When you envision your dream kitchen, what do you see? If we were to take a guess, we’d assume that most every homeowner has a pretty good idea of what their dream kitchen looks like. Well, here’s the big question: what’s stopping you from making your dream kitchen a reality? If we had to guess again, we’d probably say that you’re dream kitchen is not a reality, because you might think that kitchen renovation costs are expensive, learn more at Fairfax Kitchen Bath. Although it’s true that kitchen remodels can be expensive, there are ways to cut down on your expenses, so that you can be economical when you’re renovating your kitchen.
We’re going to walk you through ten ways that you can save on your kitchen remodel, because you don’t have to break the bank to have the kitchen of your dreams. Let’s get into it.
Choose cabinets that are ready to assemble
You might not expect this, but cabinets are usually the most expensive cost in a kitchen remodel. When someone opts for custom cabinets, the price for your kitchen remodel is going to exponentially increase. Here’s a figure that will surprise you: custom cabinets usually cost anywhere from $10,000 to $60,000. That’s a substantial investment, so if you’re looking to cut costs, it’s a good idea to opt for ready to assemble cabinets. Whereas custom cabinets are exorbitantly expensive, costing $250 to $1500 dollars per linear foot, ready to assemble cabinets range anywhere from $125 to $900 dollars, per linear foot. This is about half the price.
Plus, there are ways to get cabinets even cheaper, if you opt for in-stock cabinets, which range from $75 to $400 dollars a square foot. It is important to note that you won’t compromise quality, when you get cabinets that aren’t custom, because there are many options for ready to assemble cabinets that will impress even those with the pickiest taste.
Keep Your Existing Cabinets, If That is An Option for You
We’ve explained that cabinets can be expensive, and we’ve given suggestions about how to make cabinets more affordable. However, obviously it is the cheapest, if you keep the cabinets that are already installed in your kitchen, without buying new cabinets. There are plenty of ways to spruce up your old cabinets, for example you can paint over your cabinets or give them new knobs. Upgrading your old cabinets is economical, and let’s be honest, it’s less work—because you won’t have to install new cabinets or hire someone else to install new cabinets.
Opt for Open Shelving Whenever Possible
When you’ve got open shelving, you’re going to have a homier kitchen, because all of your dishes and belongings will be visible to guests. We all have china and kitchenware that is special to us, so why not display it for your friends and family to see? Open shelving can save you up to thousands of dollars, because fitted cabinets can be extremely expensive. Although it’s tempting to use all open shelving, because of the cost, don’t overlook the importance of some fitting cabinets, because some things will collect dust if you don’t have them in fitted cabinets.
Find Alternative Material for Your Countertops
One of the most integral things for a kitchen to have, is countertops. Many homeowners immediately assert that they want granite, when they are renovating their kitchens. However, granite can be up to $50 to $100 a square foot, so it is not the most affordable material out there. If you feel inclined to use granite in your kitchen, it is possible to have granite countertops and then an island, for example, that is not granite. Mixing and matching the countertop material that you use is a nice design choice, and it can make your remodel more affordable.
Plus, it is also possible to forgo granite all together. You can use cheaper materials, like laminate, which ranges from $8 to $20 dollars a square foot. Although you might be thinking that opting for laminate would decrease the quality of your countertops, the quality of laminate has substantially improved over the years.
Don’t Move Your Appliances, If You Don’t Have To
Let’s say that you decide to get new cabinets. That means that you’re going to have to design a layout for your new cabinetry. Instead of totally reconfiguring the layout of your kitchen, try to keep the layout similar enough so that the appliances can stay where they are. You might forget this, but it costs money to rewire your appliances, because you have to hire an electrician. It can cost up to thousands of dollars for you to move your appliances, so save yourself some money and keep them where they are!
Find Different Options for Islands
It is tempting to splurge on an ornate island, but that can get pricey, really quickly. It is common for homeowners to want their island to have an array of cabinets in the piece, and when you add cabinets to an island, the cost of the island increases. A good way to get an island that you are satisfied with, without breaking the bank, is to use a repurposed piece of furniture as an island. As long as the piece of furniture is island height—36 inches tall—you can probably find a piece of furniture with cabinets underneath, that will give your kitchen charm—for a low price!
Don’t Remove A Wall, Instead Opt for a Cutout
Open kitchens are on trend, but instead of removing a wall, it is possible to get a similar feel by opting for a cutout. You have to consider the fact that it is possible that your wall has electrical wiring, pipes, and venting systems running through it. Plus, it could be a load bearing wall. So, to avoid the costs of making substantial changes to your home’s floorplan, try to use a cutout to achieve an open floor plan feel.
If you want to save even more money, you could avoid changing your floor plan altogether. Although you might think that it is vital that you have an open floor plan or a cut out in your wall, you might find that there are ways to give your kitchen a spacious feel, without altering your walls at all. The point of an open kitchen is for the kitchen to feel more connected to the other rooms in the house, but oftentimes, family and friends congregate in the kitchen already. If this sounds like your family, then it is possible that an open kitchen might not be necessary for your home.
Don’t Choose Recessed Lighting, Choose Track Lighting
When you use recessed lighting, you’re going to have to cut holes in the ceiling, add electrical wiring, and there might be other hidden costs, too. Plus, it usually costs about $100 to $150 dollars for a single recessed light. When you consider this expense multiplied to cover the whole kitchen, it is a lot cheaper to forgo recessed lighting. When you use tract lighting, there are many stylistic choices, and it is almost always less expensive. Most always, you can find track lighting that matches the style of your kitchen, and you won’t compromise quality, when you forgo recessed lighting, either.
Do Some Repairs and Upgrades Yourself
Although you might think that it’s a hassle to do home improvement projects yourself, it’s actually a fun way to save money. For jobs that you are qualified to do yourself—for example, we wouldn’t advise that you do any electrical work by yourself—you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when you’re done with a project. Another perk of doing home renovation projects by yourself, is that you can tell all your friends and family that your kitchen remodel was done by you. It’s a great point of conversation, to explain to people that you’re the one who installed the cabinets or the countertop—and you’ll save money, too.
Do Your Remodel in Increments
You can find ways to save money, when you’re remodeling your kitchen, but we won’t deny that there will still be some substantial costs, even if you do everything that you can to save money. To avoid being overwhelming with a sudden amount of costs that you have to pay, a good way to save money remodeling your kitchen is to do your kitchen remodel in increments. For example, if you put new cabinets in your kitchen, you can wait to put backsplash up, for a few months. If you do small jobs over the course of a longer period of time, you’ll update your kitchen slowly, until you’ve done everything that you need to do to improve your kitchen. There is no time limit for achieving the kitchen of your dreams, and there is no shame in a kitchen renovation project taking a little bit longer than it would if you renovated your kitchen all at once.
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