Still, it doesn't cost all that much to make some changes that personalize a house for the new homeowner.

      Painting is the most popular improvement by first-timers. Of course, that can be motivated more by taste than by necessity. A lot of buyers, first-time or otherwise, may buy a house despite the color of the walls, then head to the store as soon as the papers are signed.

      Many first-timers depend heavily on books and the vast supply of how-to television shows for their information. Yet books tend to be too complicated for most, and the TV shows make it look much easier than it really is. The TV shows especially are designed to sell home-improvement products. Some of these products may look nice, and even may be something a homeowner might want to consider down the road.

      But, other than painting, the first year or so someone spends in a house is the time to tackle the problems the home inspector has pointed out and the ones that have cropped up since the inspection. Remember, you really don't get a good sense of what your house needs until you've lived there for a while.

      Money is, indeed, short for most, but it doesn't hurt to contact a professional for advice.

      Contractors who work with first-time home buyers tend to be teachers and hand-holders. They have to help their clients establish priorities. If the client needs to take care of the roof first before hiring the contractor to make built-in bookcases, it is the contractor's job to tell them that.

      Finding someone who has studied first-time home buyers and their first-year activities is akin to searching for water in the desert. But remodeling surveys by the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University and by the National Association of Home Builders do show how much first-timers spend. The figure is $2,070 a year for first-time home buyers under age 35, according to the Joint Center. The amount spent by first-time buyers rises with income level, starting at $2,050 for those earning less than $40,000 and increasing to $4,820 annually for people making $120,000 or more.

      American Express Co. compiles a retail index annually on home-improvement trends. The most frequently cited reason for making exterior and interior changes is "changes in personal taste." Other major factors include mandatory maintenance (such as roof work), the need for more space and emergency repairs.

      If money were no object, project choices would include adding a room, building a porch or deck, completely rebuilding the house, putting on a new roof, and installing a swimming pool, said American Express vice president Ronald Shultz.

      Lowe's Cos. Inc. has not targeted first-timers for a survey, spokeswoman Julie Valeant Yenichek said, but the chain does focus on inexpensive improvements that new homeowners might make. These include hanging pictures, hooking up washers and dryers or the cable-TV box, fixing squeaky or sticking doors and drawers, and small plumbing problems that might not require a plumber.

      "Before you start knocking down walls or tearing out tubs, consider how long you expect to live in this house," said Melissa Birdsong, Lowe's director of trend forecasting and design.

      "If you don't anticipate being in your current home very long, be careful not to over-improve by spending more than you could recoup when you sell your home," she said. "Make choices that will yield results that not only meet your own needs, but that are also consistent with upgrades in other houses in your neighborhood."

      The National Association of the Remodeling Industry in Alexandria, Va., has identified some common mistakes made by homeowners. These include hiring the wrong contractor, selecting inferior products to save money, overextending on a do-it-yourself project, improper planning, not taking all choices into consideration, starting the project at the wrong time, not managing your budget, and over-improving for the neighborhood. Another mistake is "the domino effect" -- installing a new kitchen, for instance, then deciding the living room looks shabby, and so on, until you break the budget.