Home improvement ideas
Gather ideas to bring new life into your home at the Minnesota Home & Patio Show. Hundreds of exhibitors will demonstrate the latest in remodeling, decorating, gardening and landscaping. 2 to 8 p.m. Feb. 22; noon to 8 p.m. Feb. 23; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 24; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 25. $2.50-$9. RiverCentre, 175 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul. homeandpatioshow.com.
The great escape
Does your family already own a cabin, or are you hunting for a vacation home? The Lake Home and Cabin Show features more than 250 exhibits and displays on buying, financing, furnishing, decorating, remodeling and landscaping a second home. Architect and author Dale Mulfinger will share cabin stories at a presentation based on his book "The Family Cabin." Other how-to seminars and demonstrations explore ways to attract pollinators, going solar, cabin design trends, keeping the cabin in the family and getaway gourmet recipes.
The Lake Home and Cabin Show is from 2 to 8 p.m. Feb. 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 25, Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 2nd Av. S. Tickets $12; $5 ages 5 to 15, ages 4 and under are free. Discount tickets and details at lakehomeandcabinshow.com.
Veggie know-how
Growing a bountiful mini-crop of vegetables doesn't have to be a daunting task. Master Gardeners take the mystery out of the process during an introductory course, Vegetable Growing Basics, at Maplewood Nature Center. Novices will learn everything they need to know, including prepping your garden space, seed selection and garden maintenance. Each participant will create a design and a list of materials that will be needed to plant the garden. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 3. $25-$30. Advance registration required at maplewoodnaturecenter.com.
Value-added remodeling
Want to raise your home's value? Replace your dinged-up garage door with a fancy new one. Upscale garage-door replacement offers the highest return on investment, 112.6 percent, of 20 popular remodeling projects in Minneapolis, according to Remodeling Magazine's recent Cost vs. Value Report.
Replacing an entry door and adding stone veneer to your exterior are the next two projects that offer a solid return on investment, 93 and 91 percent, respectively.
At the other end of the spectrum, a master suite addition will recoup only 40.1 percent of the cost, while an upscale bathroom remodeling will recoup only a little more, 43.9 percent. And don't bother adding a backyard patio unless you're dying to dine alfresco. That project returns only 39.3 percent of the cost. To read the full report, go to remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/
MELISSA WALKER, KIM PALMER and Lynn Underwood
