For many people, Apartment Therapy shares that a kitchen is a lot more than where you reheat leftovers or wash dishes. It’s where you sit and catch up with an old friend over a glass of rosé. It’s where the kids do their homework after school. It’s the heart (and, yes, stomach) of your house, so it’s important your kitchen is somewhere you actually want to spend time in. While renovating your kitchen is one way to get the space of your dreams, it can cost you a pretty penny. In fact, HomeAdvisor found the average kitchen renovation can cost anywhere between $12,594 and $33,118. Yikes!

Fortunately, you don’t have to shell out the big bucks for a space you truly love. Below are some hacks for a stylish upgrades for a fraction of the price.

Take Cover - Unless you created your space from scratch, there’s a good chance you didn’t have a say in what cabinet doors are in your kitchen. The good news is you’re not stuck with ‘em forever. Swapping out your cabinet doors is a surprisingly easy task that will completely transform your kitchen’s look. Now, all you need to do is find a door that tugs at your design heartstrings. We have a few suggestions.

Cool Knobs - Another way to spice up your kitchen cabinets? Replacing the knobs. A great alternative for D.I.Y. rookies, changing your knobs is a great way to add a personal touch to a pre-furnished home or rental space. You could select one knob and stick with it, but we think mixing and matching different will give your kitchen a cool, bohemian vibe.

Pegged for Greatness - If you’re always whipping up delicious recipe after delicious recipe, you don’t have the time to sift through your drawers to find your favorite sauce pot or paring knife. Instead, you need all your essentials right where you can see ‘em. Hanging a pegboard from your wall is not only practical, but it’ll make your space feel like a professional chef’s kitchen. (Fun fact: Julia Child was a pegboard fan.)

Beautiful Backsplash - No, your backsplash doesn’t have to be set in stone. Thanks to a range of peel-and-stick tile decals, you can change your backsplash as often you self-clean your oven. From traditional subway tile, to sleek marble, to a funky mosaic, there’s bound to be a backsplash that complements your design style. (Psst… you can check out some of our favorite, out-of-the-box backsplash ideas here.)

Stylish Shelving - You don’t have to be a design guru to know that open shelves are one of the biggest kitchen trends around. Fortunately, you don’t need to undergo a big renovation project to bring these into your space. Easy to install, these shelves will give your kitchen a stylish touch and max out your space’s storage capacity. And don’t worry, renters: There are plenty of adhesive options for you, too.

Let There Be Light - We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Lighting can make or break a room — and no, we’re not just talking about the brightness of your bulbs or number of light sources. Upgrading your space’s standard flush mount will create a “wow” factor, convincing your guests that you put a lot more work into your kitchen than you really did. Check out these unique lighting ideas that will illuminate your space.

If you are in the market for a new place - there are Four Things You Shouldn’t Skimp on When Buying a Home, According to Real Estate Experts - Apartment Therapy.

Buying a home is expensive. But, cheaping out may save you in the short term, but it can cause major headaches—and end up being way more expensive—in the long run. Here are four things you should never skimp on when buying a home, according to real estate experts:

Electric work - You need electricity for a variety of daily tasks, so don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to the electrical setup in your home. According to Gill Chowdhury of Warburg Realty, upgraded electrical in older homes is necessary to support modern conveniences many of us take for granted, such as a washer and dryer and central air conditioning.

The location - The old refrain of “location, location, location” is not just an empty adage. If you stretch the bounds of where you really want to live, you’ll likely be disappointed down the road. Bernstein points out while that you can always modify your home with additions and renovations, where that house is located is set in stone.

“Living in a better location might save you 20 minutes (each way) in commuting, which will add up to thousands of hours you can have back in your life,” says Martin Eiden, a real estate agent with Compass in New York City.

Homeowners insurance - You probably already know that homeowners insurance is a must, but you should also keep in mind that any old policy will not necessarily do. “While insurance is required by lenders, that doesn’t stop homeowners from skimping on the coverage amount to save money every month,” says John Holloway, co-founder of NoExam.com, a digital insurance brokerage. In lieu of reducing coverage, Holloway recommends reducing your rate by taking preventative measures. For example, a security system with monitoring for police and fire can cut your rates by about five percent. Similarly, cutting down dangerous trees or updating your plumbing or electrical work reduces your chances of making a claim, and in turn, your rates.

