Americans will have spent more than $96 billion renovating some 7.6 million kitchens by the end of 2007, according to the National Kitchen & Bath Association. And, says Ed Pell, the NKBA’s manager of market research, the kitchen-remodeling trend will stay strong—even in the face of a sagging housing market.

“What drives home purchases are good kitchens and good baths,” says Pell. And with home sales so slow, he adds, an attractive kitchen can distinguish one house from others on the market and help it sell.

If you’re planning to remodel your kitchen, your first step should be to use our Kitchen-Planning Guide, which features expert advice on planning and financing a project; reports and Ratings of appliances and materials; behind-the-scenes videos of how Consumer Reports tests products; and much more.

The guide also includes our cost calculator, powered by RSMeans. The QuickCost Kitchen Remodeling Estimator allows you to get an estimate for one of five types of kitchen. The CustomCost Kitchen Remodeling Estimator (available to subscribers to our Web site) lets you include specific appliances from our Ratings in your plan and provides a much a more detailed estimate of the project cost.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: October is National Kitchen & Bath Month. You’ll find a wide range of useful kitchen-remodeling information on the NKBA site, including a free workbook that could help your project go more smoothly.