home purchasers are especially resistant to paying for renovation work that raises a property above local norms.

What sorts of upgrades constitute "over-improvement"? For example, Early says you wouldn't be justified to install expensive antique light fixtures in a neighborhood of starter homes. Likewise, you couldn't recoup the full cost of building a three-car garage in a community where most homes have no garage at all.

-- Slow down the renovation process to avoid over-doing it.

As many homeowners realize too late, a thoughtlessly done pre-sale renovation can hit the wallet hard.

For instance, Davis says the IT specialist and his schoolteacher wife, who'd originally planned to opt for moderately priced Corian countertops, slipped into the quartz upgrades without planning to. The same was true about their choice of Brazilian hardwood cabinets.

"It's easy to spend a fortune on household renovations. And you're most at risk of over-spending when you rush into renovations," Davis says.

-- Cut your losses on projects that prove too extensive.

It didn't dawn on Davis' clients that they were spending too much on kitchen upgrades until their $40,000 project was underway. But Davis says they should have paused things once they'd realized they were spending too much.

If you think you're going over the top, he recommends you contact all your contractors to negotiate your way out of expensive upgrades. For example, you might decide to cancel top-brand bathroom and kitchen fixtures in favor of something more generic.

"Average buyers don't care if they get super fixtures or appliances in any given room. It's the overall house that they're looking for -- not perfection in every room," Davis says.

"Even if you're compelled to pay penalties to back out of some work, you could ultimately save money by dropping the most costly elements of your renovation plan," Davis says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

In many parts of the country, home sales are rising, the supply of available properties is shrinking and the market is again tilting toward sellers. That's a source of frustration for aspiring homeowners who are tight on cash.

"Cash is king when it comes to home-buying, and that's always been so," says Mary Kuehn, a long-time real estate agent affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (www.crs.com).

Before she'll take any buyers on a property shopping tour, Kuehn insists they first see a mortgage lender to assess their readiness to make a purchase. This is what's known as the mortgage "pre-approval" process. Often, first-time buyers emerge from such a meeting with the realization that they lack sufficient savings for a down payment and closing costs, not to mention moving expenses.

Making an all-cash offer -- the ultimate competitive bid -- is beyond the reach of most first-time buyers. But saving for a down payment and related costs is possible for many who have steady jobs and a systematic approach to savings.

Here are a few pointers for buyers:

-- Evaluate your attitudes about spending.

Financial planners say there are many parallels between the struggles of dieters trying to cut calories and the struggles of savers. In both cases, emotional impediments are often to blame for lapses.

Shawn Koch, a planner affiliated with the Garrett Planning Network (www.garrettplanningnetwork.com) says many home-buying aspirants "come to financial planners hoping for a miracle. But we're not miracle workers."

One approach to helping overcome emotional barriers to saving is by reading up on the topic. A good place to start is "Money Harmony" and other books about financial psychology that are co-authored by Olivia Mellan and Sherry Christie.

"The reality is that most people have to get into 'hunker down' mode before they can become serious savers, and that means an adjustment in attitudes," Koch says.

-- Begin with an inventory of your current financial situation.

A major impediment to saving is uncontrolled everyday spending. But before you can decide how to reallocate your funds, Koch says you need to review where all your money has gone for at least one to three months. This can be done either with pen and paper or with such online personal finance tools as Mint (www.mint.com) or Quicken (www.quicken.com).

An exhaustive review can bring surprises. For example, Koch says many of her clients are shocked to see how much they're spending on restaurant meals, coffee breaks and takeout food.

"Over time, those small sums really add up," she says.

Doing an inventory of spending is laborious because you must sift through both credit card and checking account statements. And for cash expenditures, you'll probably need to make estimates, a taxing exercise. But although the entire process can take the better part of a weekend, Koch says it's an essential element in your search for potential areas of savings.

-- Create a spending plan that lets you save for your home-buying goal.

Because cost-of-living increases continue to outpace income gains, it's tough to trim expenses. Still, Koch urges savers to examine their largest outlays, including regular spending on food.

"My clients know that restaurant meals are expensive. But grocery store food can also add up fast," says Koch, who recommends that clients buy fewer processed foods, do more home cooking, monitor food waste closely and consider taking bag lunches to work.

Commuting costs also put a big dent in many budgets. So Koch advises savers to challenge long-held assumptions about car ownership. For instance, she recommends they ask themselves if they could get by with public transportation, if only until their savings goal has been met.

"To meet your home-buying objective, you may need to cut out a car," she says.

Those willing to surrender ownership of a car might wish to join one of the car-sharing services now available in an increasing number of U.S. towns and cities. Such companies -- which include Zipcar, Enterprise CarShare and Car2Go -- allow members to reserve a vehicle from their smartphone. They're designed to serve those who need only occasional use of a vehicle, which is often sufficient for people who rely primarily on public transportation.