“Always maintain replacement cost value coverage, which would cover the replacement cost on the loss of your personal property as well as the structure,” advises Tara King of HomeSmart Cherry Creek Properties in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

The inspection- The inspection is another necessary part of the home-buying process that should not be taken lightly. “A whole home inspector is going to walk through a very long and exhaustive list of items to check,” says Taylor. “They may not see everything, but they’re likely to see things that you cannot. These detailed inspections can protect you form problems that even the seller didn’t know about, and therefore didn’t disclose to you.” Buying a home is difficult enough, so don’t skip an inspection to save a few hundred dollars when it could end up saving you thousands.”

Park City has amazing bike trails and Park City Magazine has the skinny on where to drop in for a weekly bike ride, hail a guide, demo some wheels, or take a lesson.

Drop in for a free weekly ride - White Pine Touring (1790 Bonanza Drive, 435.649.8710, whitepinetouring.com) leads guided rides on Tuesdays (for women only) and Thursdays (co-ed). For the skinny tire set, Cole Sport (1615 Park Ave, 435.649.4806, colesport.com) leads a Monday night road ride for intermediate and advanced riders. Stay Park City (stayparkcitycycling.com) organizes a slew of guided rides throughout the week—MTB, gravel, and road—most of which start deliciously at Ritual Chocolate. Though a bit more sporadic in timing, Silver Star Ski & Sport (1825 Three Kings Dr, 435.645.7827,

silverstarskiandsport.com) leads a one-hour, easygoing cruise along the neighborhood’s paved trail system, starting and ending at the shop, as a part of the signature “Cruiserpalooza” festivities.

Take a lesson - Deer Valley Resort’s Mountain Bike School (2250 Deer Valley Drive South, 435.645.6648, deervalley.com) is essentially ski school for bikers, where seasoned coaches steer all levels of riders through the single-track and downhill learning curve. For small fries, Young Riders’ (youngriders.com) summer programs typically sell out early, but both Park City Recreation (parkcity.org) and Basin Recreation (basinrecreation.org) roll out dirt jump and children’s MTB camps, respectively. For a female-focused experience, Women in the Mountains (womeninthemountains.com) has clinics for all levels led by former pro and certified professional mountain bike instructor Erica Tingey and her fellow coaches.

Hail a guide - Plenty of local outfits offer expert-led rides (beyond the aforementioned freebies). For a unique adventure, check out White Pine Touring’s bike-and-fish combo that starts with a killer descent down the WOW Trail followed by a guide-delivered lunch, gear change, and fly fishing on the Provo.

Try out some new wheels - Demos, offered at most cycling outfits, are a great way for gearheads to get their fix or for newbies to see what style best suits their needs. Storm Cycles (1153 Center Drive, Suite G140, 435.200.9120, stormcycles.net), offers free demos on June 2 (also the shop’s grand opening at its new home), June 30, Aug 11, and Sept 29.

Don a bib - If you want to soak in local, zany (and challenging) tradition, register for the costume-bedecked Tour de Suds (mountaintrails.org). Fear not, you have all summer to train for the 2,700 feet of vertical (and pint-hoisting). For an all-levels race, check out the Midweek MTB Series (midweekmtb.com). Cross-country and mini-enduro racers are divided by class, so newbies won’t be steamrolled by the pros, plus there are free kids’ races packed into the fun. For a supported ride, the National Ability Center’s Summit Challenge (summitchallenge100.org) is a feel-good, all-inclusive event with a choice of four courses, ranging from 16 to 100 miles. If you really want to test your mettle, gear up for the annual, grueling, 75-mile Park City Point 2 Point (thepcpp.com), or sign onto The Ultimate Challenge, which allows amateurs a 94-mile or 44-mile sniff of the Tour of Utah experience, tourofutah.com.