The kitchen is among the most expensive areas of the house in remodeling because of labor and material costs. But you can also do a kitchen remodel on a budget. As the homeowner, you can keep the cost down for your kitchen remodeling in many ways.
All the secondary parties, like contractors, designers, architects, and suppliers, are working to maximize their profit while you are working towards keeping it down. While no one works with people that insist on piling on extra costs, you will still have to remind the secondary parties to stay within the allocated budget. You can control the remodeling choices to keep the cost manageable. Below are some tips you can follow to decrease your remodel budget.
Refresh, Don’t Replace The Cabinets
Usually, all projects that involve tearing out and replacing are more expensive compared to projects that retain most of the materials. Kitchen cabinets are the perfect example of this. Even though there are many affordable kitchen cabinets in Orland Park, they still make a massive dent in your budget, especially if you want custom ones. Luckily, you can refresh your current cabinets in many eco-friendly and cost-effective ways.
- Painting: Painting your cabinets is a classic way to update your cabinets. Sanding and painting can be time-consuming, depending on your number of cabinets. But, since the process is straightforward, even beginners can create good results.
- Refacing: Refacing adds new veneer to the exterior of the cabinet boxes and replaces the doors and drawer fronts completely. This is not a DIY project, as it requires tools and expertise most don’t have. But it is still cheaper than entirely new cabinets and will change your kitchen’s look.
- Hardware: Other than updating your cabinet’s finish, you can replace the hardware. Sometimes, you must add modern knobs and handles to make your current cabinets new.
- Shelving: Rather than buying new cabinets or refinishing the old ones, install open shelving. They are inexpensive and can be easily matched with your kitchen style. This will give your kitchen an airy feel, similar to commercials.
Refurbish The Appliances
In the past, most appliances were sent to the landfill in kitchen remodels. Still, that thinking is becoming outdated because municipalities have restrictive policies against sending appliances directly to landfills.
Now, there is much information in place to fix kitchen appliances. Furthermore, there is a thriving service parts market. This allows many homeowners to refurbish their appliances rather than spend money on a professional or buying something new.
But, the ability to fix an appliance depends on your skill level and the issue causing it to malfunction. But it doesn’t hurt to do it yourself before paying someone else to fix it.
Keep Your Current Kitchen Layout
Dramatically changing your kitchen’s layout is a surefire way to increase the budget. For example, if you move the plumbing for your sink, dishwasher, or refrigerator, you will need to hire plumbers. They will punch holes in your wall to add new pipes, further adding costs for materials and labor.
But, if you keep the same kitchen layout while updating the elements in the framework, it will be cost-effective. You also won’t have to add new plumbing or electrical. You can also keep your current flooring if you want. This is because flooring doesn’t run under cabinets, so if you change the layout, you will have to deal with your flooring gaps. But, without changing the layout, you will still have a new look and feel in your kitchen.
Furthermore, gallery-style or corridor kitchens usually have limited footprint space, so significant changes aren’t possible unless you have a lot of money to spend on the home’s structure. But, one-wall kitchens provide more flexibility because they have an open side. In this case, you can add a kitchen island to create more prep space and storage without spending money on expensive layout changes.
Assemble And Install Kitchen Cabinets Yourself
Sometimes, you can’t refurbish your kitchen cabinets. Remember that if your cabinets are structurally okay, you can reface, repaint, or restrain them. If not, you will need to replace your cabinets with new ones.
If you have to replace your old cabinets, opt for ready-to-assemble affordable kitchen cabinets. They are not hard to assemble, so you won’t have to pay for labor costs. But getting the right fit can be tough, especially with odd angles.
Conclusion
If you are on a tight budget, these tips will help you create a new kitchen without spending thousands of dollars. Our tips show you don’t always have to pay much for quality. Kitchen Cabinet Design has ready-to-assemble and custom cabinets in various brands, door styles, and colors, so you can pick one that fits your home.
