Thinking about undertaking a kitchen remodel project is enough to leave many people feeling paralyzed. However, it doesn’t have to be as difficult or as expensive as you’re imagining. There are some tips that will help you get great results that fit well within your budget.
Budget Appropriately
You should check your town accessor’s site and cap this project’s budget at 15% of your home’s value. This can be broken down even further in the following way:
- 30% on cabinets
- 14% on appliances
- 10% on countertops
- 5% on lighting
- 4% on plumbing
- 2% on paint
- 1% on tiling
- 35% on construction (e.g. windows, floors, labor)
Invest in Your Design
Working with the designer at your local home center, kitchen store, or cabinet shop may sound great because it’s free, it really isn’t. They’re paid by the products they sell you for your kitchen remodel and oftentimes this will greatly limit your choices. Most of these people are also quite inexperienced in renovation work. So, do yourself the favor of paying for a designer to help you.
Don’t Bust Your Budget
Most homes that weren’t built within the last few decades are overdue for a kitchen remodel because their kitchens are way too small. This renovation is the time to take drastic measures in affordably increasing your kitchen’s size. Here are a few tips you should heed to keep a reign on your budget:
- Steal space from an adjacent hallway or some area of your home that you don’t need. This will increase your kitchen space without costing nearly as much as an addition would cost you. While you may pay $100 – $300 per square foot for this, you’d pay $200 – $400 per square foot to build a new addition.
- Opening up your floor plan is a great way to make your kitchen feel much bigger without adding on. Taking down a wall to create an open floor plan gives the illusion of having space. It can also save you $1,000 – $6,000 (cost depends on if you’re dealing with a load bearing wall or if plumbing or electrical lines must be relocated).
- When all else fails and you need to expand your kitchen, consider a bump out. This is when you hang the addition off the house like a bay window instead of placing it on a foundation. Doing so could save you a few thousand dollars.
Reign in Your Budget by Keeping Those Things That Work
Limiting how much of your old kitchen you replace will help you keep your budget in check. Don’t take our word for it, check out this savings for yourself. This savings includes:
- $500 – $1,000 per window you don’t replace
- $2,000 by keeping the original wood flooring
- $200 – $500 by not relocating any plumbing fixtures or appliances
Don’t Even Bother if You’re Moving Soon
When you plan to sell your home within the next decade, save yourself the $60,000 a kitchen remodel would cost and make cosmetic upgrades instead. Check out the savings here. It includes:
- Painting old cabinets save $1,000 – $5,000
- Refacing cabinets saves $5,000 – $7,000
- New kitchen hardware saves $500
Otherwise, when you’re ready for your home to undergo a kitchen remodel make sure you contact Hybrid Construction LLC. They’re highly experienced in this area of expertise and look forward to sharing their experience with you so your project is successful.