Koch also recommends that savers examine cellphone bills.

"Phone charges are one of the fastest-growing items in the budgets of many young people. And many people think they need the newest phone upgrade as soon as it comes out," Koch says.

For those who could use some guidance in this process, Koch recommends the latest edition of "The Budget Kit: The Common Cents Money Management Workbook" by Judy Lawrence.

-- Enroll in an automatic savings plan.

Are you one of the millions of Americans who live paycheck to paycheck? If so, you might think it's impossible to get by if a chunk of money is taken out every time you get paid.

But financial planners say automatic withdrawals are the answer for many who aren't methodical savers. And surprisingly, they say those who have direct debits taken from their pay rarely miss the money. Meanwhile, their savings accounts grow quickly.

"The idea of an automatic savings plan is that the money rolls in without any proactive steps on your part. That's a huge advantage for anyone trying to save for a house," Koch says.

EDITOR'S NOTE: In last week's column, the website of real-estate author and blogger Michael Connerly was incorrect. It is www.usahomebuyerguide.com. We regret the error.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)

In many parts of the country, rental cost increases are outpacing income gains. That's putting an unsustainable squeeze on renters, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org).

As Yun says, rapidly rising rents make it tough for renters to save enough for a down payment on a property purchase. Yet, in moderately priced markets, those able to buy a first home often find that their mortgage payments are no higher than were their rental costs.

Michael Connerly, the author of "How to Win With Real Estate," and a blogger at wwww.usa.homebuyersguide.com, says that aside from very expensive cities like New York, a condo remains the least expensive point of entry into homeownership.

But he cautions that those seeking to sell a condo can face challenges, even if it's well-priced. That's especially true if the unit is located in a large building or complex where many properties of similar size and floor plans are available for sale.

Are you trying to liquidate a "look-alike" condo in order to move to a larger place? If so, Connerly says it's wise to make sure your listing agent differentiates your unit from the others based on its positive attributes.

"Your condo should be more appealing than others if it's on an upper floor with less noise or a nicer view. Also, highlight the distinction if it has a balcony or is a corner unit, which means it has two outside walls rather than one," he says.

Condo sellers who face stiff competition have to think strategically, as do their listing agents. Here are a few pointers:

-- Make sure you price with cash-tight buyers in mind.

Those seeking to sell a condo in an area where many new units have been built need to be especially careful not to set too high a price, or their property could sit unsold for a lengthy time, says Mark Nash, author of "1001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home."

Those planning to sell in a complex where many condos are on the market should do a careful review of what other units -- known as "comparables" or "comps" -- have sold for during the last three to six months.

Suppose for example that you're the owner of a condo that overlooks a car dealership. If so, don't try to price as if your unit is worth as much as another one in the same complex that overlooks a beautiful garden with a fountain.

-- Raise awareness of your unit with local real estate professionals.

Because the U.S. real estate recovery is still uneven, some condo markets are much stronger than others, says Dorcas Helfant, a real estate broker-owner and former president of the National Association of Realtors.

To increase showings, Helfant recommends you ask your listing agent to hold one or more "brokers' opens" at your place. These are open houses to which all real estate agents in the area are invited. As a magnet, such events often feature food, entertainment or both.

"Agents who've had the chance to preview a place and come away impressed are more likely to take their clients by to see it," Helfant says.

-- Add spark to your condo with upgrades.

Connerly says it's worth it to spend a few thousand dollars on pre-sale upgrades if you're competing with many other sellers with similar units.

"The biggest bang for your buck is always paint, which makes any place look sharp. But there are also some other fairly inexpensive steps that can be especially helpful in a competitive market," he says.

For example, many condo buyers are impressed with kitchen upgrades, including granite countertops, which have come down in price in recent years, as well as hardwood cabinets.

"Just replacing your cabinet fronts alone can make an old kitchen look stunning. But to make the room seem larger, avoid dark wood in favor of oak or ash," Connerly says.

-- Make your condo appealing to young buyers.

"If your condo is located in a moderately priced building in a popular area, it should appeal strongly to young buyers eager to shed their landlord," Nash says.

Besides the usual print and online advertising materials, Nash recommends that your listing agent develop community "resource lists" with your target audience in mind.

"For instance, young professionals new to your area could value a lengthy list of nearby restaurants, clubs, gyms, movie theaters and grocery stores, along with ratings and reviews," he says.

-- Don't stoop to offer tangible rewards.

During the real estate downturn, some condo sellers offered "tangible incentives" in hopes of beating other sellers in the same building. For instance, they'd offer to throw in a new iPad or large-screen TV to sweeten a deal.

But Connerly cautions that such offers can draw the wrong type of buyers.

"Tangible rewards make you look desperate and therefore usually attract low-ballers rather than serious bidders, which can really hurt you at the bottom line. So it's better to spend your money on upgrades," he says.

(To contact Ellen James Martin, email her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com.)