When the economy is getting hammered, it’s a good time to hammer. Contractors are less busy and therefore more willing to bargain. (The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies puts out a nationwide remodeling statistic known as LIRA — the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity — and it looks to be dropping.) Maximize your chances of getting money back when you sell by focusing on the kind of projects that usually improve property values: installing more energy-efficient windows, adding a bath and updating a kitchen, for instance. In fact, eligible windows installed before the end of this year can earn you a $200 tax credit. And certain alternative-energy products, such as solar power systems, wind energy systems and geothermal heat pumps, are eligible for tax credits through 2016. (The regulations are written pretty specifically, so consult the tax code.)