Next to the kitchen, the bathroom is where people spend a large part of their days. From the time you get up to the time you go to bed, you'll spend lots of time in there.

It's no wonder that remodeling a bathroom always ranks high when home owners are asked what improvements they want to make to their houses in Alameda, California. The National Kitchen and Bath Association says that nearly 11 million bath building or renovation projects will be completed this year, and nearly 7 percent of homes will redo their bathrooms.

Part of the incentive to redo bathrooms is the return on investment. Like kitchens, a renovated bathroom returns more than 70 percent of the cost to the home owner if the house is sold within a year. That's good news since most jobs can cost thousands of dollars. A minor renovation easily can run $10,000. That cost will double if you want something truly luxurious.